Franschhoek South Africa ~ Where are the Jays

Table Top Mtn

Cape Town at last

After many months of anticipation and a 15 hour flight, we were greeted by a wonderful sunset over Table Top Mountain above Cape Town South Africa. Our ride then drove us a little over an hour to our hotel in Franschhoek, South Africa.

Cape winelands

We fell asleep quickly around 11 pm, but the 7 hour time zone difference made sleep near to impossible at 3:30 am local time. It was chilly when we ventured forth from our Hotel room after dawn to get breakfast which was very good. It’s early winter with lows in the 50s and highs in the mid 70s. It’s a dry climate with 38% humidity today. Summer temperatures exceed 100F. It will be colder when we go to Cape Town along the coast with its cold ocean water.

Protea Franschhoek (Marriot)

Loved our breakfast at the hotel’s Hussar Grill

We chose to start our trip in Franschhoek, SA because it is located in a wonderful valley in the Cape winelands. Franschhoek is an affluent small tourist town based on wine tourism. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, we would ride the Wine Trams network of trains and trams to visit several wineries Saturday and Sunday. It works like a Hop on Hop off Bus.

We had 3 lovely fall days with time to explore the town, visit art galleries and enjoy some fine food. On the weekend there was a market selling art, souvenirs and other items for the tourists. We made a couple purchases and then remembered we probably should have bartered a little. The fall leaves were an unexpected, pleasant surprise since we don't get that along the coast!

Downtown Franschhoek

Top Church dates back to 1847
Bottom an exclusive Inn with multiple buildings

While planning our trip I read about Reubens Bar & Restaurant which was walkable from our hotel. We made reservations weeks before our trip. On our way we observed many restaurants were serving outdoors. For us it was a bit cool, so we were nervous that Reubens would be the same. Fortune was with us as Reubens didn’t have patio dining. While a very loud room, the food was wonderful.

Wine tourism alone doesn’t seem enough to justify the upscale environment. There are many large residences which we assume are vacation homes for affluent Cape Town residents.

The Dutch and English colonized this part of Africa and ran into conflict between each other in the Boer Wars. This conflict led to domestic independence from England and ultimately the creation of Apartheid. (More on Apartheid once we reach Cape Town). Franschhoek was founded by French Huguenots (who came by way of the Netherlands) escaping religious persecution in the late 19th century. They farmed the land for fruit crops primarily and branched out to create a fledgling wine industry. It has now become a major tourist attraction as people from South Africa and around the world visit the region.

We have not experienced any problem communicating with people at the airport, shops, restaurants etc. The people who work with tourists speak English very well with a British accent. South Africa has 11 official languages and a total of 30 languages spoken. Most people are bilingual, but not English. In the West Cape province the primary languages are isiXhosa, Afrikaans (Dutch inspired) and English.

Wine Tram

Train on left and motorized tram on top

The Wine Tram operates multiple routes with a set schedule, that they are very good at keeping. It was liberating to enjoy the wine without being concerned about driving inebriated in a foreign country. The schedule didn’t limit what we wanted to do. We made a point of ordering just one tasting to share between the two of us as they were pouring more than a taste.

Carol is a fan of Sparkling wine, so our first stop is a winery that specializes in that, Le Lude. The decor sets the tone with an elegant interior, gorgeous gardens and terrace. It must make a great setting for weddings as we overheard someone planning one. This winery is located near the end of the valley which offers fantastic views of the mountains as the morning sun shone on them. We tried two sparking wines with the Brut being preferred by both of us.

It’s past Harvest and prior to pruning

Glass enclosed table area looking out over the gardens

At Lynx, Francis welcomed us with a glass of a Red Blend upon debarking from the Tram. She has a larger-than-life personality and made everyone feel welcome. Our wine guide shared extensive information about each wine. The Rose was very good if you like dry wine. We also liked the Shiraz. We asked to purchase both but were surprised they were out of stock of the Rose and only serving as part of the tasting, which seems to be a very strange business model. We spent the remaining visits looking for an equivalent Rose and none we tasted came up to the standard set by Lynx.

Francis welcoming guests on right with a welcome drink

We saw more masks by this artist at La Provence

The entrance and tasting area at Paserene had a very modern appearance with a relaxing pond surrounded by a garden. The sculptures were impressive and featured at one of the Galleries in town.

We had seen mixed reviews for Rickety Bridge, but decided to give it a try since it was on the Train line that we hadn’t seen yet and it drew a large crowd. The train ride was nice but turns out the wine was our least favorite.

Moon rising over the valley

La Bri was our first stop the next morning; only the two of us got off for this winery. The other four on the tram headed for another stop. This estate has one of the most beautiful settings. We greatly enjoyed the flowers, fall leaves and elevated views across the vineyards to the surrounding mountains.

The morning light illuminated the peak on the right

The span of this massive oak caught our attention

At Holden Manz we started with Premium Red tasting consisting of 6 Reds after our wine guide informed us they specialized in Reds. We were very organized and moved the bottles systematically. Back away for those we didn’t care for, middle for those I liked and front for those we both liked. When the Wine ambassador saw what we did, he brought out two more Reserves. Cab Franc Reserve and a Reserve Syrah. I was in heaven after tasting the last two. Much better! The amazing part is I don’t like Cab Franc. That resulted in two more purchases and the question of how are we going to carry 3 bottles of wine in our travel? I guess we will have to consume some.

I greatly enjoyed the Protea hotel we stayed at, but Mont Rochelle’s accommodations and Miko Restaurant were on a different level. Sir Richard Branson of Virgin fame owns Mont Rochelle. After debarking the Tram at the winery, we were picked up in a luxurious van to take us to Miko Restaurant a 1/4 mile away on the property. We experienced an amazing large meal on the terrace above the vineyards. We accepted an offer of a tour and visited one of their 23 rooms, Spa, tennis courts, heated pool….. We were eager to get back to town for the market. The driver inquired as to our plans for the day and took us to town rather than the pick up spot for the wine tram. He also shared he had worked for the company for 25 years and a little about its history.

We had a little time remaining in the day, so back to the Wine Train to visit, Grand Provence to see their art gallery. What an amazing collection of sculptures they had.