Franschhoek

Franschhoek, as the name suggests, has one too many hs in it. But aside for that schoolboy error, it is probably the best place in the whole world.

Kim and I have spent two nights here already and are progressing into our third. I need to try and describe it here, really. We are staying at Chamonix Cottages, which are very nice. The view is very nice and the wineries in Franschhoek are very nice indeed. Now we go east... just kidding.

Neither of us knows diddly about wine – my dad could tell you exactly how little I know about wine and how much this shames him – so I have set about ascending my learning curve with a fervour. In the UK I tend to buy the Sauvignon Blanc with what I deem to be the best looking label at slightly higher than the lowest price. Sometimes I go for Pinot Grigio. More than half of the time we end up with wine that just doesn’t really taste very nice. Maybe there is a better way to choose.

Here we have liked several Chardonnays, which I previously discarded as generally being dirt.

The setting for these tastings varies from an absolutely idyllic winery in glorious Italian/French valley scenery, to, well to another one. Large restaurants of white stone nestle into hillsides amongst the vines and tasteful fountains and whatnot are scattered between umbrella shielded tables for outdoor dining. It may be this that makes the wine taste wonderful, but if so, it doesn’t really matter.

Best of all so far has been the Grande Provence winery, which gave us the best lunch of our lives in the most sublime setting, washed down with the subtlest and most wonderful Chenin Blanc that I have had. And a nice lady let us taste 5 more wines for 15 rand each – a quid to you. Our neighbours for lunch were extremely well to do South African types with leathery skin and the right sort of attire for a hot day in a rich place. At all of these places we have served by coloured (mixed race) people. There are fewer black people here. Not sure why.

When enjoying the wine, I am thinking of people like my dad and brother Al, Gareth and his dad, and Andy Braithwaite from work. These are people who could appreciate what we are appreciating on a deeper level and who would subsequently explode with happiness in Franschhoek. Starting to understand the attraction.