Cape Winelands — Stellenbosch & Franschhoek

The Cape Winelands is a picturesque region in the Western Cape of South Africa, known for its beautiful vineyards, historic towns like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and excellent wine production.

When we were planning our South Africa trip, we knew this region needed to be included in our itinerary as Fred and myself are both avid wine lovers!

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Our first stop in the Cape Winelands began at Spier Wine Farm just outside of Stellenbosch. I was quite excited to visit this winery as it was one I was already familiar with. They sell their wines in the US and I have bought their Chenin Blanc, which I really like . Since I knew I already loved that variety, it was fun to try some of their others as well. I opted to do a chocolate & wine pairing (two of my absolute favorite things) and it was delicious!

The grounds at Spier were beautiful. They offer so much more than just wine tastings. From a “Cowshed Shop” that sells South African-made homeware, handcrafted children's toys, natural soaps, candles, books, artisan gifts, food, and lots more to their several restaurants, one of which we ate at and loved.

From there, we ventured into downtown Stellenbosch where we made a brief stop at “The Wine Glass”. Funny story – during our flight from London to Cape Town, Fred sat next to a man who co-owns Mondvol Wines and was nice enough to leave us a bottle of his Cabernet at this local shop that sells his wine. It was an incredibly nice gesture so we made sure to buy a bottle of their Chenin Bland to enjoy & help support his small business.

From there, we walked over to an adorable gelato shop nearby. The staff at Moro were friendly and the gelato tasted authentic!

In hindsight, I wish that we would have spent more time in Stellenbosh, even just staying 1-2 nights. The downtown area was incredibly charming and there were several other wineries and restaurants we would’ve loved to try.

From Stellenbosch, we made our way over to our Bed & Breakfast Macaron Boutique Guest House. We stayed here for the duration of our time in the wine lands and really loved it. The staff was so kind & welcoming, and the location was just a block from the Main Street in Franschhoek. I didn’t do the best job capturing photos, but Fred did get some amazing video content so be sure to check out our YouTube vlog here.

Franschhoek is Afrikaans for “French corner” and is one of the oldest towns in South Africa. 

It is hard to put into words, the charm that this town boasts. From the luxurious bed and breakfasts, to the perfectly manicured landscaping and the stunning Cape Dutch architecture every corner of this town is a beautiful site to see! 

Our next day began with breakfast and, of course, coffee at a local cafe called Terbodore. The cortado here was delicious & also the food. After our bellies were full, it was time to make our way to the main event of the day – the Franschhoek Wine Tram. It is a hop-on hop-off style transportation that has different colored lines (we chose the blue line) which will take you to different wine estates throughout the region.

Fred and I are no strangers to a wine train experience. Back in 2021 we went on the Napa Valley Wine Train. You can read about our experience here. We also vlogged that experience which you can watch on my Youtube channel here.

We had also seen several other vlogs on YouTube about this Franschhoek Wine Tram and had quite high expectations going into the day. Unfortunately, they must have had some sort of issues because after our 2nd stop of the day, we had to wait almost 45 minutes to be picked up by the tram and decided to Uber to our final wine estate. I will say their customer service was great though. I did receive an email from them asking if I would like to be refunded for the inconvenience, which was a kind gesture.

Our first stop of the day was Rickety Bridge. The tasting here was wonderful and Fred and I really loved their “Blanc de Blanc” sparkling wine.

Our next stop on the wine tram was Grand Provence Wine Estate. This might have been our favorite of the trip. Not only were the grounds stunning, they even had an art gallery – and their wine pairings were so unique and delicious!

I had their “dressed oyster pairing” which had 3 oysters with different toppings paired with 3 different MCC wines. I came to find during our time in South Africa that I truly enjoyed their MCC most of all. It was also quite a warm day, so these chilled wines served with the oysters was light & refreshing.

MCC stands for Méthode Cap Classique, and follows the traditional bottle fermentation method, which is the same as Champagne produced in France. I found the flavors of the different MCC’s I tried to be just as good as some of the best champagnes on the market, but for a much lower price!

Our final stop of the day was at La Bri Wine Estate. Although the first impression of this was a little underwhelming compared to the previous wineries we had visited, once we ventured outside we were able to see why this estate was included in the wine tram tour. The views from their outdoor terrace were breathtaking!

I opted for their wine & biltong pairing here. One of my favorite things about the Cape Winelands were all the eccentric pairings each wine estate offered. Most places have your usual cheese or charcuterie plates - which don’t get me wrong I love. However, being able to try more local things like biltong with their wines was definitely a treat.

The following day, we went for an adventure at Boschendal. Fred had never been on a horse and my best friend, Sadie, is a horse pro, so we thought this would be the perfect trip to show Fred the reins. 😉

Our tour lasted about an hour and the views of the Franschhoek valley were incredibly scenic. I truly wish we could have spent more time at this stunning wine estate and would LOVE to stay here on a future trip to the Cape Winelands.

After we returned from horseback riding, we wanted to check out the market that was happening in town. On our first night in Franschhoek, we met some locals who told us this was a must-do during our stay.

Straight from their website:

“Join us throughout December and January as the Franschhoek Village Market comes alive with sunshine, colour and the creativity of our incredible makers. Whether you’re browsing for beautiful handcrafted treasures, sipping something cold and delicious, or relaxing while the kids play, this is the season to slow down and savour the moment.”

We walked around for a bit and were able to purchase some souvenirs to remember our trip.

Our final dinner in Franschhoek was at Franks Corner. We were excited to see that they had an MCC from Boschendal on their menu so we ordered a bottle of that to share. Fred & I both ordered beef dishes and thought their short rib was the standout meal by far!

I have to say we could have easily stayed a few more days in this charming region. Although it is only a 1 hour drive from the hustle & bustle of Cape Town, the vibe here is much more laid back and slow-paced. It was the perfect transition between our time in Cape Town and going on safari.

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