Franschhoek is arguably the most pleasant and easy to navigate of the Cape Town winelands. The tiny village (population of 15,000) is often described as the gourmet capital of South Africa. With so much gluttony, it’s worthy of a few days on your Cape Town itinerary. Besides, it’s also, in my opinion, the most beautiful wine appellation in the world. You don’t get closer to paradise than sipping a glass of Pinotage while admiring the rolling mountains of the Franschhoek Valley.
When visiting Franschhoek, you should treat it as more than just a day trip as it is 26 km from Cape Town. That’s a drive you don’t want to make after a lengthy day (or night) of eating and drinking. There are plenty of guest houses along the N1, as it leads into Franschhoek that allow easy access to the shops, restaurants, and bars of the village, and of course the surrounding wineries.
Visiting the wineries
Visiting wineries can be dangerous. The risk of drinking and driving is always present. Thus, someone has to be a designated driver. Who wants to be a designated driver on vacation though? Isn’t the idea of a vacation to let loose and forget about responsibility for a while?
Franschhoek, one of the three main wine regions outside of Cape Town, makes it easy to visit the wineries without designating a sober driver. The convenient wine tram transports passengers from winery-to-winery, starting and ending in the center of Franschhoek Village. Tickets for the wine tram cost only 200 ZAR (14 USD), and you have the choice of four different itineraries. Some visits include a wine tasting, and others do not. Most wineries offer a kitchen so you can enjoy lunch or a snack to help absorb all that Pinotage and Chenin Blanc.
Indulging in the tastes of Franschhoek
Ideally, I recommend two nights in Franschhoek to enjoy one dinner in the village itself and another at one of the wineries to catch the sunset over the mountains. No matter where you eat, you can’t go wrong as Franschhoek is home to some of Cape Town’s best restaurants and chefs. Most restaurants offer both a fixed price menu with the option of ordering a la carte. The fixed priced menu is the way to go as the chef highlights the best in seasonal food paired alongside local wines.
You’ll find restaurants ranging from classic French fare to modern South African cuisine and everything in between. My personal favorites are Haute Cabriére for contemporary cuisine and wine pairings even more spectacular than the view and Le Quartier François for in village dining.
Enjoying the view from above
While the views of the mountains are spectacular from both in and around Franschhoek, the best views are from the top of Franschhoek Pass. The pass was originally blazed as an elephant trail. Today, it serves as a breathtaking commute by many area locals. Warning – this route is not for those afraid of heights.
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My favorite of the Cape Town wine regions
While all three wine regions in Cape Town are worth a visit, Franschhoek is my favorite. It’s the easiest to navigate and has the best food and wine that Cape Town and vicinity offers. After all, it is where Sir Richard Branson recently purchased a winery…
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