Stellenbosch Celebrates: Woordfees 2026 and 55 Years of the Stellenbosch Wine Route
October 2026 was a month of celebration in Stellenbosch. Woordfees 2026, the town's annual arts and literature festival, ran from 3 to 11 October with a wine programme put together with the Stellenbosch Wine Routes. That is South Africa's first wine route, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. On 21 October the Wine Routes also elected new leadership, and Kanonkop is among the estates represented on its board.
What happened at Woordfees 2026?
Woordfees is Stellenbosch's annual festival of words, books, music and theatre. In 2026 it ran from 3 to 11 October, and wine was a big part of the programme. Highlights included:
- The Woordfees Long Table (2 October): a long-table dinner on Ryneveld Street beneath the town's famous oak trees. Chef Mynhardt Joubert designed the menu, and every guest got a glass of wine on arrival.
- Wine School: free introductory classes with Stellenbosch winemakers and broadcaster Martelize Brink. The sessions were Bubbly 101 (5 October), Cabernet Sauvignon 101 (6 October) and White Wine 101 (7 October).
- Sauvignon Blanc in focus: a panel with Stellenbosch winemakers on South Africa's biggest-selling grape, and on 8 October a discussion and tasting for the book The Story of South African Sauvignon Blanc.
- Wine history on air (4 October): a live RSG radio broadcast hosted by Martelize Brink, tracing South African wine from its beginnings in 1659.
- Walks in the winelands (10 October): a sunrise hike, and a storytelling and photography walk through the Dwarsrivier Valley villages of Pniel, Johannesdal and Kylemore, starting and ending at Le Pommier.
How old is the Stellenbosch Wine Route?
The Stellenbosch Wine Route turns 55 in 2026. It was South Africa's first official wine route. In 1969, Frans Malan of Simonsig and Niel Joubert of Spier visited the wine regions of France and saw how the French routes des vins welcomed visitors. With Spatz Sperling of Delheim, they founded the Stellenbosch Wine Route, which was officially approved in April 1971 with 11 members.
Signposts were not allowed until 1975. Today, the Stellenbosch Wine Routes represent more than 150 wineries across five sub-routes: Bottelary Hills, Greater Simonsberg, Helderberg, Stellenbosch Valley and Stellenbosch Berg. The idea those three winemakers brought home from France has become one of the world's great wine-tourism destinations.
Who leads the Stellenbosch Wine Routes now?
At its annual general meeting on 21 October 2026, the Stellenbosch Wine Routes appointed Jean Engelbrecht of Rust en Vrede as chair. He succeeds Mike Ratcliffe, who led the organisation for nine years. Three new board members joined:
- Louw Strydom of Kanonkop, the estate behind South Africa's first 100-point wine (read the Kanonkop story)
- Frans Smit of Spier
- Bruwer Raats of Raats Family Wines
The board also includes winemakers and leaders from estates such as Kaapzicht, Overgaauw, Kleine Zalze and Aslina Wines.
Which Stellenbosch wines won awards in 2026?
The celebrations cap a strong year for the region's wines:
- Decanter World Wine Awards 2026: Visio Vintners won a Gold medal for its Alliance 2022, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz. Visio Vintners is a Stellenbosch empowerment winery, a partnership between Kleine Zalze and the Kleine Zalze Empowerment Trust, which is owned and managed by employees. The competition drew close to 17,000 entries from 58 countries.
- 25th Investec Trophy Wine Show: Delaire Graff's Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2022 won the trophy for Best Red Wine Overall, as well as Best Cabernet Sauvignon and the International Judges' Trophy. Cavalli's Chardonnay 2025, from the Helderberg, was named Best Chardonnay.
- 14th Shiraz SA Challenge: Stellenrust won the Bernard Podlashuk Shiraz Trophy, and Stellenbosch estates such as Spier, Stellenbosch Hills and Rust en Vrede were among the 2026 winners.
Why does Stellenbosch matter to wine lovers?
Founded in 1679, Stellenbosch is one of South Africa's oldest towns and the heart of its wine industry. Its mix of mountain slopes, granite and sandstone soils, and cooling breezes from False Bay produces some of the country's finest Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux-style blends, Pinotage and Chardonnay. Pinotage itself was created at Stellenbosch University in 1925.
Many of the wines in our shop come from the Stellenbosch district, including Kanonkop on the Simonsberg, Bartinney in the Banhoek Valley and De Toren.
POTUM tip: planning a trip to the Cape? Stellenbosch is about 50 kilometres from Cape Town. With more than 150 wineries on its wine routes, pick one sub-route per day rather than trying to see everything.
Which Stellenbosch wines can you buy in Bulgaria?
All of these are available from POTUM, with delivery across Bulgaria and the EU.
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Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2022
The Bordeaux-style flagship of one of Stellenbosch's most famous estates, now represented on the Wine Routes board.
View wine -
Banhoek Valley
Bartinney Hourglass Chardonnay 2023
Small-batch Chardonnay from steep slopes at 400–550 metres, rich and creamy with fresh citrus minerality.
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Stellenbosch
De Toren Fusion V 2020
A blend of all five Bordeaux grapes, with cassis, graphite and cedar. Built for long ageing.
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Stellenbosch Cabernet
Kanonkop Kadette Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Classic Stellenbosch Cabernet from granite soils, with ripe dark fruit and polished structure.
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Explore more in our Kanonkop, Bartinney and De Toren collections.
Frequently asked questions
When was Woordfees 2026?
Woordfees 2026 ran in Stellenbosch from 3 to 11 October 2026, with the Woordfees Long Table dinner on Ryneveld Street on 2 October.
When was the Stellenbosch Wine Route founded?
The Stellenbosch Wine Route was officially approved in April 1971, making it South Africa's first wine route. It was founded by Frans Malan of Simonsig, Niel Joubert of Spier and Spatz Sperling of Delheim, and celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2026.
How many wineries are on the Stellenbosch Wine Routes?
More than 150 wineries, organised into five sub-routes: Bottelary Hills, Greater Simonsberg, Helderberg, Stellenbosch Valley and Stellenbosch Berg.
Who is the new chair of the Stellenbosch Wine Routes?
Jean Engelbrecht of Rust en Vrede was appointed chair at the annual general meeting on 21 October 2026, succeeding Mike Ratcliffe after nine years.
Is Stellenbosch the best wine region in South Africa?
Stellenbosch is South Africa's best-known and most decorated wine region, especially for Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux-style blends and Pinotage. Other regions, such as Swartland, Elgin and the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, are equally renowned for other styles.
Where can I buy Stellenbosch wine in Bulgaria?
POTUM, a Sofia-based importer, stocks Stellenbosch wines from estates such as Kanonkop, Bartinney and De Toren, with delivery across Bulgaria and the EU.
Sources and further reading
- WineLand: Woordfees 2026 puts Stellenbosch wine in the spotlight (2 October 2026)
- Winemag: Jean Engelbrecht appointed Stellenbosch Wine Routes chair (26 October 2026)
- Stellenbosch Wine Routes: the pioneers
- Nova News: Stellenbosch empowerment winery wins gold at international competition (26 June 2026)
- Stellenbosch Visio: Stellenbosch to the fore at the 2026 Investec Trophy Wine Show (12 June 2026)
- Eikestadnuus: Local wines dominate at the 2026 Shiraz South Africa Challenge
- Header photo: "Stellenbosch Wine Route, Western Cape, South Africa" by South African Tourism, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
