The best wines from Franschhoek in South Africa

Franschhoek owes its name to the Huguenots who settled here in the seventeenth century. Wine growing has only really flourished in the last thirty years. The best vineyards are on the lower parts of the three mountains that surround the valley. The main red wines produced are Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and white wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. In terms of quality, the Sémillon is an important grape for Franschhoek.

Franschhoek owes its name to the few hundred Huguenots who settled in this valley near Cape Town in the seventeenth century. They were fleeing the French government and were allocated a piece of land by the VOC. They hoped that they would also be able to contribute to wine growing, but that was rather disappointing. They were mostly unskilled farm labourers. A few had picked grapes. Most went on to grow grain or keep cattle.

Nowadays Franschhoek is a popular (wine) holiday destination in South Africa. Thanks to the beautiful mountains, the good restaurants, the beautiful old buildings and of course the wine. The wine companies have cleverly united in the 'Vignerons de Franschhoek' and like to refer to their French origins. But that has little to do with wine growing.

In fact, wine growing in Franschhoek has only really taken off since the last turn of the century. Since 2010 it has been an independent district, before that it was part of the Paarl district. Franschhoek is a valley that is wedged between three mountains. The Berg River flows through it. One of the reasons that the quality of the wines has increased dramatically in recent decades is that winemakers have started planting the slopes. Previously, the vineyards were located on the lowest parts of the valley, which are less suitable for quality wines. The lower parts of the mountain slopes - at an altitude of 300 to 600 meters - are much better suited. They consist mainly of sand and sandstone. Rain falls, but irrigation is usually necessary.

Most of the vines in Franschhoek are still quite young. About the same amount of red - mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot - is made as white wine (mainly Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Sémillon). The Sémillon is perhaps the most important grape of Franschhoek in terms of quality. There are still very few old vineyards with Sémillon in use, which can produce particularly fine wines.