You know; I try. I really try not to like Franschhoek. The Main Road with its crowded cafés full of Joburg weekenders and Cape Town trendies, its over-priced properties flaunting themselves in estate agents’ windows, noisy hordes of Sunday bikers and the red-white-and-blue tricolore fluttering outside every ever-so-kitsch La-this or Le-that. At first glance it all looks a little overdone; a South African village with a bad French accent, so it’s no surprise snarky writers and snooty travellers love to rail against the faux-Frenchiness of what has become the most popular village in the Cape’s wine lands.
And yet, like so many others, despite my best intentions I find myself drawn to this hamlet beneath the Hottentots Holland Mountains almost against my will. I end up ensconced in the Sunday papers and perfectly piquant Eggs Benedict at one of those cafés, browsing the décor shops in the cloistered malls and filling a bag at the quirky Huguenot Books at the bottom of Main Street.
During almost every visit I come to with a start, wondering how I ended up here on yet another glorious winter weekend of crisp mornings and – occasionally – snow-capped peaks. Sometimes, although I hate to admit it, I even peer into those estate agents’ windows, wondering if I could ever afford a piece of this valley (in case you were wondering, the answer is always no).
If only the Franschhoek Valley weren't so darn gorgeous. If only it didn't lay claim to some of South Africa's top restaurants. If only somewhere else produced such excellent wines. If it had none of these things we'd have an excuse to scoff at the Gallic names and find somewhere else to indulge in all things gourmet.
However, it’s not hard to see why the French Huguenots settled in this picturesque corner of the fledgling Dutch colony. When they pitched up at the Cape in 1688 they didn't waste any time in finding a quiet spot where they could forget about being persecuted by the Catholics, plant their vines and whip up some homely Gallic cuisine to get them settled in. In with the Old World, out with the New.
Three hundred years later the gastronomic ghost of the Huguenots still wanders the streets of the ‘French Corner’, with the spirit of France inspiring the menus of many of the area’s best restaurants.
The Franschhoek valley is all about food, wine and the finer things in life, so it seems fitting that one of the town’s top eateries is named ‘Le Bon Vivant’. Situated on a quiet side-street, this classy art-filled restaurant is where Dutch-born chef/patron Pierre Hendricks creates fine-dining dishes that balance both Asian and European flavours with the region’s famous local produce. The cosy dining room looks into a show kitchen to watch the team at work, while tables spill out onto a shaded patio for still summer evenings.
Hendricks offers fine dining at pocket-friendly prices, but if you’re happy to send your credit card running for the hills then there’s really only one table in town to book at. Margot Janse's artistry in the kitchen made ‘The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Française’ South Africa's top restaurant in 2008, and her intimate eatery is regularly ranked amongst the 50 best restaurants in the world.
The tasting menus will set you back R500/R700 for five/eight courses, but for your money you'll get your pick of clouds, foams and kitchen wizardry conjured up by Janse using the finest fresh, local ingredients. Knowledgeable sommeliers are on hand to help you pick a suitable wine from the Valley to accompany. It won't be cheap, but if you love your food and wine this is the place to blow your budget.
The Tasting Room is out of reach for many travelers, but the town abounds with gourmet offerings; from artisanal charcuterie at Bread & Wine to homely Malay dishes at Fyndraai on the Solms-Delta wine estate. Don’t miss out on a wander through their excellent Museum van de Caab, which explores the history of the valley from the early Khoi pastoralists and San hunter-gatherers, through centuries of slavery and apartheid, to the present day. The museum focuses heavily on the estate, but it's a tale that would have been played out on most of the farms in the area.
Right next door, the Allée Bleue Estate offers another delightful country bistro that’s well away from the hubbub of central Franschhoek. A small, well-chosen chalkboard menu of fresh organic produce is sure to keep locavores happy, while the striking Mediterranean décor works well on grey wintry days. Wine tasting is available right next door and, situated at the entrance to the Valley, is perhaps a good spot to start your winery wanderings.
The Valley produces outstanding Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz and there are a number of estates worth visiting (grab a handy map of the wine route free from any winery). L’Ormarins makes some exceptional Bordeaux blends, and should be your first stop. The estate is also home to the Franschhoek Motor Museum, part of the private car collection of industrial magnate Johann Rupert. Eighty of Rupert’s 200-car collection are on display at any one time, and include legendary wheels like South Africa’s first Model-T Ford, and an insanely expensive Ferrari Enzo.
A succession of wineries dot the road into town, and the chic modern tasting room of Graham Beck Wines is certainly worth visiting for a taste of cellar master Pieter Ferreira’s méthode cap classique. Even Barack Obama is a fan, ordering a case for his inauguration party!
A little further on, La Motte makes serious wines and has just released their maiden bubbly to complement a wide range of big-hitting reds and balanced whites. Just before the village, hang a left up the hill for a stop at Chamonix. Gottfried Mocke makes some of the best wine in the Valley, and the farm’s cosy blacksmith’s cottage is a wonderful wintry spot to taste your way through his range. Don’t miss the award-winning chardonnay.
Franschhoek wineries are usually open throughout the day (some closed on Sundays) allowing you to meander at will, but do make sure you arrive at Haute Cabrière before 10am on a Saturday morning.
‘In vino veritas’, reads the plaque at the cellar door on the Franschhoek Pass – ‘in wine there is truth’ – and that’s thanks in no small part to Achim von Arnim’s deft hand at sabrage; the Napoleonic trick of slicing open a champagne bottle with a sword. The estate’s cellar tours have become legend in Franschhoek, with the gregarious winemaker tasting, talking and entertaining his way through their range of excellent bubbly, pinot noir and chardonnay. Swords and popping corks aside, Matthew Gordon’s acclaimed cellar restaurant next door is as much of a reason to visit, offering some of the best fine dining in town.
In the valley below, at the end of Huguenot Street, the graceful arches of Franschhoek’s Huguenot Monument honour the first farmers to plant vines in this fertile Valley, and symbolise the Holy Trinity the persecuted Protestant farmers held dear. But the arches could just as easily honour the three pillars of modern-day Franschhoek: food, wine and fine living. With such joie de vivre on offer, it’s no surprise that Franschhoek has become synonymous with the best of what the Cape wine lands has to offer. All you have to do is say bonjour…
Franschhoek Wine Valley and Tourist Association
70 Huguenot Road
www.franschhoek.org.za
021 876 3603
First published in Indwe magazine, July 2010
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