Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog

For the third year running, twenty of Franschhoek’s wine farmers are inviting wine and food lovers to visit their wine estates this coming Saturday and Sunday (4 and 5 September), to taste their new vintages, to eat specialities from the Gourmet capital of South Africa, and to enjoy French-style activities over a weekend of food, fun and wine.

Tickets for Franschhoek Uncorked cost R80 each, and can be bought at Computicket, or at any participating wine estate.  The full programme offered by the 20 wine estates is as follows:

*   Vrede & Lust will have a cigar lounge, Aston Martins will be on display, chocolate can be tasted and diamonds will sparkle

*   Plaisir de Merle will serve more of their lovely pancakes, offer live music, and for the first time offer bread made from flour ground in a historic water mill on the wine estate.

*   Allee Bleue will offer live jazz, and a tasting of their new Brut Rose’.  Smoked salmon croissants, Flammkuchen, Chicken Tandoori wraps, and Shrimp Guacamole wraps will be available for sale.

*   Solms-Delta will offer “Kaapse” music, food, and wine.

*   L’Omarins has the Franschhoek Motor Museum on its property, will make its Antonij Rupert Protea and Terra del Capo wines available for tasting, boules can be played, and gourmet sandwiches can be bought

*   Graham Beck will offer its Methode Cap Classique bubblies as well as wines to taste, and oysters, cheese and charcuterie platters will be available to eat.  Winemakers Pieter Ferreira and Erika Obermeyer will host masterclasses at R 75 a head, on Saturday and Sunday, at 10h00 and 14h00

*   Lynx Wines will have a Spanish Fiesta theme again, and live Spanish music will be played.  Tapas served include serrano ham and calamari

*   Topiary Wines will release their Rose 2009 and their Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. Visitors can blend their own wines. Live music is offered.

*   La Chataigne offers boules and live entertainment

*   Moreson offers live music, and a food market

*   Maison is the newest Franschhoek wine estate, and belongs to Chris Weylandt of Weylandt’s, and is now also a winemaker.   Food, jazz and wines will be offered.

*   La Motte’s new and Franschhoek’s latest restaurant Pierneef a La Motte offers Cape Winelands cuisine, a Farm Shop sells wines, gifts and farm-baked bread.   The new La Motte Art Gallery, one of the rooms dedicated to the priceless paintings by Pierneef, has opened, and a classical guitar recital will be hosted on Saturday evening.

*   Glenwood will host a Boules Trophy, and is pairing its wines with gourmet food prepared by Camil and Ingrid Haas, previously of Bouillabaisse and Camil’s, serving Bouillabaisse, Chicken Curry and Crepe Suzette.

*   Rickety Bridge offers tapas too, and its Top 10 Shirazes.  Live music, boules, as well as farm rides in their Dodge truck are also available.

*   Grande Provence offers live music, five vintages will be paired with five dishes, a Chef’s Table is offered, and the Grande Provence Pinot Noir will be launched.  Cheese and charcuterie boards will be available.

*   Franschhoek Cellars offer cheese and wine tastings, as well as cheese lunches

*   Dieu Donne offers live music, Vineyard platters, “wine-infused casual food”, and micro-beer on tap

*   Cabriere offers a wine tour and tasting, with a Sabrage, at 11h00 on Saturday and Sunday

*  La Petite Ferme offers wine tours, and salmon and wine pairing at R120.

*   Boekenhoutskloof will launch The Chocolate Block 2009, a band will provide the “gees” and Reuben Riffel will offer his famous Reuben’s Barbeque Experience.

Further details can be obtained from the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau, Tel (021) 876-3603.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

For the 17th year, Franschhoek will put on its French dress, and Franschhoekers will dust off their berets, celebrating the 14 July storming of La Bastille.  “Again in 2010, Franschhoek’s Bastille Festival, which began as a village fete, will be a celebration of freedom for all!” says the Festival brochure.   The Bastille Festival takes place this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday the Bastille Festival activities get off to a rolling start at 8h00 with a Boules Tournament on the Dutch Reformed Church grounds on the main road.  From 10h00 onwards there is ”a showcase of artisanal food and fare” in the Town Hall and one can sit down at a Parisian cafe.   Locally made olives and oils, fruit preserves, honey products, tasty take-home treats, Cape cuisine, and fresh vegetables will be sold.

The highlight for regular Bastille Festival supporters is the marquee in the centre of town, that sees almost every Franschhoek winery (Akkerdal, Allee Bleue, Anthonij Rupert, Bellingham, Boekenhoutskloof, Boschendal, Dieu Donne, Glenwood, Graham Beck, Grande Provence, La Bri, La Motte, Lynx, Mont Rochelle, Rickety Bridge, Rupert & Rothschild, Solms-Delta, Topiary and Vrede & Lust) paired with almost every restaurant in town (Allee Bleue, Dieu Donne, French Connection, The Grillroom, The Restaurant at Grande Provence, Haute Cabriere, iCi, La Petite Ferme, Monneaux, Plaisir de Merle, Reuben’s, and Fyndraai).  The food and winetasting marquee is open from 12h00 - 17h00 on Saturday and Sunday, and entrance costs R 100, which entitles one to five tasting coupons.   Tickets can be booked at www.webtickets.co.za

The Porcupine Ridge Barrel Rolling competition starts at 14h00 on each of the two days, and a Waiters’ Race will be contested at the Food & Wine Marquee at 13h00 on Saturday. 

Whale Cottage Franschhoek has a Bastille Festival weekend accommodation package - write to winelands@whalecottage.com.  

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

This coming weekend, Franschhoek will be showcasing some of the best of its restaurants and wines, as well as food and wine related activities, under the banner of “Franschhoek Affair”.

The 14 restaurant and wine pairings on offer are the following, and the winemaker and chef “will be presenting their crafts to their guests”:

*   Allora Restaurant and Lynx Wines offer a 3-course meal for R 250. 25 and 26 June.  Tel 021 876-4375

*   Bread & Wine restaurant and Moreson Wines offer a 4-course meal for R 660.  Ten persons only. 26 June. Tel 021 876-4004

*   Cafe Bon Bon and La Bri Wines offer a 3-course meal, R650. 25 and 26 June.  tel 083 501 0878

*   Dieu Donne Restaurant and Dieu Donne Wines offer a 3-course lunch at R 275 (25 and 26 June) and a 5-course dinner (26 June).  Tel 021 876-3384

*   Dutch East and Antonij Rupert Wines offer a 3-course meal and one glass of Protea wine at R 165. 26 and 27 June.  Tel 021 876-3548

*   Fyndraai restaurant and Solms-Delta Wines offer 3 courses for R 190.  25 and 27 June. Tel 021 874-3937

*   Haute Cabriere restaurant and Cabriere Wines offer a 5-course dinner at R 480.  25 June. Tel 021 876-3688

*   The Tasting Room restaurant offers a 5-course dinner paired with “local wines” for R800. 25 June.  Tel 021 876-2151

*   Mange Tout restaurant and Mont Rochelle Wines offer a 4 course meal at R 480. 25 June dinner, 26 and 27 June lunch and dinner.  Tel 021 876-2770

*   Mon Plaisir restaurant and Chamonix Wines offer a 5-course dinner at R 550. 25 June. Tel 021 876-2393

*   Restaurant at Grande Provence and Grande Provence Wines offer a 4-course meal for R 320.  Maximum 20 guests. 25 and 26 June.   Tel 021 876-8600

*   Reubens restaurant and Graham Beck Wines offer a 5-course lunch for R 550. Maximum 24 guests.  27 June.  Tel 021 876-3772

*   Rickety Bridge restaurant and Rickety Bridge Wines offer 8 tasting courses for R 335.  25 June. Tel 021 876-2129

*   Salmon Bar and Franschhoek Pass Winery offer a 4 course salmon and bubbly pairing. 25 June lunch.  Tel 021 876-4591

Other food and wine related activities over the Franschhoek Affair weekend are the following:

*  Pasta making course at Allora restaurant, R 280, 25 and 26 June, 15h00

*   Huguenot Fine Chocolates shop tour and tasting, R 25, 25, 26 and 27 June, at 11h00, 12h00, 14h00 and 15h00

*   Sushi course at Allee Bleue, R 300, 26 and 27 June at 15h00

*   Breadmaking course at Bread & Wine, R 770, 26 June, 9h30

*   Cooking Class at Le Quartier Francais, R 895, 26 June 10h00 - 15h00

*   Chocolate Art course at Dieu Donne, 26 June at 9h30, and Sugar Art course 27 June at 16h00, R 500 each course

*   Traditional Cooking Tour (outdoors walking tour) at Solms-Delta, R 100, 26 and 27 June

*   Wine Tasting Tour - Cap Classique Tasting Tour (R395 includes R 120 lunch voucher, 26 June at 10h00), White Wine Tasting Tour (R495 includes R 120 lunch voucher, 27 June at 10h00) and Red Wine Tasting Tours (R395, 27 June at 15h00).

Further details about the “Franschhoek Affair” can be obtained from www.franschhoek.org.za or call the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau at tel 021 876-2861.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

The Grillroom opened on the main road of Franschhoek, not far from the Huguenot Monument, in a historic building belonging to Franschhoek property mogul Trevor Kirsten, almost two months ago.   The owner of the restaurant is Franschhoek restaurateur Matthew Gordon, who owns Haute Cabriere, French Connection (with Kirsten as well), and is a co-owner of Cotage Fromage on Vrede & Lust wine estate.   It opened as a unique one-stop restaurant, butchery and vinoteque.

The building has an L-shape, and allows the restaurant to be divided into three separate sections - the main restaurant section has about 10 tables, and a welcoming fireplace for those cold Franschhoek winter nights.  The butchery section is much smaller, whilst a private dining room upstairs can seat about 16 guests.  The Vinoteque is also upstairs.

The restaurant interior is sparsely decorated, with some black and white photographs.  Red light fittings dominate.   Raw brickwork gives the restaurant a cosy informal feel, not as gourmet as some of the other restaurants on the same road in this gourmet village of note.

Before we looked at the menu, we are told about an extensive list of non-steak specials, mainly seafood ones, which seemed to contradict the “steakhouse” feel of the restaurant.   The no-nonsense menu is a large A3, and introduces the restaurant: “It is a restaurant that takes pains to source the finest meat and age it to perfection.  Only the freshest fish and shellfish from the sustainable list is served.  Each plate is masterfully created for your enjoyment.  Match this with a winelist of international standards and friendly, informed staff.   All our beef is aged for a minimum of 2 weeks before delivery to us.   We then wet age it in a vac pac for a further week before it gets put onto your plate.  We only deal with one producer and our meat is fully traceable to its source to guarantee quality”.

The starter list offers a choice of eight starters, including a “modern day king prawn cocktail with avocado and spicy cocktail sauce” (nice generous portion of juicy prawns, 3 slices of avocado, and too many leaves, tasty cocktail sauce); salmon sashimi; mussels, chicken liver pate and Grabouw wors with chakalaka (a surprise!).  Four salad options are offered, ranging from R 48 for a roasted butternut, beetroot, tomato and chickpea salad with humus, to R78 for a seafood style salad.

The mains are served with delicious crispy thin cut French fries (a Gordon speciality, I have been told, with his mussels), baked potato with sour cream, black mushroom couscous, or savoury rice.  In addition, stir-fried vegetables were also served.  Fillet steak is served in 200 g and 250 g cuts, at R115 and R135, respectively, sirloin and rump R98 for 300 g, 300 g Hanger steak at R88, a 500 g T-bone costs R115 and a 300 g Rib eye steak R105.  A range of sauces can be ordered for an additional R18.  A choice of bastings and of rubs is offered, according to the menu, but was not asked by the waitress (we only saw this after we had left).  My rump steak had a strong peppercorn taste to it, and burnt my mouth when I bit onto the peppercorns.  I expected it to be served plain.   My colleague’s spicy chicken stirfry dish, a special, was to her liking, and was not too strongly spiced. 

Venison is also served, two springbok dishes cost R 125 and R 135.  Beef, ostrich, lamb, chicken and vegetarian burgers are offered, costing R65 - R95.   A list of favourites, such as duck (R125), lamb shank (R95), veal chop (R130), ribs (R110), baby chicken (R95) and calamari (R90) can also be ordered.   Fish is treated as a daily special, but Norwegian salmon is regularly available at R130, as is a mussel dish.  Subject to availability, prawns, crayfish, langoustines, and seafood platters can be ordered.   Dessert choices are limited to creme brulee, chocolate mud cake, pear tart tatin, chocolate spring rolls, at about R40, and a cheese board.

An A3-sized winelist offers an impressive selection of 160 wines, about half of them being from Franschhoek.   The list has a very brief description of the cultivar offered, and lists the region in which the wine is made.   Unfortunately the vintages are not denoted.   All 15 wines-by-the-glass are from Franschhoek wine estates, and are most reasonably priced at about R 25 for the red and white wines.  I was offered a tasting portion of the Eikehof Shiraz first, without asking, and then a generous glassful was poured.  Champagnes are stocked, ranging from R 395 for the Tribaut Brut Rose to R995 for the Bollinger Special Cuvee. Cap Classiques are reasonably priced between R140 - R240, Sauvignon Blancs cost R95 - R250, Chardonnay R90 - R350, Shiraz R95 - R950, Cabernet Sauvignon R95 - R795, Merlot R125 - R285, and Pinotage R120 - R495.  A range of dessert wines is also available. 

The Butchery of The Grillroom  sells 3-week aged beef to take home.  Fillet costs R143 per kg, rump and sirloin R80 per kg, Boerewors R48 per kg, Rib Eye steak R84 per kg, hangar steak R58 per kg, and T-bone steak R88 per kg.   The Vinoteque sells all the wines that are on the winelist, as a wine shop, and restaurant patrons are invited to select a wine from it for their meal. 

The Grillhouse will give locals and visitors to Franschhoek a different style of wining and dining - no-nonsense in an unusual building - historic on the outside, and modern facebrick inside , with friendly staff.   It is a big space to fill.  One wonders how all the restaurants in the village will keep going in winter, when we were one of only 2 tables on a cold wintry mid-week evening.

A request for a photograph to be e-mailed to me for the review was actioned immediately that evening, which is commendable.  A follow-up visit for a cappuccino and pear tart tatin (requested with real cream) over the Franschhoek Literary Festival allowed me to try a dessert, and to meet Dominic Dear, the GM of the restaurant, with a professional and very friendly touch.   The Head Chef is Geraldine White, previously from Dieu Donne in Franschhoek.

The Grillhouse, Heritage Square, Huguenot Street, tel 021 876-2548.  www.thegrillroom.co.za (no content).

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com.

Franschhoek will be hosting the third annual ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Cap Classique and Champagne Festival at the Huguenot Monument from 4 - 6 December, sponsored by Investec, allowing bubbly lovers to taste the best of both French and South African sparkling wines.

The imported bubbly brands represented at the Festival will be Billecart Salmon, Joseph Perrier, and Laurent Perrier, while local brands are Avondale, Bon Courage, Boschendal, Bramon, Cape Chamonix, Colmant, Dieu Donne, Du Preez,  Genevieve Mcc, Graham Beck, Groote Post,  JC le Roux, Krone, Hout Bay Vineyards, Kumkani, La Motte, L’Avenir, Morena, Morgenhof, Nitida, Pierre Jourdan, Seidelberg, Silverthorn, Simonsig, Steenberg, Topiary, Villiera, Weltevrede and Woolworths.

Not only will the visitors taste the best of bubbly, but they will also be able to taste delicacies of the Franschhoek restaurants, which include Cafe Allee Bleue, Dieu Donne, Haute Cabriere, La Petite Ferme, Le Franschhoek, L’Ermitage, Mange Toute, Monneaux, Grande Provence, and Salmon Bar.

Tickets cost R 180 for a tasting glass and 10 tasting coupons, and can be booked at www.webtickets.co.za.  The dress code for the Festival is ‘white with a touch of black’.   The Festival runs from 18h00 - 22h00 on 4 December, and from 12h00 - 18h00 on 5 and 6 December.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

This week marks the official launch of two competing but neighbouring restaurants in the new Cape Quarter extension on Somerset Road in De Waterkant.   Cru Cafe’ (see review here) has been open since the beginning of the month, but celebrated its launch on Tuesday.  Vanilla has also opened, and its launch evening is on Friday.   In general, these are the two ’serious’ restaurants in this new lifestyle centre, that is set to take off as Capetonians discover its unique combination of high quality shops.   Lazari is a restaurant that disappointed on a first visit, with a shrieking pink interior, and the restaurant staff and the patrons being unsure as to which of their two terraces are for smokers and non-smokers!   The visible food preparation area when one enters the restaurant is enough to put one off from entering and sitting down!

This week saw the opening of the long-awaited Crepe et Cidre in Franschhoek, near Huguenot Fine Chocolates.  It belongs to Robert Maingard, the largest hospitality owner in the village, also owning Le Franschhoek, and Dieu Donne, and he is also set to open a sports bar in the old station building soon.  He is opening two further restaurants in Franschhoek, on opposite sides of the main road, when he completes the malls next year, one being on the current Pick ‘n Pay site and the other on the site where the Huguenot Hotel was located.   Crepe et Cidre will be run by Gerhard van Staden, previously chef of the Le Franschhoek.  The creperie has “imported” Yann Guyonvarch from Brittany in France to train the staff in crepe-making.  His true French accent is a delight, but his stay will be a short 2 weeks.  Imported French cider is served.

At La Brasserie in Franschhoek, the Friday jazz evenings will start again tomorrow (30 October), and the opening session will be dedicated to the launch of a CD ‘Tribute to Alex van Heerden’, who played with the Cape Dutch Connection, and passed away tragically.

In Hermanus the new Hermanos restaurant has opened in the building in which Joubert restaurant operated before closing down earlier this year, with a new chef and owner Wayne Spencer.  He was originally the Executive Chef at Birkenhead House in Hermanus, and at Phinda Game Reserve, and worked at the Michelin-starred Port Palace in Monaco.   He says of his new restaurant that it is fine-dining but that it is not intimidating, and he will not place a lot of emphasis on plating the food.  He intends to come out of the kitchen, to chat to his guests, which is commendable - too few chefs do so.   The menu is small, with 5 starters (R36 - 48), 7 mains (R68 - R 110), and 4 desserts (ranging betwen R 30 - R 40), and sounds interesting. The winelist is more extensive, and is very proudly-Hermanus.  The restaurant is open Mondays to Saturdays for dinner only initially, and can be booked at tel 028 313-1916.  

The Seafood at The Marine restaurant in Hermanus was a pleasant surprise earlier this week, when the most delicious kingklip was served.  The restaurant offers a choice of two courses at R 180 and 3 courses cost R 215.   A number of irritations on arrival - struggling to find the booking on the reservation list and a wobbly table - were sorted out when addressed, and the Relais & Chateaux crested butter arrived rock hard, so much so that it was unspreadable.  The restaurant has no ambiance, it being too brightly lit and it not having any attempt at a decor focus.  But the food cooks, and the hand of Executive Chef Peter Tempelhoff, a previous Eat Out Top Ten chef whilst at Grande Provence, is evident.  The biggest surprise was the presentation of three scoops of ice cream on a block of ice, serving a functional as well as an aesthetic role.   The whale-shaped biscuit served with the coffee, whilst not new, remains a cute and clever touch.   The service is friendly and willing, and a miscommunication between the waiter and the kitchen was quickly rectified.   No senior management was visible all evening.   The cloakrooms are most disappointing for a five-star hotel, and the owner Liz McGrath would do well to invest some monies in upgrading these at The Marine.

The speculation in a previous WhaleTales blog post that Ginja is to move to New Church Street (between Buitengracht and Kloofnek Roads), into the previous Relish and Nova restaurant space, has been confirmed by the EatOut website.  “Executive Chef Chris Erasmus will continue the Ginja legacy with his playful take on gastronomy, abundant with colour, texture and taste - using the finest local produce”, the website says. 

Allee Bleue in Franschhoek is hosting its first Sushi and wine-pairing evening on Friday 6 November, at R 195, with a miso soup and tempura prawn starter, and five main sushi courses, each paired with a different Allee Bleue wine.   The dessert is a green tea brulee.  Chef Dane Newton, previously at Chamonix, is known in Franschhoek for his sushi.    In addition to Allee Bleue’s Bistro, the new Winetasting Courtyard 5-item menu, and the scrumptious picnic baskets, a small beer garden menu is also available to be enjoyed with the Paulaner draught beer served at the lower end of the estate.

Jordan wine estate is opening its The Restaurant at Jordan on 21 November.   The e-mail sent to announce the opening looks amateurish, and is an instant turn-off, as one is asked to commit to the food one would like to eat on that day, and the exact time slot in which one would like to eat it in.  Payment must also be done by bank transfer prior to arrival.  For a weekend treat, a visit to a wine estate is enjoyed in leisurely fashion, without being so prescriptive!  George Jardine of Jardine is the new chef of the country restaurant.

Cafe’ Sofia is boldly advertising its seven branches (Green Point, Camps Bay, Sea Point, Rondebosch, Gardens, Greenside and Blouberg) in a striking half-page advertisement: “Come and experience our new 2010 menu, the best breakfast in town or Happy Hour Cocktails.  You may be in for a surprise”.  The Happy Hour cocktails are priced at R 25 for cocktails and R 15 for beer on tap between 17h00 - 19h00, while breakfasts range from R 19 - R 29. 

It was a food book launch week last week, with“Franschhoek Food”, written by Myrna Robbins, featuring the main chefs of Franschhoek’s restaurants, and some of their favourite restaurant menu recipes, as well as wine pairing suggestions.   “South Africa On a Plate” was also launched, a book featuring restaurants that deduct R 5 off the patron’s bill to go toward the Streetsmart charity.   A three-course dinner suggestion, with the recipes, is featured for each restaurant.   Grande Provence, Cafe’ 1999, Jewel of India, Auberge Michel, Ginga, Haiku, Rust en Vrede, Jardine, La Colombe, Ninth Avenue Bistro, Myoga, Mosaic, Bosman’s, Hartford House, Roots, The Saxon, Ile Maurice, and Terroir are some of the restaurants included in the book.   The inspiration for the book comes from Jess Meredith-Watts and his fiance’ Louise, who were touched by beggars on the streets, and felt that they could make a difference, by giving all the profits of the book sales to the Streetsmart charity.   More details about the book are available here.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com

A new coffee table book, called “Franschhoek Food” and written by Myrna Robbins, was launched in Franschhoek earlier this week.

Focusing on top Franschhoek restaurants, including Reubens, Haute Cabriere, Grande Provence, Bouillabaisse, La Residence, Genot and Dieu Donne, a number of recipes of each restaurant are included in the book.   Each dish also has wine pairing suggestions.  

Myrna Robbins is a wine writer for the Weekend Argus, started the Cape Town Slow Food Convivium, has published five other books, and contributes to ‘Fodor’s Guide to Southern Africa’.

“Franschhoek Food” is published by Random Struik and costs R 340.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com

Franschhoek is saluting spring and celebrating its wine wealth with its third annual Franschhoek Uncorked festival this weekend.  Instead of celebrating the best Franschhoek has to offer in one central venue in the heart of the village, 24 of the village’s best wine estates are inviting winelovers to visit the wine estates.  Each participating wine estate is offering something unusual for the weekend.

So, for example, L’Omarins, Rickety Bridge, La Bri and Glenwood are each laying on boules courts; Lynx Wines will offer live flamenco music; Mont Rochelle offers a fun photo session with barrels, bottles and wine props; Plaisir de Merle will serve their yummy crepes for the third year running; Rickety Bridge is serving gourmet picnics and helicopter flips;  Topiary Wines are serving sandwiches, curry, and other treats from Cafe’ Bon Bon; Vrede & Lust is launching its new Mocholate Malbec Wine Blending competition;   Alle’e Bleue is offering a sushi demo and the Sterling Electric Quartet will perform on Saturday evening; Boekenhoutskloof will offer a barbeque prepared by Reuben’s; at Cabriere one can see Achim von Arnim’s art collection, and compete in the Pierre Jourdan Strongest Throwing Arm Competition; Chamonix has a French style “Marche’ de Bourgogne” at Mon Plasir restaurant, with French treats such as terrines, snails, puff pastries, cheeses and breads for sale;  Dieu Donne’ offers a jazz band;   Graham Beck is serving sushi and oysters; Grande Provence offers an art exhibition by Jenny Groenewald; La Bri is having a snoek-braai;  La Brasserie goes ‘Uncorked and Unplugged’ on Friday evening; and La Motte serves Claude Bolling’s classical jazz on both evenings, 

Winetasting tickets cost R 60 each, and can be bought at Vrede & Lust (at the Simondium end of Franschhoek), at the Tourism Bureau (Info Centre) on Huguenot Road in Franschhoek, or online at www.webtickets.co.za.   The ticket allows unlimited access to all the participating wine estates.  More details and the full programme are available on www.franschhoek.org.za. 

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

A number of Franschhoek restaurants are offering good value winter specials:

Allora: 3-course winter meal R 85, one free children’s meal for every main course ordered, Sunday roast R 95, complimentary Gluehwein, and delivery of pasta.

Bouillabaisse:   Food and wine pairing 4-course dinners on Thursdays at R 225

Burgundy’s:   Daily specials, including oxtail (R 78), soup (R 40), pasta (R 65), savoury pancakes (55), cakes (R 28). Free glass of wine per main course.

Cotage Fromage:   10 % off main course if have two courses for lunch

Dieu Donne: Friday evening “Pub Fair” at R 75 and 25 % off Dieu Donne wine and beer

French Connection:  Set menu for R 125 Monday - Friday lunch and Monday - Thursday dinner, also sandwich or pita plus glass of Pierre Jourdan Tranquille at R 60.  Christmas in July at R 225, with contribution to charity, date to be announced.  

Genot: 3-course set menu at R 150

Grande Provence:   2-course lunch and dinner R 150, 3-courses R 195 and 4-courses R 240 Mondays to Saturdays.

Haute Cabriere:   2-course set menu Monday - Friday lunch, and Friday and Saturday evenings, R 100 per head 

ici:   chicken, glass of wine, and a movie at R 120, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings

La Petite Ferme:   Friday evening winter “loosen your belt” dinners, 3-course set menu R 150 + carafe of wine

Reubens:  2-course set menu at R 130 and 3-course set menu at R 150

Further details about  the Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com 

This article was first published in the July issue of The Franschhoek Month.

The Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism Association is to be congratulated in preparing a programme of events for winter, with the title of “Franschhoek Affair”, promising “eclectic experiences in the month of June”, to attract feet into town and ‘bums into beds’!   

On Fridays potter David Walters will teach glass slumping and raku firing; Judy Sendzul of the Salmon Bar will take interested person for fly fishing followed by lunch at her restaurant; bread making will be taught at Bread & Wine; Izak Rust will do a guided walk on interesting trees in Franschhoek; Siegfried Schaefer and Rob Armstrong will lead a fynbos and photography excursion; Danielle Craddock is running a “Feel Great Fitness Boot Camps”; a wine tasting walking tour incorporates Mont Rochelle, Chamonix and Dieu Donne; Niel Jonker will lead  “Painting the Landscape in-situ” sessions;  Geddon Ruddick will take cyclists on a Mountain Bike ride; and Bouillabaisse will spoilt participants with specials on their warm lunches and dinners. 

More details are available from and bookings can be made at the Tourism Bureau tel 021 876-2861.

This article was written by Chris von Ulmenstein, and was first published in the June 2009 issue of The Franschhoek Month.