Basse Provence
Main Road, Franschhoek
Among the original farms which was given to the settlers – the Huguenots – in Franschhoek, which translates to “French corner”, was Provence, after the French had fled from their own country back in 1688. These days, one of the top B&B deals in the area is any one of the four beautiful cottages of the Basse Provence.
They’re not precisely a luxurious affair, but certainly comfortable and cosy, and you’ll not get five-star treatment here which you would if you were to stay at one of the wine estate hotels with their rather exuberant prices.
The cottages look out over the vineyards, and these white-coloured thatched buildings have elegantly furnished bedrooms in art-deco styling. The lounge and breakfast rooms are decorated in a rustic countrified manor, together with a plethora of paintings and antiques.
Each of the cottages comes with an obligatory braii for the barbecue, as well as a pool, and just a short walk through the vines will take you to Rickety Bridge cellars.
On your arrival, ask for Wynand Grobler – an excellent name for sure, and his wines are equally excellent. The wines include a crisp Semillon, which hails from one of the historic grapes of the region, and a superb MCC, which may have you thinking “cricket”, but, rather, it’s a methode cap classique, and it creates a very drinkable bubbly indeed.
Diemersfontein Manor House
Jan van Riebeck Drive, Wellington
The Diemersfontein Manor House is an idyllic place to stay while you go exploring at the up-and-coming wineries around the town of Wellington. Within the lush estate gardens there are guest cottages that each come with a kitchenette that are reasonably priced. Though, it is probably best to stay in the Manor House which costs the same as the cottages.
After all, at the Manor House, you can sit out on one of the shady colonnaded verandahs and taste the wines. And that’s something most visitors to this area wouldn’t wish to miss out on.
The rooms are pleasantly comfortable, many of which have four-poster beds in addition to mosquito nets. The guests can partake in the running of the family salon, which allows you the indulgence of stepping back in time to the bygone colonial days.
David Sonnenberg, Diemersfontein’s owner, is certainly not stuck in the past, and instead, is intent on engaging his farmworkers with ownership through operation of a separate wine label. He also helps them to purchase town property, as opposed to encouraging them to remain living on the estate.
The wines that he produces are pretty radical, too. It was his cellar master that came up with the coffee Pinotage, whereby the concept is to place toasted barrel staves into steel vats, which then produces a rich red Pinotage wine that offers a mocha flavour and aroma.
It’s true to say that many wine experts see this as nothing short of heresy. Notwithstanding, it has met with huge commercial success.
If you buy some of the for the Birds wine, which costs a very attractive £2.60 per bottle, 10 percent of the proceeds go towards a charity with the mission of saving local seabird species, in particular the Cape’s endangered penguins.
There are many such interesting things to explore in South Africa. If you want to make the most out of your journey, it is good to rent a car from a reputed car rental company. You can choose for self-drive or chauffeur drive car. These chauffeurs are usually professionals and are well versed with the length and breadth of the country to make sure you don’t miss a thing in your trip.