People consider Stellenbosch to South Africa as Napa Valley to California. Located about 50 kilometres inland from Cape Town, negotiating Stellenbosch’s producers can be challenging in that there are so many. And with quantity comes quality - jaw-droppingly good in some cases. This is by far the benchmark for South Africa wines, home to many of great the estates including The Sadie Family Winery. Vineyards are flanked by mountains and benefit from the cooling maritime breeze; not only does this give the grape potential for long ripening on the vine but also makes it Instagram magic (if you like that type of thing). Seven different subregions (five of which, Blaauwklippen River Valley, Somerset West, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Banghoek, Jonkershoek Valley, are consistent in their excellence. This is undoubtedly due to the superior gravel, granite terroir of the region, ideal for thier lovely reds. The sandstone soils to the west of the region are perfect for the production of their creamy white wine. Food for thought: the granite mountains are approximately 600 million years old, over 3 times as old as the soil in Napa, so consider that when weighing up the pros and cons and both countries.