I’d only ever been to Franschhoek as a small child so when I heard of my sister’s plans to visit Franschhoek this past weekend, I was ecstatic. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday – perfect for spending a few lazy hours exploring the winelands. Luckily for us, her boyfriend had offered to be our designated driver, which meant we could visit whichever wine estate we wanted without having to cut down on wine. So we packed our bags, piled ourselves into the car, and started the just-under-an-hour’s drive to one of the most sought after tourist and wine destinations in South Africa.
- Plaisir de Merle
First on the list was Plaisir de Merle (actually we didn’t have a list, but it was one of the first wine estates we could unanimously decide on visiting). We were ushered in by the security guard who, much to my embarrassment, enquired as to whether I was old enough to be drinking. Once we had assured him that I was in fact 23, he welcomed us into the estate with a fat smile. We drove up the meandering roads, until we finally reached the beautiful thatched Cape Dutch building of Plaisir De Merle. We hopped out the car and stopped to admire the beautiful surrounds – stunning mountain views, beautifully manicured gardens, and rolling lawns that seemed to extend to the mountains themselves.
The interior of the building was a lot fancier than expected, with a distinct old world charm. Plush carpets, deep red couches, and cupboards of glistening wine glasses greeted us. We took a seat on some comfy couches and were given a list of tasting options by our host, such as standard wine tastings, blind tastings, wine and fudge tasting, and flavour sensation tastings – what a choice! Our decision was unanimous – wine and fudge tasting, it was! Although the tasting options were a bit more expensive than anticipated (R60 for wine and fudge), the service and quality of wine were very impressive!
We enjoyed a variety of exquisite pairings:
- Merlot 2010 and orange fudge
- Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 and rum and vanilla fudge
- Shiraz 2009 and chilli and lime fudge
- Grand Plaisir 2007 (blend) and cherry fudge
Although I’m not much of a red wine drinker, I really enjoyed the sensations of the wines and fudge – I definitely recommend the Grand Plaisir blend and cherry fudge!
- Solms Delta
Next was Solms Delta, which came in highly recommended by a friend. The summery autumn day had us heading outside to enjoy the breath-taking scenery of lush green lawns and deep purple mountains. When given the option of a small tasting (6 wines at R20) or a big tasting (10 wines at R30), we of course opted for the large one. We ordered a cheese platter and devoured the delicious blue cheese, camembert, fig preserve, and savoury biscuits within minutes. Our well-spoken and eager to please host gave us a quirky and entertaining description on each wine, telling us that after a couple bottles of “Lekkerwijn” and “Langarm”, we would surely become the life of the party. I preferred the wines at this estate as there was more variety in terms of the wine – with red, white, rose, bubbly, and dessert wines on offer. I definitely recommend the Vastrap and the Amalie – two delicious and refreshing white wines!
A good 2 hours were spent here, chatting and enjoying the sunshine, before heading off to Col Cacchios for lunch to get a bit of sustenance in our bellies. No one could refuse a stop at the Huguenot Monument first…
- Rickety Bridge
Rickety Bridge lured us with its intriguing name. Set within a basin surrounded by stunning mountains and vineyards, Rickety Bridge is a perfect setting for wine tastings. The tasting room was chock a block with people and we were a bit hesitant to take a seat at one of the last open tables, which was set on the outside wooden deck (it had become rather chilly by this time). Nevertheless, enticed by the wines, we sat down and were greeted by a rather stressed looking man who told us we could enjoy 5 different wines of our own choosing for R20 (no charge if we bought a bottle of wine).
We had failed to realise that the wine estate closed at 5pm (we had arrived at 4h30) and so were quite surprised when our rather snarky waitress told us that we would need to leave without prior warning. After a few awkward and confused moments, we decided to forgo our last glass of wine and just leave. Luckily for us, they didn’t expect us to pay for the tasting as it hadn’t been completed – we scored a free tasting! Who can complain about that?
A fantastic day of wine tasting in Franschhoek was enjoyed by all! I may tackle Stellenbosch next…
Want to do wine tasting in Franschhoek but not have to drive? Why not book a trip on the Franschhoek Wine Tram? Click here for more information.
