Franschhoek to Stony Brook
Continue up Franschhoek's main road, Huguenot Street, then turn right at the T-junction at the Huguenot Monument. At about 3 km, turn left to Stony Brook.
You'll feel like you're dropping in on a friend for tea at Stony Brook, a family-run estate near the top of the Franschhoek valley. This is an intimate estate, well off the beaten tourist track, run by a couple who make every effort to be as 'green' as possible. They export more than 60 percent of their wine, which gets plenty of stars in the Platter wine guide.
Stony Brook to Haute Cabrière
Retrace your route to the Monument, and turn left down Huguenot Street. Take first left into Berg Street, and follow it to Cabrière Estate. We're back in the tourist country at Cabrière Estate, but even though the groups can be big, flamboyant, sabre-wielding wine grower Achim von Arnim creates a personal touch when he takes the cellar tours on Saturday mornings.
Guests enjoy the tours only marginally more than this Prussian aristocrat does himself, and his off-beat humour, enthusiasm and clear delight in life are infectious.
Although the range includes still wines and a fortified chardonnay apéritif, the star of the show, aside from Achim, is the Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wine, bottle fermented in the traditional Champagne style.
The cellar tour takes you through the fascinating fermentation and turning process, before the tasting and sabrage, where, with dramatic flair, Achim opens the bottles with a shining silver sabre. Achim's tours last till about 13:00 (the weekday tastings are shorter), so you're probably ready for lunch. Stroll to Haute Cabrière Cellar Restaurant, or combine lunch with another tasting at Cape Chamonix or Môreson.
Cabrière to Chamonix and Môreson
Return up Berg Street and turn left into Huguenot Street. Pass the tourism bureau, then turn right into Uitkyk Street to Chamonix or continue for another 4.5 km and turn left onto the Happy Valley Road to Môreson.
Enjoy casual French cuisine at Chamonix, where you can eat in the gabled homestead or outside under shady trees with magnificent views over the valley. Or order a picnic and eat on the lawn - plenty of space for the kids to explore (there's also a children's menu and jungle gym).
Then cross the road to the tasting centre, housed in the quaint old blacksmith's cottage, with an underground tunnel leading down into the cellar (tours by appointment). The emphasis is on fine wines (Chamonix was the only South African gold medallist at the International Chardonnay du Monde 2000 competition in France), but for a distinct change of pace, try the German-style schnapps, Swedish bitters and grappa. And if you're now in no state to drive home, spend the night in one of their chalets or at the luxurious hunting lodge on the hill.
The best time to visit Môreson is in February for the annual Blessing of the Harvest festival. Fill your basket with grapes from the vineyard, extract the juice (that is, get your shoes off, jump in the barrel and start stomping), then enjoy lunch while you design your own label. A few months later, 'your' wine will be available for collection!
Another fine way the folk at Môreson make it impossible to leave is to offer courses in the art of bread-making at Bread & Wine, the rustic, Mediterranean-style restaurant on the farm - you'll want to copy their heavenly, crusty home-baked breads served inside or in the courtyard. The tasting room is next door, where you can sample award-winning wines under the Môreson ('morning sun') and Pinehurst labels.
Franschhoek to Cape Town
From the Môreson/Happy Valley Road turn left onto the main road out of Franschhoek. For Boschendal, turn left at 9.4 km to R310 Stellenbosch. The estate is 1.5 km further. Otherwise continue straight, then turn left to Klapmuts at 13 km. At about 22 km, T-junction right on R44 Wellington. At about 23 km turn left onto N1 Cape Town. Stay on the N1 into the city, and follow signs for the Waterfront. Stop for afternoon tea at Boschendal to see what everyone's been talking about for years.
Arguably the most gracious of the wine estates, Boschendal has turned tourism into a major business, attracting many visitors on a South African holiday, but retains its stature as one of the most elegant of them all. Wines covering all bases - reds, whites and sparkling, which twinkle with stars in the Platter wine guide - can be tasted at the Taphuis, before an hour-long walk through the vineyards to a spectacular viewpoint on the slopes of the Simonsberg (book in advance).
Have tea and scones at Le Café, in the old slave quarters of Boschendal Manor House (now a museum). Boschendal is also famous for Le Pique-Nique, with hampers served from a gazebo on the lawn, or go for the full Cape cuisine buffet lunch at the restaurant in the original cellar.
Return to Cape Town via the N2 with the scenic mountain ranges and flora on both sides. Your accommodation at the V&A Waterfront will be a welcome stop after a long, but memorable day of wine tasting.
Self drive routes from Cape Town invite visitors to the Mother City to experience the natural splendour, fun activities and scenic attractio...