Canto Wines
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In Their Words
Canto Wines History & Location
Canto Wines is a boutique winery situated in the rolling hills of Durbanville, just 30 minutes from Cape Town’s city centre. Produced in a boutique style, Canto Wines believe in quality before quantity. Our wines are thus made with meticulous effort to ensure the end product has pure fruit, a richness in texture and complexity while being approachable.
The farm is famous for its Cap Classique (bubbles) and we invite guests to enjoy our signature Cap Classique & Macaron pairing in our state of the art tasting centre, or outside overlooking our expansive lawns facing towards the mountains of Stellenbosch.
Canto Wines Operating Hours
Wine Tasting: open daily. Mon to Thu 10.30am-5pm, Fri & Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-6pm.
Pizzas: available Fri to Sun only, during tasting hours.
Build Your Own Picnics: during the week these are enjoyed in the Tasting Room, at weekends a limited number of picnic spots available on lawn (Sat 10am-5pm & Sun 11am-4.30pm). These are first come, first served.
2 Hour Canto Crusade Group Party E-Bike: available daily, 10.30am, 1.30pm & 4.30pm (pre-booking essential).
3 Hour Corporate Classic Group E-Bike: available 5 days a week, 10.30am & 2.30pm (pre-booking essential).
*PLEASE NOTE*
Open most Public Holidays 10am-6pm. All times, prices and facilities listed are subject to change. We recommend checking latest details directly with the farm and pre-booking experiences wherever possible, to avoid disappointment.
Canto Wines Wine Tasting
A Tasting Room with a difference! Beautifully decorated and feeling as if you are having wine in the comfort of your own home, the tasting room at Canto Wines is the perfect place to wind down and we have several tasting options to choose from.
We specialise in bubbly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz Cap Classique, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage and Merlot – and our ‘help yourself’ deli allows you to build a platter of delights to accompany your wines, including artisan cheeses and meats.
Wine Tasting Prices
Taste all 4 Cap Classiques (bubbles) for R60pp or try our signature Cap Classique & Macaron pairing, for R105pp. We also offer a Still Wine Pairing (R60pp for 5), a craft Kukumakranka Gin Pairing (R120 for 4) or the non-alcoholic Artisan Tonic & Macaron Pairing (R80pp for 4).
Canto Wines Restaurants
Whilst there is no restaurant at Canto, we have a well stocked self-service deli where you can purchase items to enjoy at your table. On Saturdays and Sundays only, we also have 10 ‘first come, first served’ picnic spots outside on our beautiful lawns, suitable for 4 people, with a minimum R180 purchase from the deli (off site food is not permitted). Bring your children along and make use of the oversized lawn where they can run wild overlooking the beautiful Winelands mountains.
Between Friday and Sunday, we also offer a selection of boxed pizzas for purchase, which can be enjoyed at your table.
Menus & Pricing
The deli offers a variety of cheeses, cold meats, condiments and sweet treats, all individually wrapped and sold. Prices start from around R40 per item. Weekend picnic spots on the lawns are allocated, subject to availability, to those purchasing a minimum of R180 worth of foods from the deli (arrive early). The farm also offers boxed pizzas, which start from around R100.
Canto Wines Tours & Activities
Canto do not offer cellar tours however the tasting room has been designed to immerse you amongst the stainless steel tanks.
With its beautiful mountain views, Canto also offers a monthly Yoga Class on the lawn followed by a refreshing glass of Cap Classique and an accompanying macaron (R160pp). This is available on the first Saturday of the month at 9am and must be pre-booked directly with the instructor Margeaux Arderne at margeaux@ilct.net or 076 282 5526.
For the ultimate party, why not book the Canto Crusade Party Bike? Available daily for groups of 8-12, this 2 hour activity includes a 12 seater Electric Party Bike, driver, Bluetooth Sound System, wine glasses and a cash bar. Guests can stock up on drinks or deli items from the farm (plus pizzas on certain days), before taking a trip through the vineyards with your driver, including scenic stops enroute. Prices from R200pp based on a minimum of 8, please refer to Party Bike – InstaBio for more information and bookings.
Should you be planning a corporate event or party, why not consider the 3 hour Corporate Classic version of the above group e-bike activity? Available 5 days a week for groups of 8-12 people, this longer activity is designed to also include time to wine taste or enjoy a macaron pairing in the vineyard. Priced from R300pp plus the cost of wine tasting/pairings, minimum 8. Please refer to Party Bike – InstaBio for more information and bookings.
When Lucy Visited
Love bubbles and want a boutique, contemporary farm close to Cape Town? Well, Canto is IT !
When I recall Canto, I can’t help but smile. Yes I visited on a beautiful Cape Town day with not a cloud in the sky (or unbelievably a breath of wind!), but even on a rainy day indoors I think you’d still love this little gem.
So why make the trip out to Canto?
Located right in the heart of the Durbanville Wine Route, the farm is roughly 25 mins or so from Cape Town’s CBD. As it’s very close to a number of other wine farms, it’s ideal as a stop off as part of a longer day’s wine hopping.
The first thing to note: Canto is not a complicated, sprawling wine estate. It’s very much a boutique operation – both in how they produce wine and in their facilities, which are limited (there are no kids’ jungle gyms or fancy restaurants, for example). It is simplicity. Wine. Nibbles. View. Style. And they execute it really well.
Canto is a relatively new kid on the block and is most famous for its bubbly Cap Classique and macaron pairing. As if this wasn’t reason enough to visit, they also offer an unusual Kukumakranka Gin tasting (sourced from Darlington up the West Coast), a separate Tonic tasting plus they have a small selection of their own still wines, including their take on Durbanville’s most popular varietal: Sauvignon Blanc.
So What About The Farm Itself?
Essentially the farm comprises of an immaculate Cape Dutch style barn, surrounded by an enormous and beautifully manicured lawn.. On a clear day, from outside you also have a panoramic 180 degree view of the surrounding vineyards towards the Stellenbosch mountains… the photos really don’t do it justice.
At the time of writing, in keeping with their boutique feel they only have 4 or so tables outside and you can’t pre-book these – however they open up 10 designated picnic spots on the lawn at weekends, if you stock up with R200-odd Rands worth of gourmet treats from their deli (offered on a first come, first served basis, max group size four). I visited very early on a Sunday morning and these slots were already filling up with families and couples, so definitely arrive early. Although it was absolutely idyllic weather on the day I visited, it can get pretty windy – so bear this in mind for your plans.
Inside the barn, there is a small bar area serving beer on tap and a bijou (but well stocked) deli offering quality produce including locally sourced meats, cheeses and olives. Even if you can’t get a spot on the lawn or the weather is poor, you can buy nibbles from here to snack on, at your table inside – plus they now also offer a small selection of pizzas between Fri and Sun. Either way, call ahead to pre-book a table indoors as it can get very busy, especially at weekends.
The main heart of the barn is a towering space which also doubles as the maturation cellar. Cellars are notoriously hard to make cosy and welcoming for visitors, so I was quite impressed, they’ve done a good job here. The overall feel of Canto is like a modern, urban barn conversion – lots of warm wood shades offset with metallic accessories, glass and textures of grey and white. The place was spotless and amongst the pristine stainless steel tanks and oak barrels they’ve scattered a number of informal bistro style tables and chairs – which add to the sense of it very much being a 21st Century working wine farm. Note, there are windows in the barn, however these only offer glimpses of the magnificent view outside.
What About Canto’s Wine?
The star of the show – their Cap Classique Chardonnay Brut – was very drinkable and although I am not normally a fan of macarons, I left here completely converted. Not too sweet or chewy, these were light and fluffy and paired perfectly with the 4 matching bubbles. That said, even they couldn’t convert my dislike of Turkish Delight but you can’t have it all – and at R105 for the tasting, it was worth the gamble!
I didn’t manage to try their still wines this time but my husband did sample the bright blue Blueberry Kukumakranka Gin, which was a novelty and very fruity, as you can imagine. Probably not one we’ll be ordering for everyday drinking but it was certainly memorable and if you’re a lover of craft gins, the 4 tastings for R120 is something special.
A simple, boutique menu delivered with a friendly smile – this is a farm that is well run and well organised.
In Summary
Beautiful setting, lovely deli, stylish and straightforward wine tasting. Despite having no kids facilities, on a beautiful weekend day I would absolutely recommend Canto for families – just arrive early to secure your picnic spot and note the minimum spend/max numbers. For couples or small groups, it is 100% worth a visit however you’d probably spend a couple of hours here, rather than a full day – which is fine as there are plenty of other farms nearby to wine hop to!
Top Tip!
With only 4 outdoor tables, the farm only allocates these on the day – however pre-book an early slot indoors and if the weather is good you’ll have the best chance of grabbing an outside seat. The view is serene!
