Tag Archives: Noble Hill

Franschhoek Uncorked set to get the corks popping this weekend!

Franschhoek Uncorked‘Franschhoek Uncorked‘ has taken some time to take off, having been plagued by poor weather in the initial years.  It has become a fun event on the Franschhoek events calendar, and now the seventh annual event attracts wine lovers to the village come rain or shine.  This coming weekend (27 and 28 September)  21 wine estates will be attracting visitors to their farms, to show them how unique each of them is.

Each wine estate will offer tastings of their wines, included in the R120 fee for the weekend, foods for sale, some with art exhibitions, as well as musical entertainment, a unique offering by each farm.

The following wine farms will be showcased:

*   Babylonstoren: wine and olive tastings, cellar tours, and a 3-course Pizza meal (R200)

*   Noble Hill: Mexican foods, Hitichino Japanese craft beer, and wine tasting

*   Rupert & Rothschild:  tasting of Rupert & Rothschild wines as well as of Rothschild wines.  Foods offered include French Continue reading →

Franschhoek Bastille Festival 2014 celebrates 21st anniversary!

Franschhoek Bstille FestivalFranschhoek is celebrating the 21 st anniversary of its Bastille Festival this weekend, and is adding a spicy new touch of the Seychelles to the festivities.  The Festival has a brand new location in Franschhoek too.

The Food & Wine Marquee has been moved next door to the Huguenot Monument, where the Champagne Festival is held successfully, and will no longer be located in the village centre, as in the previous years. Entrance to the Marquee is limited, and in the past Saturdays have always been sold out in advance, at an entrance cost of R200, making it imperative to buy tickets in advance   On Sundays it is easier to get into the Marquee,  with the entrance price reduced to R180.

The Food & Wine Marquee will be home to 25 Franschhoek Vignerons, including Allée Bleue, Babylonstoren, Anthonij Rupert Wines, Backsberg, Bellingham, Black Elephant Vintners, Boschendal, Dieu Donné, Grande Provence, Haute Cabriere, Holden Manz, La Bri, Leopard’s Leap, Môreson, Noble Hill, Plaisir de Merle, Rickety Bridge, Rupert & Rothschild, Solms-Delta, Vrede & Lust, La Petite Ferme, La Motte, Akkerdal, Morena, and Glenwood.  Ndlovu beer will also be available to taste.   Local restaurants serving food are Anthonij Rupert Wines, Backsberg, Grand Provence, Holden Manz, Le Franschhoek Hotel, Noble Hill, Rickety Bridge, Solms-Delta, L’ermitage, Bread & Wine, Reubens & Racine, and Wild Peacock.

The atmosphere on Franschhoek’s main road is electric and fun, with visitors wearing red, blue and white, and donning a beret, to get into the French spirit!  Almost every business on the main road is draped in bunting in the French colours, and has a table of Continue reading →

‘Cook Franschhoek’ heats up Franschhoek this weekend, getting back to cooking basics!

Cook Franschhoek 3A number of Franschhoek’s top chefs will pair their delectable dishes with the wines of the local wine estates at ‘Cook Franschhoek’, running from 13 – 15 June, sharing their special cooking tips, reflecting the food trend of getting back to basics.

Spread around the wine estates and restaurants of Franschhoek, the participating chefs will allow workshop participants into their domains, and share their cooking secrets, while the winemakers will guide the attendees on choosing the most suitable wines to pair with each dish made.  At the end of each workshop, the dishes cooked and the wines paired will be available to taste.  It also allows one to interact with the chefs and winemakers in small groups, and to ask more specific questions.

The participating Franschhoek chefs subscroibe to the cooking basics, such as ‘snout-to-tail’ food usage, meaning that every piece of an animal such as a pig is used (such as witnessed on MasterChef SA Season 2 when Chef Chris Erasmus of Pierneef à La Motte cooked a pig’s head to make a terrine); sourcing ingredients fresh from the farm to the table, within close proximity to the restaurants; smoking meats, charcuterie being the speciality of Chef Neil Jewell of Bread & Wine; cooking over a fire, including a rotisserie, a Green Egg, and Weber; and Nordic cooking techniques of pickling, fermenting, and preserving. Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 7/8 June

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Franschhoek Wine Valley has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Barossa Valley, having similar wine tourism goals and characteristics.  Both wine regions have excellent wines, top restaurants, and good accommodation.  Tourism and wine industry expertise will be shared between the regions, and programs planned include exchanges for chefs, winemakers, sommeliers, and cellar assistants.  Experience of festivals, customer service benchmarking, sustainable wine-making, and wine tourism practices will be shared. (received via media release from Smart Communications & Events)

*   A hard-hitting video from USA asks ‘How much has really changed on South Africa’s wine farms?‘ since the protests in De Doorns two years ago, critical not only of some farm owners but also of the government.

*   The FIFA World Cup, which kicks off next week, will generate $4 billion for the soccer federation, 66% up from the revenue it earned from the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

*   Noble Hill wine estate on the outskirts of Franschhoek has brought the Japanese Hitachino Nest beer range to our country, Continue reading →