Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyards, Franschhoek

Touring the vineyards in the Dassenburg mountains on horseback, with stops for little tastings, is the primary appeal of a stay at the Mont Rochelle estate, a large vineyard which also boasts a 16-room hotel with typical Cape Dutch architecture – thick white walls and a thatched roof. Some rooms have outdoor plunge pools as well as marble baths, the bar features dark wood, leather couches and fireplaces, and there's a fantastic restaurant, Mange Tout, where you can pair the estate's cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot with dishes such as springbok shank and oxtail cannelloni.
• +27 21 876 2770, montrochelle.co.za. Rooms from £200, including breakfast.

Klein Genot, Franschhoek

Klein Genot is a boutique abode designed with advice from a feng shui expert, with airy light spaces, fountains, and seven bedrooms off a central atrium. It specialises in red wines, with a few recently released whites, all served in a spectacular dining room with wooden beams and chandeliers.

• +27 21 876 2738, kleingenot.com. Rates £85 per person, including breakfast, afternoon tea and soft drinks.

Bo La Motte Guest Cottages, Franschhoek

A tranquil hideaway at the foot of the Middagkrans mountains in Franschhoek, these four self-catering cottages are set amid the estate's pear orchards and vineyards. It specialises in Rhone varietals such as viognier, shiraz and grenache, and is also good for families. One of nine original Huguenot farms settled in 1672, it now has a swimming pool and offers fly-fishing.

• +27 21 876 3067, bolamotte.com. Cottages from £50 a night.

Lanzerac Hotel & Spa, Stellenbosch

A beautiful stately homestead, the 300-year-old Lanzerac has 48 lavish rooms in the Cape Dutch manor house and in cottages in the grounds. All have private terraces with views of vineyards and the Helderberg mountains. This winery produced the world's first pinotage – a South African cross between pinot noir and cinsault (hermitage). There's also a great spa and top-notch food by chef Stephen Fraser, who has cooked for Sean Connery, Posh and Becks and Calvin Klein.

• +27 21 887 1132, lanzerac.co.za. Doubles from £200, including breakfast.

Allée Bleue, Groot Drakenstein

This estate just outside Franschhoek has a dramatic setting: with great views of the Drakenstein mountains and a majestic lane of blue gum trees beneath which you can sample the wines or have a picnic. You can also picnic on the estate or have lunch at the bistro. Decorated with vivid blues and white, the cottage's two bedrooms, which can be rented individually, have exposed beams and wooden floors. For cold evenings, there's an open fire in the shared lounge/bar.

• +27 21 874 1021, alleebleue.com.

Rate £335 per suite (sleeps two). This includes airport transfers, breakfast, newspaper, wine tasting, cellar tour and guided estate tour.

Seidelberg Wine Estate, Paarl

The historic town of Paarl is dominated by Paarl Mountain and the distinctive Afrikaans Language Monument on its slopes. Nearby is the Seidelberg estate, established in 1692 and called "de Leuwen Jagt" (the Lion Hunt). Now guests hunt only pinotage and merlot. Sleep off the excesses of the day in one of three cottages, with chandeliers and four-poster beds.

• +27 21 863 5200, seidelberg.co.za. From £140 for a cottage sleeping four, including breakfast.

Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate, Wellington

Near the sleepy town of Wellington, Diemersfontein's sprawling estate offers 14 simple rooms, or self-catering cottages with their own veranda, fireplace and kitchenette. Famous for its pinotage with hints of chocolate and coffee, the estate is a good base for exploring the rest of the Wellington wine route, with horse riding and mountain hiking nearby.

• +27 21 864 5050, diemersfontein.co.za. Doubles from £80, including breakfast and wine tasting.

The Robertson Small Hotel, Robertson

It's not set in a vineyard, but special mention must be made of the Robertson Small Hotel. Robertson is a in the sleepy wine-producing town in the lush Breede River Valley This boutique hotel and restaurant is owned by chef Reuben Riffel (who is based in Franschhoek) and has set a new tone in understated elegance in the area. It's perfectly located in town and makes a central spot from which to explore all 48 wineries in the area, such as Graham Beck for its excellent sparkling wines and Springfield which produces phenomenal whites: a trip is not complete without taking home at least a case of their flinty Life from Stone sauvignon blanc or barrel-fermented chardonnay.

• 58 Van Reenen Street, +27 23 626 7200, therobertsonsmallhotel.com. R650 to £55-£100 per person, including breakfast.

Sumaridge Wine Estate, Hermanus

Further afield, the Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) Valley just outside the seaside town of Hermanus (where whales can be spotted in winter and spring) boasts excellent wineries. Sumaridge Wine Estate offers self-catering accommodation in five rooms with oak floors and floral themes.

• +27 28 312 1097, sumaridge.co.za.Doubles from £60, room-only.

Constantia Uitsig, Constantia

Closer to Cape Town, the Constantia winelands are worth a trip, and not to be forgotten. Home to top restaurant La Colombe, the Constantia Uitsig also boasts 16 garden rooms with four-posters and colourful floral fabrics. With a nod to the estate's heritage, rooms have an old-world feel. The tasting room, set apart from the hotel, is bright and breezy, with friendly splashes of bold colour. It specialises in white wines, including an interesting woody semillon. The plush on-site spa does many therapies, including one that envelops you in the aromas of fine wines.

• Constantia Uitsig, +27 21 794 6500, constantia-uitsig.com. Doubles from £265.

Steenberg Hotel & Spa, Tokai

Mixing antique furniture with sleek wood finishes, this grand hotel successfully melds the old and the new, with a slick "cellar door" bar serving zesty sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and a good range of reds. From the mountain slope against which the tasting room is set, you can catch a glimpse of the sea at False Bay. Another plus is the choice of two restaurants and the on-site spa

• +27 21 713 2222, steenberghotel.com. Double rooms from £175, including breakfast.

Lisa van Aswegen is editor of Time Out Cape Town