Cape Winelands

The village of Franschhoek (French Corner) is in the Cape Winelands of South Africa and is often referred to as the country’s food and wine capital. There are so many wonderful places to eat, not only with delicious food, but stunning views. The prices are also very reasonable, especially compared to home (we pay less for a bottle of very nice SA wine than we do for a 6 oz glass of wine at home).

What a difference a few weeks make – the tourists are now back (mostly English and German) so reservations are now a must and the town is busy.

More pictures of wineries we have visited this trip.

Rust en Vrede has always been one of our favourites. The property lies south of Stellenbosch and is nestled on the lower slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. They offer a set menu for lunch and no reservations – lunch is on the patio which is lovely. Lunch choices: salmon, filet or sirloin steak with frites and salad plus a glass of red wine chosen to complement the lunch (they specialize in red wines, particularly Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon). We thoroughly enjoyed the wine, meal and the view, so much so that we returned for a second time with our friends, Margaret and John.

Ernie Els Winery is high up in the mountains which provides wonderful views of Cape Town and Table Mountain to the West and Stellenbosch and the Helderberg Mountains to the East. When we were last here, the winery was closed for renovations, so it was interesting to see what they had done. The entrance is the same, but they have added additional tasting rooms and expanded the restaurant area. As you enter, they offer a complementary glass of wine to sip as you wander through the varies rooms, including Ernie Els’ trophy room.

Haute Cabrière is located in the Franschhoek Valley just 5 minutes from our current Airbnb. Since we were here last, they have built a new restaurant which takes full advantage of the views with its floor to ceiling windows. We went for lunch and the flash fried calamari with a delicate orzo sauce was delicious!

Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, set at the foot of Simonsberg in the Franschhoek wine valley. It is known for its gardens – we spent a couple of hours just strolling through their property.