The Franschhoek Valley has treasures that make it one of the most magical places to visit in South Africa, not only for its scenic beauty, but also for its historical interest, wonderful wine farms and many gourmet restaurants.

A very popular Franschhoek activity is wine tasting and you can visit some of the world's most-acclaimed wine estates here. Most of these wine estates started out as humble farms owned by the 'Vignerons de Franschhoek' (French winemakers of Franschhoek). Today, this is some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

The area is also famous for producing hand-turned sparkling wines in the French style, called Cap Classique (because the name Champagne may not be used outside of France), a technique pioneered by winemaker Achim von Arnim of Haute Cabrière.

Wineries
1) Akkerdal Wine Estate
2) Allèe Bleue Estate
3) Anthonij Rupert Wines (L’Ormarins)
4) Babylonstoren Wine
5) Bellingham
6) Black Elephant Vintners
7) Boekenhoutskloof Winery
8) Boschendal Wines
9) Chamonix Wines
10) Colmant Cap Classique & Champagne
11) Dieu Donne Vineyards
12) Eikehof
13) Four Paws Wines
14) Franschoek Pass Winery
15) Glenwood
16) GM&AHrens
17) Grande Provence Estate - the winery
18) Haut Espoir
19) Haute Cabriere – Home of Pierre Jourdan
20) Holden Manz Wine Estate
21) La Bourgogne
22) La Bri
23) La Chataigne Wine
24) La Chaumière Wine Estate
25) La Couronne Wines
26) La Roche
27) La Petite Vigne
28) La Petite Ferme
29) La Petite Dauphine
30) La Motte
31) Landau du Val
32) Le Lude MCC
33) Le Manoir de Brendel
34) Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards
35) Lynx Wines
36) My Wyn
37) Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines
38) Môreson
39) Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyard
40) Maison Estate
41) Noble Hill Wine Estate
42) Plaisir de Merle
43) Rickety Bridge Winery
44) Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons
45) Solms-Delta
46) Veraison Vineyard
47) Val de Vie Wines
48) Topiary Wines
49) The Franschhoek Cellar
50) Stony Brook

Franschhoek Artisan Route

Regarded as South Africa’s culinary capital visitors to the Franschhoek Wine Valley will be spoilt for choice as they can now include in their trip a sampling of the Valley’s finest artisanal and fresh produce. The Franschhoek Artisan Route affords visitors to this internationally acclaimed wine and food producing region the opportunity to treat their taste buds to some of the finest olives, cheeses, charcuterie and artisanal breads our country has to offer.

The term artisanal refers to anything that is hand-made or handcrafted in the style of an artisan, or skilled craftsman. Artisanal foods are made in small quantities and typically adhere to traditional methods and recipes, using high-quality and unprocessed ingredients. They are allied to the slow and local food movements, and are usually produced in a sustainable manner.

Artisanal foods provide a great way to know where your food is coming from. Artisanal sausages are most likely made from meat raised compassionately or organically; artisanal cheeses from cows milked by hand, not machine; artisanal jams and preserves from fruit grown on small farms without hormones or dangerous pesticides.

From Drew Warner, Co-Founder at Just Good Chocolate – “Artisan food is unique; it’s defined by the fact that nothing else on earth exists that is exactly the same. Artisan food is created with love, with attention to detail, not mass produced on factory lines with only quantity in mind rather than quality.”

Artisan producers understand and respect the raw materials with which they work, they should know where these materials come from and what is particularly good about them. They should have mastered the craft of their particular production and have a historical, experiential, intuitive and scientific understanding of what makes the process that they are engaged in successful. They should know what tastes good and be sensitive to the impact of their production on people and the environment.

Franschhoek is proud to fall within these categories with several local artisanal producers in the Valley making bread, cheese, olives and olive oil, charcuterie, salmon trout and chocolates, to mention a few. Should you be pressed for time the Franschhoek Village Market on Saturdays has proven to be extremely popular and showcases many of these fine foods.

Restaurants
Franschhoek boasts some of South Africa’s ‘Top 100’ restaurants and has become known as the country’s Culinary Capital, providing visitors with a memorable dining experience. Leading chefs create everything from cutting-edge cuisine to stylish light meals, using only the freshest local produce paired with superb local wines. Franschhoek is also a member of The Délice Network of Good Food Cities of the World. Délice is an international network of likeminded cities engaged in promoting the benefits of culinary excellence and good food. Franschhoek was granted membership to this prestigious network in October 2014, and is the only member in the Southern Hemisphere.

Franschhoek also offers visitors diverse culinary experiences through its festivals such as the Franschhoek Bastille Festival, The Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival, as well as its routes – the Food and Wine Route, the Artisan Food Route, and Franschhoek Rond en Bond. The Franschhoek Artisan Food Route, in particular, exposes the visitor to a range of the finest olives, cheeses, salmon trout, charcuterie and artisanal breads South Africa has to offer.

Internationally acclaimed chefs who include Le Quartier Français’ Executive Chef, Margot Janse, Reuben Riffel, Chris Erasmus (Foliage Restaurant), Darren Badenhorst (The Restaurant at Grande Provence), Carmen Muller (The Tasting Centre at Rupert & Rothschild) as well Neil Jewel (the Charcuterie Guru) are based in Franschhoek, adding further acclaim to the area.