Orange River Wine Route

The Orange River cuts a green line through the Northern Cape desert, and the irrigated strip along it around Upington, Keimoes and Kakamas supports vines in conditions no other South African district approaches - summer temperatures well above forty degrees, almost no rain, and complete dependence on the river. Most of the crop historically went to raisins and to bulk wine, and this remains one of the largest producing areas by volume in the country. The quality end has grown: colombard, chenin blanc and muscat handle the heat, and cellars around Upington now bottle under their own labels with tastings open to visitors. The valley is also where the country's table grapes and sultanas come from, and the vine-covered pergolas along the river roads are a distinctive sight. The Augrabies Falls are an hour west and are the reason most travellers are in the district at all.

What you actually see

• A green strip in desert - irrigated vines along the river with nothing beyond them.
• Extreme heat - summer temperatures well past forty degrees.
• Colombard and chenin - the varieties that handle these conditions.
• Raisins and table grapes - the district's larger business, drying yards everywhere.

When to go

April to September for tolerable temperatures; January and February for harvest. A day.

Honest expectations

Summer heat is genuinely dangerous for anyone unused to it. Much of the production is bulk wine and tastings are modest. Distances between cellars are large. The district is remote - Upington is a long drive from anywhere.

Nearby

Augrabies Falls is west; the Kalahari and Kgalagadi are north.