About 40 km to the east of Cape Town, lying in the shadow of a continuous belt of Cape fold mountains, lies a series of generous valleys known as the Cape Winelands – a collection of historic towns, little hamlets and Cape Dutch farmsteads that provide well-regarded South African wines to the world. These mountains create an incredible scenic backdrop for myriad vines, but they are also one of the reasons wines do so well here. Their geological compositions provide unique soil conditions that directly affect the character of the wine.