In this cooking class culinary guests will work with South African ingredients only. Annemarie, the Culinary Concierge, will guide guests through the preparation of dishes. Guests will be introduced to local treats, useful tips and some of the Le Quartier Français kitchen secrets.

From here the guests, accompanied by the Culinary Concierge, visit Haut Espoir and meet Rob where he will guide guests on an informative walk around the farm where he will share his ample knowledge of fynbos (local vegetation) and indigenous herbs. In Rob’s cellar guests will experience the fine Haut Espoir wines and sample the yet-to-be-released buchu brandies (a particular favorite around silly season).

Lunch consisting of a picnic, packed full of divine South African ingredients, is served and accompanied by Haut Espoir wines. This is a once off experience and the meals and picnics are hardly ever similar, with Annemarie taking particular care to make sure guests get 100% of the South African flavor experience.

We are honored to be a part of something this special and to work such a niche section of the absolute top end of the market. Thank you to all the people who have already booked these trips and we look forward to having many more of you there.

For more information, please contact Le Quartier Francais on 021 876 2151

The ambiance is fairly quiet, making it ideal for a more romantic evening. Despite the sophisticated surrounds, Pierre has added some unique and whimsical touches such as the lamp shades made from kitchen colanders.

In addition to the full a-la-carte menu, Pierre also offers a five-course surprise menu which takes the form of smaller ‘tasting’ courses.

Tables are available in the shaded garden next to the restaurant for lunches or dinner on warm summer evenings.

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Those are the official words for Le Bon Vivant, from their website on the homely, vibrant feel that they are so well known for beyond the mountains that surround us here in Franschhoek. Really for us, we are always delighted by the friendliness of everyone at the restaurant and we wanted to highlight the SURPRISE MENU, which is what they are outstandingly known for. Pierre will create a meal that will smack your taste buds from every angle, pairing the courses with the perfect wines. The experience will leave you perfectly satisfied, not wanting more, but wanting not a crumb or a drop less.

Alternatively the lamb rack pairs is exceptional in flavor and feel, a personal favorite as well.

Le Bon Vivant are best contacted on 021 876 2717 and can be found at 22 Dirkie Uys Street, Franschhoek. Unusually, they are closed on Wednesdays, but are open for lunch, as well as dinner, on the other 6 days that make up our weeks.

But don’t just take our word for it, here is a review from Eat Out:

The plain homely feel of this well-liked village eatery belies its significantly more complex culinary offerings. By day it might be sandwiches, salads or Dutch croquettes (best enjoyed in the garden), but by night it’s a fine dining affair. And while plating might be extravagant, considerate prices make this an attractive option for those with weary wallets in this gourmet capital. A five-course ‘surpirsie’ tasting meny reveals the full scope of chef-patron Pierre Hendriks’ repertoire of flavours from classical French, to nods to the East. An artfully arranged starter of wild mushrooms will have you yearning for seconds (ditto the gourmet prawns). While local trout and other fish feature, they’re blander cousins to the lustily-suaced meaty fare which dominates the menu (leave vegan friends behind). Come for the rack of lamb with red onion purée or beef fillet drenched in chorizo butter, accompanied by wines from a modest, well-priced selection that accordingly leans more towards reds. But do leave room for the must-have rich chocolatey finalé.”

Make a booking and see for yourself.

This, from Times Live.

The earliest known winery has been uncovered in a cave in the mountains of Armenia.

In his books, McGovern has suggested that a “wine culture,” including the domestication of the Eurasian grape, was first consolidated in the mountainous regions around Armenia before moving to the south.

How fascinating, right? We found another interesting article on Gawker, which read as follows:

Archaeologists found a 6,100-year-old “winemaking operation” in the same Armenian cave where they found a 5,500-year-old shoe. You know what that means? Humans have been making wine for 600 years longer than they have been wearing shoes!

And there’s something kind of nice about that, isn’t there? The thought that some seven millennia ago, human beings were doing the same thing you are? Sure, they harvested, fermented and pressed all their own wine, while you just smuggled yours out of the 7-11 under your coat. And they likely drank their red wine as part of an elaborate funeral ritual, while you drink yours as part of your far less elaborate “watching King of Queens reruns” ritual. But the important part is this: 7,000 years ago, as today, human beings were getting tanked on cheap red wine.

This news put a jump in our steps and got us kicking today. Our methods may have improved somewhat and state-of-the-art equipment means it is probably far easier to make wine nowadays, as well as being possible to produce what would likely be far better wines, but the news still had us smiling all day.

The menu is impressive and contains just about everything one could hope for in a pub.

The owner takes particular care with his food and even a simple plate of hake and chips comes in a pleasing visual presentation – the garnish more like a side salad, the tartare sauce in a separate bowl, ample and delicious. The fish is fresh and succulent, fried to perfection in a crisp and wafer-thin batter. The chips are piping hot, crisp and golden brown, with the dimensions of real chips, not the emaciated fries of a take-away.

Located in Huguenot Square, just off Huguenot Street in Franschhoek, it’s indeed possible to sit on the upstairs verandah and watch the sun set over the Groot Drakenstein mountains whilst sipping some fine wine, one of the 30 English beers on offer or one of the fantastic cocktails that Mark & his staff make on premises. They run daily specials which are always well thought out and not just a run of the mill set of specials that you will find everywhere. Particular care is taken in every sense, from every angle at Elephant & Barrel.

So pop into the pub next time you are in the area. It’s a popular hang-out and you are sure to have an unforgettable experience which will enrich your perception on all that Franschhoek has on offer.

It easy to cook food that tastes nice by overpowering the dish with too many flavours but it is very difficult to simply cook the ingredient and combining it with flavours that complement the ingredient and not overpower it. The focus will always be on the main ingredients and therefore you need the best ingredients to cook with. Fresh is best and he always strives to use the freshest he can get.

In trying to improve or change a dish to make it better, he soon realised that focussing on the basics of cooking is best way to improve your dish. Cooking and using all ingredients in the best way possible and then combining them on a plate. ‘Eating with your eyes’ has a little bit of a mixed meaning to Pasch – a dish can look amazing but wouldn’t taste like anything. You get nothing out of that! Then again, a dish can look boring, but taste is what people will come back for. So his goal has always been to make the dish taste as good as possible and then present it in an attractive manner, not adding too much to the plate just for the sake of adding it. Everything on the plate must be part of the plate. Pasch’s ultimate goal is to use ingredients that are unique to South Africa, and produce unique and flavourful combinations.

As such, this special for New Years looks incredible and knowing the sort of entertainment that Pasch is famous for, this is worth every cent for what looks set to be one of the best New Years evenings around the greater Cape Town area.

Best to give them a call on 021 876 3547 and make sure you get a space before they are all gone.

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We source our grapes from 3 of the farms in our beautiful valley and specifically with the `08 it was an extremely hot year with a few fires in the area, making it extra dry and actually giving the grapes an extra dimension specific to that year alone. The flavours and aromas are a mixture of tropical fruit such as ripe melon and ginger root. Undertones of peach and honey carry through to the finish which is smooth and elegant.

Once again, we have gone with the Hungarian wood as well as French woodon the Viognier as we love the spicier fruits to come out of this specific varietal but still give it that lingering softness and mouth feel that we are putting into each of our white varietals. Weekly batonage enhances the palate as well and it’s in barrels for 8 months. When thinking Viognier, you should be thinking spicy Asian Foods and perhaps the perfect partner to the wasabi in sushi. So often we get the question of what to drink with sushi. Viognier is perfectly delicate but yet spicy enough to combine with the delicacy of the fish and the absolute joy of wasabi.

Officially, this is the word from the guys themselves:

Since opening its doors, The Grillroom is the latest venture in a long line of successful restaurants from internationally acclaimed celebrity chef, Matthew Gordon.

Chef patron of the very successful Haute Cabriere Cellar Restaurant and The French Connection Bistro in Franschhoek, Matthew Gordon drew on all of his 22 years’ experience in creating fabulous dishes and designing award winning restaurants when he started working on The Grillroom.

The frontage of this 243m² national monument is reminiscent of a 1800 period home, but once you step inside, you can sense they mean food here… really good food… with the best steaks, sea food and favourite South African dishes in the Cape Winelands.

The focus is on freshness and quality with beef matured for a minimum of three weeks, prawns from Mozambique and the catch of the day literally caught the same morning. The Grillroom is currently refining and will soon be launching something exclusive to the brand with a selection of their beef being Karoo grass fed.

Other ingredients that will make this recipe an award winner is the illustrious wine list. You can expect favourites from the Franschhoek Valley, but also hidden treasures and collections from some of the best wineries in South Africa. Customers can also choose their own bottle of wine directly from the cellar to enjoy at the table. A further unique addition to this recipe is the butchery where you can order a succulent piece of rump, sirloin or fillet for your next braai. With the meat already aged to perfection, you are sure to be a hit with your friends.

Upstairs, the private dining room with views over the Franschhoek mountains allows groups, parties or conferences to be entertained at a facility near enough to, yet well removed from the vibey general seating area within the restaurant. The style here, much like the rest of the layout, is informal and laid back, but very comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

From the outset, it seems like another award winner in the heart of the culinary capital of the Western Cape and as the saying goes, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

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Truly though, as part of the Haut Espoir “family” approach, we love the Grillroom for the particular effort that goes into the food as well as creating the setting for enjoying what must be one of the best steaks you will ever have.

We will be back next week with more wines, more restaurants and a preparation for the festive season, although really, if you have been in the Franschhoek area in the last few weeks, you`ll know that its quite festive already…

The Salmon Bar opened on 1 December 2007. Created by an aquaculturalist and smoker of salmon and a chef, the Salmon Bar is a restaurant, bar, deli and bakery in one – the result of a shared passion for quality salmon and local Franschhoek trout. Gregory & Judy run the place with a delicate hand and the menu reflects their passion for the product. Best to have a squiz at the menu here as well as some of the much deserved press that they have gotten over the years, here.

The yellow fin tuna salad goes particularly well with the Haut Espoir Rosé, but personally that’s just a little bit biased. While you are there, have a browse through the bakery, the deli and have a seat at the bar for a last glass of wine with a friend, taking in the amazing atmosphere that is created in this space, in our special valley here, in Franschhoek. We know how special it is and want you to experience some of this as well. Have a great weekend out in what looks set to be a great weather period here in South Africa. This truly is one of the best places in the world to live.

The reasoning behind this is quite simple. It’s a small change in the approach and we love sharing it. That difference lies in the fact that we oak our Rosé. Yes, it “goes on” Hungarian wood, which is renowned for its spiciness and its ability to bring that special flavor out in the Shiraz which our Rosé is made from. 100% Shiraz from the farm, from that poor block that gets hammered in the wind up here. The Shiraz is picked a little later so that the fruit is more ripe and the yeast is higher in the starting product already.

Black pepper, ripe figs and the amazing softness of this wine will jump at you, not like some of the spiders here on the farm, but almost like a warm toy jumps into the arms of one of the kids here on the farm. This softness that you are experiencing is the result of spontaneous malolactic fermentation which happens because of the wild yeast.

A stand out product and usually sold out before the next vintage is produced, make sure to book your allocation before its all gone, again.

Being a family farm, we always feel like family when we are at any of these fine establishments and indeed, Brendon, Jean, Marc and their “family” take the same approach in that every client is treated like family. Many a long lunch has been had while out on delivery routes or simply to pop in and say hello. It feels like “home” in some way. So when Sótano was launched, we were suitably excited not only to have some of our wines on the list, but loved the concept and felt privileged to be included, somehow. Mediterranean feel, style and that very trendy Cape Town “x-factor” was what they were after and the result is a complete transformation of a space that is now light, bright and serves a menu that caters for every need. As per Caveau style, the wine list is incredible with boutique style wines, hidden gems and regular favorites.

Singles, couples and groups will all find some element of the menu catered specifically to them. There is the “bits and pieces” menu with fantastic items like the “Bucket of White Bait” which pairs so nicely with our 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, available by the glass and the Mediterranean platter is a great share for 2 people, possibly with some of our Rose.

The Whenever from 11 menu is perfect for anyone looking for a variety of the best foods from around the world, all served in this relaxed, vibey setting in the heart of Mouille Point, surely one the most beautiful areas of the world. On Fridays you will find a DJ setting the mood for sundowners as the trend setters and hipsters roll in after work to wind down the weekend with an amazing cocktail or a glass of wine in hand, letting the stresses disappear as the sun sets in front of the restaurant on another perfect summers day.

Local foodies have already had much to say about Sótano’s easygoing and taste driven menu. An all day dining concept with a menu that features bistro classics like Eggs Benedict (a Caveau signature) and steak tartare, their signature gourmet flat breads, anytime eats like croque monsieur and plates of artisan style charcuterie and cheese to share as well as more substantial offerings. “We want people to feel they can come at any time of the day for something light or more substantial to eat or even just a cocktail; we’ve designed a menu that has plenty of table eating options and takes its cue from mezze and tapas favourites”, explains co owner Brendon Crew whose bar and eatery has already established itself as a weekend hotspot for the city’s ‘it crowd’. So find yourself there on any given day, at any time of the day, for that Sótano Experience.

Sótano by Caveau is situated at 121 Beach Road, Mouille Point. For reservations contact Sótano (27) (21) 439 5119