{"id":17603,"date":"2011-03-02T09:42:21","date_gmt":"2011-03-02T07:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=17603"},"modified":"2011-09-12T10:24:12","modified_gmt":"2011-09-12T08:24:12","slug":"new-franschhoek-food-and-wine-route-puts-franschhoek-restaurants-and-wine-estates-on-the-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/franschhoek\/new-franschhoek-food-and-wine-route-puts-franschhoek-restaurants-and-wine-estates-on-the-map\/","title":{"rendered":"New Franschhoek Wine Valley Food and Wine Route puts Franschhoek restaurants and wine estates on the map"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Franschhoek Wine Valley (the new tourism body name, the “Tourism Association” part of the name recently having been dropped) Food & Wine Route has been launched to the media, and soon will be presented in a\u00a0new map, that will reflect the wealth of 42 restaurants, 48 wine estates and 3 delis and shops that sell foodstuffs\u00a0in and around Franschhoek. The new Food & Wine Route is a good marketing reaction to the increasing dominance of Stellenbosch as the new gourmet center of South Africa<\/a>, and its large number of wine estates, even though the tourism association’s website still refers to Franschhoek as the “Gourmet Capital of South Africa”!<\/p>\n

Last year we wrote about the Food & Wine Route<\/a> <\/strong>when it was first announced, and from the initial information it appeared to have a broader focus initially.\u00a0 Now the Route is more focused, and will incorporate mainly the restaurants and wine estates that are members of Franschhoek Wine Valley.\u00a0\u00a0 Interestingly, the geographic delineation of Franschhoek has been broadened to incorporate the wine estates and restaurants on the R45 between Klapmuts and Simondium, including Noble Hill, Backsberg, and Babel at Babylonstoren, on the basis that they have become members of the Franschhoek Wine Valley association, even if they fall under the Paarl wine district.\u00a0\u00a0 Strangely, Glen Carlou<\/a> has not chosen to be part of the Franschhoek Food & Wine Route, it being one of the first properties one passes when driving to Franschhoek on the R45.<\/p>\n

Tania Steyn, the Marketing Manager of Franschhoek Wine Valley, explained that this new project consists of two parts.\u00a0 The first is the Food & Wine Route map, in A3 size, which will list all the restaurants and wine estates, the one side featuring those in the village, and the other side those that are outside Franschhoek.\u00a0\u00a0 The Food & Wine Route map will replace the most handy Franschhoek Wine\u00a0map, which guest houses\u00a0and their guests have found to be useful in\u00a0highlighting all the Vigneron members\u00a0in Franschhoek.\u00a0 The second part of the project is an e-commerce platform for specific\u00a0Food and Wine Route Experiences, that\u00a0one cannot visit spontaneously without a booking.\u00a0 The bookings will be made on the website, and it is hoped that visitors to Franschhoek will book a number of such experiences, and will therefore stay in the area for longer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The wine estates<\/strong> on the new Franschhoek Wine Valley Food & Wine Route are Akkerdal, All\u00e8e Bleue<\/a>, Anthonij Rupert Wines (L’Ormarins and Protea brands, and home of the outstanding Motor Museum), Backsberg, Boekenhoutskloof, Boschendal Wines, Chamonix, Colmant Cap Classique & Champagne, Dieu Donn\u00e8 Vineyards, Franschhoek Cellar, Glenwood, Graham Beck Franschhoek<\/a>, Grande Provence Estate, Haute Cabriere (with Pierre Jourdan sparkling wines), Holden Manz (previously Klein Genot), La Bri, La Chataigne, La Motte (with Pierneef art gallery),\u00a0La Petite Dauphine, La Petite Ferme, La Manoir de Brendel, Leopard’s Leap, Lynx Wines, Maison, Mont Rochelle, Moreson, My Wyn, Noble Hill, Plaisir de Merle, Rickety Bridge, Solms-Delta (with interesting slave museum), Stony Brook, Topiary Wines (newest Platter<\/a> 5-star sparkling wine in Franschhoek), Val de Vie, and Vrede & Lust.\u00a0\u00a0 These wine estates can be visited without appointment.<\/p>\n

Those estates for which one must book a winetasting are Eikehof, Franschhoek Pass Winery (Morena sparkling wine), Haut Espoir, La Bourgogne, La Roche estate, La Vigne, Landau du Val, Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons and Von Ortloff.\u00a0 Bellingham Wines,\u00a0Klein Dauphine, La Chaumi\u00e8re\u00a0and Veraison Vineyards are not open to the public at all, but their wines can be bought\u00a0at the highly regarded Franschhoek wine shop La Cotte Inn on the main road in the village. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Franschhoek restaurants and food outlets<\/strong> on the Food & Wine Route are Allora, Babel at Babylonstoren, Backsberg, Boschendal Restaurant, Boschendal Le Caf\u00e9 and Boschendal Le Pique-Nique, Bread & Wine, Caf\u00e9 All\u00e8e Bleue, Caf\u00e8 BonBon, Col’Cacchio Pizzeria, Cosecha Restaurant at Noble Hill, Dalewood Fromage (but not open to the public), Dieu Donn\u00e8\u00a0Restaurant, Dutch East<\/a>, Elephant & Barrel, Essence, Fizz Affair Champagne Lounge, Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz<\/a>, Freedom Hill Restaurant, Fyndraai Restaurant at Solms-Delta<\/a>, The Restaurant at Grande Provence<\/a>, Haute Cabri\u00e8re<\/a>, Huguenot Fine Chocolates<\/a>, Kalfi’s, Fromages de France (La Cotte Inn),\u00a0\u00a0Le Bon Vivant,\u00a0Dish @ Le Franschhoek, Le Verger The Orchard Restaurant (Le Franschhoek Hotel), The Common Room<\/a>, The Tasting Room, \u00a0L’Ermitage Restaurant, Mon Plaisir at Chamonix, Mange Tout,<\/a> Monneaux, Reuben’s, Rickety Bridge, Ryan’s Kitchen<\/a>, Salmon Bar<\/a>, The Country Kitchen, The French Connection, The Grill Room<\/a>, The Jam Jar, The Olive Shack<\/a>, and The Polo Club Restaurant (at La Vie).\u00a0Oddly, Pierneef \u00e0 La Motte<\/a> is not listed, and one hopes this is just an oversight.\u00a0\u00a0 Other missing restaurants are Caf\u00e9 Benedict<\/a>, BICCCS, Chez D’Or, Cotage Fromage at Vrede & Lust, Crepe\u00a0& Cidre, Caf\u00e9 Le Chocolatier<\/a>, Caf\u00e9 des Arts,<\/a> and the Franschhoek Food Emporium.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Franschhoek Food & Wine Route Experiences which one can book include the following:<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Solms-Delta Cape Music Tour<\/strong>, teaching participants about “Cape rural and vernacular music”. R 50 (minimum of 6 persons).\u00a0 Monday – Sunday.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Plaisir de Merle “Award-winning wines wine tasting”.<\/strong> R 20, and R40 if cellar tour added.\u00a0Monday – Saturday<\/p>\n

*\u00a0 Plaisir de Merle Flavour Sensation Tasting<\/strong>, food and wine pairing. R 50.\u00a0 Monday – Saturday<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Plaisir de Merle Wine & Chocolate Tasting<\/strong>. R 50. Monday – Saturday<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Charcuterie Tasting with Neil Jewell<\/strong>. R 25 – R105. Daily before 11h00 and after 15h30<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Franschhoek Cellar Cheese and Wine pairing<\/strong>. R 35.\u00a0 Daily<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Huguenot Fine Chocolates Chocolate Tour and Tasting<\/strong>. R 25.\u00a0 Daily 11h00 and 15h00<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Chamonix Grappa & Schnapps Tasting<\/strong>. R15.\u00a0 Daily<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Dieu Donn\u00e9 Micro-brewery and beer tasting<\/strong>. R15 beer tasting and R 35 for full bewery talk and tasters.\u00a0 Daily<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Babylonstoren Guided Garden Visit<\/strong>. R 20, Wednesday – Sunday 10h00 and 15h00.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Le Bon Vivant Surprise Menu<\/strong>. R 485 for 5-course meal and wine, R360 without wine. Daily except Wednesdays.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Food and wine pairing at Pierneef \u00e0 La Motte<\/strong>. R 195 for 5 pairings, extra R 50 for glass of La Motte MCC. Tuesday – Sunday 12h00 – 14h00.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 Cape Gourmet Delights Tour<\/strong>, with stops at Grande Provence, Moreson and Vrede & Lust. R1995 per day includes “light lunch”.\u00a010 persons maximum.\u00a0 Monday – Friday.<\/p>\n

A walking tour as well as a talk on ceramics are part of this programme, but seem out of place in not having anything to do with Wine or Food.<\/p>\n

One hopes that the Franschhoek Wine Valley Food & Wine Route map will indicate which wine estates, food shops and restaurants sell foods, such as the vegetables, breads and chocolates at the Farm Shop at Pierneef \u00e0 La Motte; salmon products and breads at the Salmon Bar; the Mediterranean delicacies at The Olive Shack; wonderful freshly baked wholewheat bread at Grande Provence; breads and sweet treats at Caf\u00e9 BonBon and Caf\u00e9 Benedict; olive oils and balsamic vinegar at All\u00e8e Bleue; heavenly chocolates as well as breads at Caf\u00e9 Le Chocolatier; Truckles cheeses at Franschhoek Cellar; and a selection of home-made pies, preserves, dips,\u00a0cold meats and breads at the new Franschhoek Food Emporium.\u00a0\u00a0 It would be good if the fortnightly Farmers’ Market at Holden Manz also be listed.<\/p>\n

We salute the Franschhoek Wine Valley for putting together this initiative, and trust that the Food & Wine Route map will be finalised and printed as soon as possible, given that the summer season\u00a0ends in two months’ time.\u00a0\u00a0 We encourage Franschhoek Wine Valley to add the names of the\u00a0omitted Franschhoek restaurants, by encouraging them to sign up as members, so that the map can be as representative of the food and wine delights in Franschhoek as possible.<\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT 22\/4<\/strong>: The new Franschhoek Wine Valley Food & Wine Route maps have been made available, and can be collected from the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau, or from Whale Cottage Franschhoek.\u00a0 Oddly, it lists the two Pick ‘n Pays too, under the ‘Franschhoek Restaurants & Food section”.\u00a0\u00a0Following our recommendation above, the Franschhoek Food Emporium was added, but Caf\u00e9 Le Chocolatier, Caf\u00e9 Benedict, BICCCS,\u00a0Chez d’Or, Cotage Fromage, Crepe et Cidre, Caf\u00e9 des Arts,\u00a0and the new Le Coq are not on the map.\u00a0 Other sources of food to buy, as listed two paragraphs above, are not indicated on the map.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a> Twitter: @WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Franschhoek Wine Valley (the new tourism body name, the “Tourism Association” part of the name recently having been dropped) Food & Wine Route has been launched to the media, and soon will be presented in a\u00a0new map, that will reflect the wealth of 42 restaurants, 48 wine estates and 3 delis and shops that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[124,14,20,21,19],"tags":[2746,5861,577,314,4719,8238,8239,3160,10288,2414,389,182,10292,36,10295,9216,10296,6580,6142,10321,1386,10319,10316,10317,5717,10318,32378,10297,10280,10298,1551,10313,10299,8337,10320,10300,10281,10305,4710,10277,4726,10301,10302,7010,10324,10303,7226,10325,10326,32369,2712,10273,9848,9359,5328,570,8470,10304,8195,2645,2317,233,2291,10253,10282,129,4678,581,9360,1825,318,6488,10289,66,10307,10254,10285,2316,7004,10290,8336,10283,1540,586,582,10286,3205,419,4723,1138,10293,10294,10306,4911,1532,7006,2840,10308,1139,580,2831,5291,10279,8954,1346,3210,446,10275,6611,7204,228,2377,387,6993,10274,13,41,583,882,4836,1287,10322,355,9907,10284,65,10314,32376,9658,10276,7649,10309,10310,10311,8338,9387,10312,2297,1362,7001,10271,10323,2800,10291,6778,10287,578,32373,10327,572],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t