Le Verger Restaurant at Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa, - open for lunch and dinner. For more information contact 021-876-8900 or go to www.lefranschhoek.co.za.

Dish Restaurant at Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa – open for dinner. For more information contact 021-876-8900 or go to www.lefranschhoek.co.za.

On the 14th of July, says the Editor, you'd best be in Franschhoek! | The Month July 2012


"The Franschhoek Wine Valley is inextricably linked with the pursuit of freedom as the destination where the French Huguenots sought refuge from persecution. Aside from the European legacy, the thematic link with freedom is also evident in a local context with the Drakenstein Prison (formerly Victor Verster), from which Nelson Mandela was released, just outside Franschhoek. Bastille seeks to marry the collective leitmotif of freedom, drawing from both French and South African stories of emancipation from oppression, at the heart of both. It promises to be ‘A Celebration of Freedom’.” - Siegfried Schaefer, 2009


Historically, Bastille Day commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, to celebrate the storming of the Bastille on the 14th of July, 1789. The storming was a violent act of unification which brought people together with a simple but passionate desire for freedom; the people of Franschhoek are well-known for similar passion on the day!

This year’s festival will include a number of refinements to a programme renowned for its food and wine
marquee, the largest and longest running boules competition of its kind, The Waiters’ Race, the Franschhoek minstrel parade, fencing, barrel-rolling, a farmers’ market, craft market stalls, musicians, children’s activities, the Marche de Franschhoek – with an array of French and French inspired food and lifestyle products – and many extra’s on offer in the local restaurants and businesses over the weekend.

The most notable refinements include a VIP marquee that will offer, amongst other things, access to bona-fide French winemakers from the Rhône-Alpes Region in France, their fabulous wines and a platter of French-inspired fare and a change in venue for the main Food and Wine Marquee – which will now take up the space between the village’s Dutch Reformed Church and the Town Hall, bringing it right into the centre of town.

For those in search of a little quieter time, The Screening Room at Le Quartier Français will screen French movies throughout the weekend and many of the accommodation establishments and restaurants will offer special menus prepared exclusively for the festival.     

If you had any thoughts that Franschhoek might take it ‘easy’ with this year’s festival – think again, bringing people closer together and throwing a whole lot of Frenchmen into the mix can only mean one thing: the PARTY to end all parties. You have been warned… and despite rumours to the contrary, festival goers will be forgiven for wearing berets.

Tickets to the VIP marquee cost R395pp with access to the Food and Wine  Marquee and a tasting of the French wines and French-inspired food included; tickets to the Food and Wine Marquee are R150pp and includes a tasting glass and a complimentary booklet of tasting coupons. Tickets are available through www.webtickets.co.za, but numbers are limited and once the venues are full, no further patrons will be admitted.

For more information visit www.franschhoekbastille.co.za, follow them on Twitter at #fhkbastille or contact the Franschhoek Wine Valley offices on 021 876 2861.

5 mins with Frederik Steynberg of L’ermitage | The Month May 2012

We bumped into Frederik Steynberg, the personable new GM of the L’ermitage Chateau & Villas in Franschhoek recently, and after welcoming him on behalf of the village and swapping pleasantries we managed to get him to part with 5 Minutes of his time, a little info and a glass of wine.

The Month: Franschhoek has many established and already popular attractions, why should folks choose L’ermitage, rather than any other?

Frederik Steynberg: We offer a sanctuary for your soul – a concept that’s branded through all our marketing activities to complete “succession of expectations”. A sanctuary originally means something sacred, a haven, and we strive to consistently offer a sanctuary to all our guests and potential guests. Whether in one of our spacious and luxurious rooms, when enjoying a plate of hearty food, or every time our staff greet guests with a smile we want people to feel as though they’re in their own, special sanctuary.

TM: That sounds great, but what can we expect to see that will entice Capetonians to leave the hustle and
bustle of the city for even just a couple of nights?

FS: We regularly offer promotions, which we list on our website and Facebook, and have already seen special events to commemorate Freedom Day and Mothers’ Day and until the end of June we have something extra for our corporate clients, with a Conference Special and then there’s the unbelievable offer shown on this page.

TM: Speaking of the setting, is there anything major planned for the property in 2012?

FS: Nothing major – the hard work has been done. We want to maintain our surroundings, from the gardens to the buildings, and really want to focus on the kind of service offering that ensures that as soon as people check out after their first stay at L’ermitage, they’re already planning their next! We’re not in the race for clientele; we want to set the pace.

TM: Thanks Frederik and all the best – it’s clear that you’ve got things mapped out for the L’ermitage sanctuary of the soul.

We visit Taste SA in Franschhoek and see virtually every wine in SA | The Month April 2012

Trying to get to grips with that ever-changing beast that is the SA wine industry – from the many family run, small scale producers  to the massive cooperative cellars – is no mean feat, and it’s no wonder then that getting to know the wines produced by that beast is more than daunting for most.

Aware that our regular wine contributors, Cybercellar.com have had some success with introducing a broad range of palates to a massive array of wines and many of South Africa’s most loved producers, we popped over to their Taste SA facility in Franschhoek for a chat to team-member Stefan, to get an idea of what it is that set’s their offering apart from the rest.

The rather swish tasting room in The Yard takes an interesting approach to making its wines available by showcasing up to 14 different wines from a selection of estates and producers, at any given time. What’s immediately clear is that Taste SA and Cybercellar work hand-in-hand giving supporters of the online store the chance to enjoy more than a virtual drop and those visiting Taste, the chance to purchase any of the wines available through Cybercellar (and to say there are many is a euphemism!). Be warned though,
the tasting room only has the 14-odd wines on show at any given time available for tasting, so don’t expect to walk out of the place with arms laden the way you would a liquor store; instead the Cybercellar team will have your wines, from all over the country, delivered to a door of your choice.

Tastings are R50 per person, with optional cheese platters also available, and you can expect to see the likes of Boschendal, Glen Carlou, Topaz, Oak Valley, Diemersdal, Diemersfontein, Amares, Oldenburg, Boschkloof, Marianne, Meerlust, Mont Rochelle, Sumaridge, Spier, Dieu Donné, De Grendel, Steenberg, Elgin Vintners and many, many more.

Noting my impressed gasp, Stefan wasted no time to add that he has a couple of wines available at the moment that come with free nationwide delivery. “I live just up the road,” I point out. Sharp as a tack Stefan points out that with the kind of savings I’m likely to enjoy, it’s time to move. For the record here are the two wines he recommended that come with that free delivery:

Bartinney Wines Noble Savage Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Blend 2009, R65 per bottle for 6/R59 per bottle for 12
The intense, powerful flavour of the Cabernet Sauvignon in this blend is classic dark fruit and black berries and integrates absolutely beautifully with the softer, sexier, more sensuous cherry and raspberry nose of the Merlot.  The palate is round and concentrated, with spicy fruit and juicy tannins! This is an absolutely superb wine that will go well with a range of food and achieved a 4-star rating in Platter’s.                                                              
FREE SHIPPING TO ANYWHERE IN SOUTH AFRICA!

Druk My Niet Wine Estate Mapoggo White 2009, R49 per bottle for 6/R47 per bottle for 12
At first, this wine impresses the nose with layers of fruit that include pineapple, mango, peach and dried apricot. On the second whiff the unmistakable hints of Melon and Green Apple come to the fore and follow through on the palate, perfectly  complemented by hazelnut and vanilla flavours courtesy of the wood. It’s a surprisingly big wine given it’s relatively low alcohol content of 12.5%.
FREE SHIPPING TO ANYWHERE IN SOUTH AFRICA!

Email Stefan stefan@cybercellar.com for orders or more info on Taste SA and Cybercellar.com

of the Winelands’ best kept secrets - your own little piece of Franschhoek paradise.
The ultimate in relaxation, the intimate Holden Manz Country House with exquisite lunches and dinners at the Franschhoek Kitchen is the ideal winter warmer.