Franschhoek wine region
Many might struggle to understand that in terms of the South African Wine & Spirit Board demarcation of the country’s various wine appellations, Franschhoek Valley is regarded as a ward within the Paarl district! And at the western reaches of this wine route the boundary with Paarl is somewhat fuzzy, to the layman at least. Essentially though, the valley lies between the Klein Drakenstein and Wemmershoek mountains on the northern side and the Groot Drakenstein and Franschhoek mountains stretching southwards.
From Stellenbosch, the R310 through Helshoogte and Pniel leads to Boschendal before the T-junction with the R45 (left to Simondium and Paarl, right to Franschhoek). From Cape Town you would travel south-east along the R45 (off the N1, Paarl exit), or via the Simondium road from Klapmuts that connects with the R45 after Vrede en Lust. Alternatively you could take the Wemmershoek road (R301) from Paarl, which joins the R45 after the Lynx and Topiary cellars, or you could approach from the direction of Villiersdorp north-east of the valley, along the Franschhoek Pass that winds down past La Petite Ferme and Cabrière.
Among the best views of the valley are from Fransch-hoek Pass, La Petite Ferme and Dieu Donné. Boekenhoutskloof and Stony Brook are some of the landmarks in the south-east of the valley. Chamonix, Grande Provence, Rickety Bridge, La Motte and Môreson are among the cellar highlights in or around the centre of the town, with notables to the west including Graham Beck, L’Ormarins, Solms-Delta and Allée Bleue near the R45/R310 T-junction.
REGISTERED WINE ESTATES
Franschhoek Valley: Akkerdal, Cabrière, Graham Beck, Grande Provence, La Chaumiere, La Vigne, Lynx
Also in the area: Boschendal (Groot Drakenstein)
For information about the various cellars, visit www.winemag.co.za or contact one of the following organisations:
Franschhoek Wine Valley & Tourist Association
Tel 021 876-2861, info@franschhoek.org.za
Vignerons de Franschhoek
Tel 021 876-3062, franschhoek@wine.co.za www.franschhoekwines.co.za
WHERE TO EAT
- Bouillabaisse: modern international seafood deluxe, Tel 021 876-4430
- Bread and Wine, Môreson: charcuterie chic, Tel 021 876-3692
- Cotage Fromage, Vrede en Lust: French/Italian deli, Tel 021 874-3991
- Grande Provence: Anglo-Provençal, Tel 021 876-8600
- Haute Cabrière: Franco-English culinary esperanto with local flair, Tel 021 876-3688
- ICI, Le Quartier Français: bistro chic, Tel 021 876-2151
- La Petite Ferme: healthy, modern Francophone, Tel 021 876-3016
- Mange Tout, Mont Rochelle: fusion of Asian and French classics, Tel 021 876-2770
- Monneaux: French & Asian, contemporary fusion, Tel 021 876-3386
- Reuben’s: eclectic mix of French, Asian and SA flavours, Tel 021 876-3772
- The Tasting Room, Le Quartier Français: New World interpretations of Francophone classics, Tel 021 876-2151
- Topsi & Co: terroir-specific SA, Tel 021 876-2952
