Wines and Vines
Going wine tasting, one of the constant dilemmas is, should we take the car? We have full control over the day, and where to visit, and for how long. But it means one of us can’t drink that much. And that is a big but. Especially when both of you have such a mutual appreciation of wine. One of us can’t fully take part in everything a day amongst beautiful wineries and vineyards has to offer. I’m not saying that you have to drink to have a good time, but it helps, right?
Today, there were no arguments about who would be the designated driver. There was no coin toss, which suited me, as I usually lose anyway. This morning, and yes people, our wine tasting was going to start in the morning, so you can stop judging me right now, the car was left at the accommodation. We were off wine tasting in Franschhoek. For our day amongst the sweeping valleys we were in the very safe, and very capable hands of the team from the Franschhoek wine tram (https://winetram.co.za/).
The history of Franschhoek
With the arrival of the French Huguenots in the mid 1600s this small part of South Africa was renamed, taking its name from the Dutch for “French Corner”. Those French refugees began establishing farms that also eventually expanded to include vineyards. Hence, in South Africa, the term wine farm is commonly used. In more recent times, since around the 1990s, there has been a boom in tourism to Franschhoek and it is now widely regarded as the food and wine capital of South Africa. With some justification. There is enough to keep visitors happy for many days, with world class restaurants, boutique luxury accommodation, and some of the best wine you will drink. Don’t drink wine? Fear not, Franschhoek has some great breweries such as Tuk Tuk Microbrewery and the Franschhoek Beer Co.
A foodie’s paradise
To celebrate a special occasion, or to just celebrate that you are in one of the world’s most beautiful locations, treat yourself to lunch at La Petite Colombe (https://www.lapetitecolombe.com/), the sister restaurant to the highly acclaimed La Colombe in Cape Town. I can highly recommend the “Chefs Spring Experience” which is an exquisite 7 course lunch. If, like us, you are feeling particularly decadent, include the “Franschhoek Wine Experience” that comprises a matching wine for each course. You will not be disappointed.
Luxury cribs
If all you can do after such indulgence is collapse in a food coma, then a splurge at the boutique hotel Akademie Street (https://aka.co.za/), will leave you well rested, if somewhat poorer. We stayed in the Uitsig suite and once sat on the balcony, with a cold chenin blanc in hand, it is easy to see why it has been named “view”, looking out across the Franschhoek mountains. The wood fired hot tub on the balcony looked like it would go very well with our chilled bottle of Methode Cap Classique (MCC), South Africa’s version of champagne. Whilst unable to call it champagne, not being from Champagne, it is produced in the exact same way, the traditional method with a secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Back to the wine
It is in the shadow of these magnificent mountains that you will find the wineries. And it was the wine, and the history of those wineries that we were here for today. The Franschhoek wine tram has 8 colour coded lines, each taking you through the valley, and to the different wineries and vineyards, travelling through 300 years of history. A little confused by all the options, we selected the blue line, departing the terminal in the centre of town at 11am. Each line has 9 stops and you are able to stop at each and every one. With the actual size of the tastings poured that we saw that day, that is a lot of wine. As much as we like wine we decided to limit the number of stops and include a lunch (a very good steak sandwich) at La Bourgogne. In total we managed to visit 6 of the wineries/vineyards, and I would like to say we picked the best ones. But after so much wine I was likely to say anything.
The Franschhoek wine tram
The wine tram operates just like those big red buses you see in many major cities across the world. In a typical hop on, hop off fashion. A rolling timetable sees you dropped at one wine farm, then collected exactly an hour later. Of course, should you wish to stretch out your lunch, and spend longer at a particular winery, then you will have your next tram in 2 hours. Whilst cleverly marketed as the “Franschhoek wine tram”, most of the vineyards and wine farms are serviced by open air tram style buses, with only a few actually reached by the real life vintage tram. Sipping our welcome drink that we got when boarding the tram at the terminal, we headed out to visit both Grande Provence and Rickety Bridge wine estates. To prove that Franschhoek is not all luxurious restaurants and glamorous hotels we got picked up in a tractor/trailer combo to take us from the tram platform to the cellar door.
Costs
As with most things in South Africa, the cost of the day is very reasonable. Tickets for a day pass on the hop on hop off tour cost R260 (approx $26) each. Tasting fees at the cellar doors were additional and ranged between R25 and R150 ($2.50 and $15). Judging by the atmosphere on the last tram back into the village, everybody had a great day. The early morning silences had been filled with tispy ramblings and new friendships boisterously being made over one of civilisations oldest social lubricants, wine. Cin cin.
Wine tasting in Franschhoek is an experience not to be missed. Being only about an hours drive from Cape Town, it is a great place to get away for the weekend. Add in visits to the must see wine farms of Babylonstoren and Boschendal on the way through, and you are starting to see the best of what the region can offer. I think the wine region of Stellenbosch, next door, gets more exposure outside of these parts but my heart is in Franschhoek. When can I return?
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