Passport Will Unlock Winelands’ Cellar Doors

Wine and brandy lovers lucky enough to live near or visit South Africa’s spectacular winelands – sprawled across and nestled among the mountains, hills and valleys of the Western Cape Province – can now buy a passport to gain access to many of the area’s finest wine cellars. And when we say “buy a passport”, we’re not referring to the corrupt African rite of bribing a government official with money to illegally obtain a travel document.

This is because the passport in question won’t enable you to cross any international borders. And you can get hold of it no matter what your nationality is. It is called the Cellar Door Collection Passport and it will provide its wine- and brandy-loving owners with access to up to fourteen wine estates in places such as Stellenbosch, Durbanville, Paarl, Robertson, Tulbagh and even, surprisingly, ‘alien’ places as far-flung from the Cape as the town of Phalaborwa, located in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. Passport holders will get to experience visits to a variety of cellars, ranging from the historic to the ultra-modern.

Consumers can choose between two options: a less expensive R50 Passport will entitle holders to visit up to four different estates over a period of six months; and a R100 Passport will be valid for a year and allow users to visit up to fourteen estates. Both options will enable Passport holders to save up to 60% on tour and tasting fees. Users who wish to upgrade experiences can do so by simply paying the difference between the Passport experience and the alternative offering.The Passports can also be purchased as gifts for other people.

Apart from the potential to save a bundle while still indulging what could be an expensive pastime, another positive aspect of obtaining a Cellar Door Collection Passport is that holders can design their own tours and plan their visits to take place at their own leisure and at times that are most convenient for them. Holders need only to flash their Passport cards at the participating venues in order to redeem their benefits.

According to the official Cellar Door Collection website, Passport holders will, from time to time, also be “entitled to special privileges at the wine and brandy experiences”, which they need to enquire about during their visits.

For more information about the participating estates and cellars, and on where the Passports can be purchased, visit the website or send e-mail to in**@ce******************.za

Dirk Tolken
Author: Dirk Tolken