Sips With Soul Wine Tour

A wine tour with a mission is still a wine tour. Sips With Soul is built around a South African route led by Black and Colored creators, so you taste more than grapes. I like how the experience points your attention to the people shaping the industry, not just the scenery.

Two things I’d put at the top of the “go” list: you get tastings plus lunch with transportation, and the group is capped at 12 people, which helps the day feel personal instead of rushed. The one thing to consider is that this is a longer day on the road, so plan for some winery walking and lots of time in a vehicle.

Key things to know before you go

• POC-led wine stops, not generic cellar-hopping. You’ll visit a mix of farms where decision-makers are Black or Colored, including at least one of the 100% black owned farms.
• Small group size (max 12). Fewer people means more Q and a smoother tasting pace.
• Lunch is part of the experience. This is handy when you want food that matches the day, not a random snack break.
• You’ll learn from real industry roles. The day highlights winemakers, vineyard managers, and chefs, not only front-of-house hosts.
• A team that people remember. In feedback, the driver Justin, guide Cindy, and curator Tuanni are specifically praised for making the day run well and feel meaningful.

A wine day built around Black and Colored winemakers

Cape Town has no shortage of wine tours. What makes Sips With Soul different is the focus: this is a day planned around who’s making the wine, managing the vineyards, and leading the kitchen pairings. In other words, it’s less about ticking off famous estates and more about seeing South Africa’s wine world through people whose voices are often left out of the standard brochure.

Franschhoek is the anchor point for the day. The region’s reputation can still feel narrow, so the point here is to gently correct that. You get a full wine-country day in one of the most beautiful settings in the country, but with a story that reflects South Africa’s actual diversity.

And yes, it’s still about flavor. The best part is that the tasting experience is paired with context, so you’re not just swallowing and moving on. You’re learning how wine choices connect to people, land, and leadership.

From Caffe Milano to Franschhoek: a smooth start

Your day begins at Caffe Milano, 100 Shortmarket St in Cape Town City Centre. The start time is 10:00 am, and you’re brought back to the same meeting point at the end.

Pickup is offered, which matters if you’re staying in town and don’t want to figure out connections or rely on a rideshare during a busy part of the day. The tour is also described as near public transportation, so you’re not stuck if you’re not using pickup.

With a total duration of about 7 hours 15 minutes, you’ll want to treat this like a proper half-to-most-of-a-day plan. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring a light layer for winery air if the weather shifts, and keep water handy, because tastings add up.

Your day in Franschhoek, and why the setting matters

Stop 1 is in Franschhoek. Even if you’ve never been, you likely recognize the vibe: picturesque vineyards, a town that feels made for strolling, and that classic wine-country rhythm.

What matters for you is not only the view, it’s the framing. The tour is explicitly designed to address the perception that the region lacks diversity, by putting Black and Colored winemakers, vineyard managers, and chefs front and center. That changes how you pay attention during tastings. Instead of just asking, What does this taste like?, you’ll also be thinking, Who is making these decisions, and what does their role look like on the ground?

Franschhoek also gives you a practical advantage: it’s a well-known wine hub. That means you’re likely to get an efficient route, with the driving kept sensible so you spend more time tasting and less time in transit.

How the wine stops are structured (and what to expect)

Beyond Franschhoek, the day continues with additional wine farms as part of this targeted route. The tour is designed to include:

• at least one visit to a 100% black owned wine farm (the plan mentions one of two such farms), and
• additional farms where a key wine or food leader is a person of color, such as the winemaker, vineyard manager, or executive chef.

Even without farm names listed here, you can still plan your mindset. Each stop is likely to shift slightly in emphasis. One farm may lean more toward winemaking decisions. Another may show vineyard management and cultivation. Another may focus more on food pairing, especially since chefs are included as part of the highlighted voices.

For you, this structure is valuable because it prevents the experience from becoming repetitive. It’s also a smart way to learn: when people hold different roles, they notice different parts of the process. That means your tasting becomes a mini lesson in how wine actually gets made, managed, and served.

A practical note: you’ll be tasting. So pace yourself. If you’re also taking photos, do it between pours, not during. And if you care about writing tasting notes, bring a pen. Small details like that make the day more enjoyable.

Tastings and lunch: more than a “rest stop”

This tour includes tastings and lunch, plus transportation. That combination is where the value often shows up.

First, tastings without food can get tiring. Wine tour days can turn into a blur of sips, especially when you’re outdoors and moving between places. Lunch helps reset your palate and keeps energy stable, so you can actually enjoy each pairing.

Second, lunch is not just convenience. The tour’s concept includes chefs as part of the story. That suggests your meal is meant to connect to what you’re drinking, not be separate from the day’s theme. When that happens, it becomes easier to understand why certain flavors work together.

If you want the most out of tastings, I suggest you go in with two goals:

1) pick one or two wines you genuinely like, and

2) ask simple questions about why.

Even if your wine vocabulary is basic, you can still ask what makes a wine taste the way it does, or what role the vineyard plays.

The human touch: driver, guide, and curator

This is the part that usually separates a smooth day from a “good, but stressful” day: the people running the experience.

In feedback, the driver Justin and guide Cindy are praised for being helpful and a delight, and the curator Tuanni is singled out for passion and for doing the real work of highlighting partners and supporting people of color in the wine culture.

Even though you can’t guarantee the exact same team on your date, the presence of a dedicated curator matters. It signals that the tour isn’t just a bus route with tastings. There’s a person shaping the narrative so you get more meaning from the day.

If you’re the kind of traveler who likes learning while having fun, this format should suit you. You’ll likely feel that the guide keeps the flow moving, while the curator helps the experience land emotionally and culturally, not just educationally.

Price and what you’re really paying for

At $225 per person, Sips With Soul isn’t a bargain-basement tasting. But it also isn’t priced like a luxury private estate day. The key question is, what’s included?

You’re getting:

• tastings
• lunch
• transportation
• pickup is offered
• a small group size with a maximum of 12 travelers

When you add that up, the price starts to make sense, especially for a wine route with a strong theme. You’re not just paying for drinks. You’re paying for guided structure, a planned route that prioritizes specific people in the industry, and the logistics that save you from driving yourself through unfamiliar roads and scheduling.

So I’d think of the value like this: if you want a day where the stops feel intentional and the time feels well-used, this can be a strong option. If you’re looking for the cheapest way to taste wine, you might compare against other tours. But if you want a meaningful day in wine country, this price feels fair.

Timing, group size, and comfort

The tour starts at 10:00 am and runs about 7 hours 15 minutes. That’s long enough that comfort matters. You’ll likely spend some time outdoors at vineyards and walking around tasting rooms, even if the walking is light.

The group size limit of 12 people is a big deal. In a bigger group, you often spend your time waiting. In a smaller one, you can actually follow along, ask questions, and hear the explanations clearly without shouting across the table.

Also, the meeting point is central and near public transportation. That’s helpful if you want flexibility, or if pickup is not available for your exact situation.

Who should book Sips With Soul

This is a great fit if you:

• want a Cape Town wine day that reflects more than the usual faces in wine tourism,
• like learning from the people doing the work (winemakers, vineyard managers, chefs),
• prefer small groups instead of cattle-car tours,
• enjoy tastings but also want the food pairing element.

It’s also good for first-time visitors to Cape Town. The day gives you a clean introduction to wine-country life in the Franschhoek region, and the theme helps you understand South Africa’s wine culture from a different angle.

If you already know a lot about wine and you want purely technical tasting, you might still enjoy the format, but you should be ready for a story-driven approach as part of the day.

Should you book Sips With Soul?

I’d recommend booking Sips With Soul if you want a full, well-run wine day with tastings and lunch, and you care about who is getting spotlighted in South African wine. The small group size helps the experience feel human, and the inclusion of chefs plus vineyard leaders suggests you’ll walk away with more than a souvenir list of wines.

Book with confidence if you’re the kind of traveler who likes a theme with substance, not just a marketing angle. And if you want your wine tour to leave you feeling informed and fed, this one fits the bill.

FAQ

Where does the Sips With Soul Wine Tour start?

It starts at Caffe Milano, 100 Shortmarket St, Cape Town City Centre.

What time does the tour begin?

The start time is 10:00 am.

How long is the tour?

The duration is about 7 hours 15 minutes (approximately).

Is pickup offered?

Yes, pickup is offered.

What does the tour include?

The tour includes tastings, lunch, and transportation.

How big is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 12 travelers.

Do I need to buy an admission ticket?

Admission is listed as free for the activity.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience’s start time.