The 9 Best Franschhoek Wine Farms for Tastings, Lunch and Views

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Mountain views in the Franschhoek Pass, South Africa.

Franschhoek is the wine and food capital of South Africa, and weekends there are always luxurious. It’s a small town, but it packs in a surprising number of fine dining restaurants, art galleries, and spas.

The surrounding wine region, established in the 17th century, produces some of South Africa’s best Méthode Cap Classique (or MCC), sparkling wine made using the traditional French Champagne method. There are several long-established wine farms, but new estates continue to appear, so there is always something different to explore.

There are close to 50 Franschhoek wine farms, and unless you’re moving there full-time (tbh, this is a life dream of mine), you won’t have time for them all. I’ve planned Franschhoek wine tasting days for birthdays, bachelorettes, and just-because, and this guide sets out the 9 best Franschhoek wine farms to choose from. There are hidden gems, big-name classics, gourmet lunch spots, and epic views.

The Outliers

Starting with the outliers, these two are slightly outside of the Franschhoek Village, but are very much worth stopping at.

1. Boschendal

If you’re coming from Stellenbosch, Boschendal will be the first Franschhoek wine farm you pass, just before you turn onto the R45 (or the Franschhoek Road, as I call it). You could stop in for a tasting on your way into town, but it has so much going on that it is definitely worth a longer stay.

Wine tastings take place at the Cellar Door, and you can order cheese and charcuterie platters along with your tasting. If you want a paired tasting, there are endless options – pair your tasting with cheese, with charcuterie, or with chocolate. They even offer a tasting paired with breakfast canapes.

For lunch, you’re also spoiled for choice: You could have a picnic on the lawn, get a snack from the farm shop, or sit down at one of the two restaurants. The Deli Restaurant serves breakfast, as well as casual lunches and dinners. The Retreat Restaurant serves a similar menu in a setting that is only slightly more formal.

Apart from wine tasting, Boschendal also has a hotel, a Friday night market, guided horse riding excursions, running and hiking trails, a kids’ play area, a homeware shop, and garden tours.

If you come to Boschendal on the Franschhoek Wine Tram, the staff from Boschendal fetch you at the tram stop and drive you up to the tasting room in a tractor, which is a lot of fun.

2. Anthonij Rupert Wines

The driveway up to the Franschhoek Motor Museum at Anthonij Rupert Wines. There are thick trees lining the road and the sky is blue with some white clounds. — The entrance to the Franschhoek Motor Museum at Anthonij Rupert Wines

Anthonij Rupert is the first farm on the right as you turn into R45 from Stellenbosch. It is a bit of a hidden gem, and I think it is one of the best Franschhoek wineries. A lot of people miss it because it is not on the Franschhoek Wine Tram route, but they make delicious, very well-priced wine.

There are six different wine brands available for tasting in their two tasting rooms. I love the Terra del Capo, which is made from Italian varietals (the Sangiovese is great), and the Anthonij Rupert Wyne, which is their flagship red blends range (try the Optima). They also make MCC, under their L’Omarins range.

Apart from the ordinary tastings, you can order cheese and charcuterie platters with your tasting, or do a pairing – Italian cheeses with wine, Shiraz with charcuterie, or MCC with nougat. There is also an antipasti restaurant, where you can have a more substantial meal.

But what makes Anthonij Rupert really unique is that they have the Franschhoek Motor Museum on site. If you like cars, this is a must-do. I would not describe myself as car-obsessive, but I took my husband there when we were in Franschhoek for his birthday last year, and even I enjoyed it.

They have over 200 vehicles, spanning 100 years, and all meticulously presented in chronological order (plus, you can have the wine afterwards).

The Simondium Farms

These two are closest to Paarl, but they have maximum glam factor and make truly excellent wine.

3. Babylonstoren

A cheese platter at the tasting room at Babylonstoren in Franschhoek. Babylonstoren is one of the best Franschhoek wineries. — A cheese platter at Babylonstoren

Another absolutely enormous estate, and everybody’s favourite Franschhoek wine farm, you could easily spend the entire day at Babylonstoren. It is a working farm, and the perfect example of country luxury – think farm-to-table food, olive oil, bath products, and Provence-style rose which crops up at the Chelsea Flower Show in London each year.

The glass-walled tasting room has perfect farm views. There are platters to go along with your tasting, which are so exquisite and gourmet that they will ruin you for all other charcuterie platters for life. In addition to wine tasting, you can do a cellar tour or an olive oil tasting and tour.

There are also several options for more substantial meals. I had the best breakfast of my life one New Year’s Day at Babel, which is housed in what used to be the cowshed. It has whitewashed walls, farm produce as decor, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The food will blow your mind. The breakfast is buffet style, with absolutely everything you could imagine – try the savoury granola. They also serve lunch and dinner.

You could also have lunch in the Greenhouse, which doesn’t take reservations apart from for big groups. The Greenhouse serves casual, “picnic style” meals, inspired by their own gardens. I had lunch here recently, and loved it. Naturally, there is also a farm shop, a bakery, and a hotel at Babylonstoren.

What most people don’t know about Babylonstoren is that it has probably the best spa in South Africa, which is honestly worth a visit on its own. The spa is surrounded by a bamboo forest and has the feel of an Alpine health retreat. There is an enormous indoor/outdoor swimming pool featuring an inbuilt fireplace, set underneath a wooden pergola.

4. Vrede en Lust

Another very glamorous Franschhoek winery on the Simondium road, which was founded in the 1600s, Vrede en Lust (“Peace and Delight” – perfect for a Franschhoek wine farm!) was actually a winery on our wedding shortlist.

I distinctly remember my first visit to Vrede en Lust – the tasting room has a terrace which is set right on the vineyards, and I remember wishing I could live in Franschhoek forever. You can order platters, and there is also a cheese and wine pairing, or a wine and Lindt chocolate pairing.

Apart from the tasting room, there is a hotel and two restaurants. The Lust Bistro and Bakery serves casual breakfasts and lunches, and they also have a more formal restaurant, Savoye, which opens only between April and October.

Closest to the Village

These are the four best farms that are closest to the Franschhoek village. If you are in Franschhoek without a car, these are easy to Uber to.

5. Grande Provence

The gardens at Grande Provence in Franschhoek, which feature art and sculptures. Grande Provence is one of the best Franschhoek wine farms for wine tasting or lunch. Photo credit: Visit Winelands — Grande Provence / Photo: Visit Winelands

Grande Provence is my favourite of the older Franschhoek wine farms – I love the manicured lawns filled with sculptures, and the historical clout. It dates back to the 1600s and has a very upmarket, elegant vibe. This was another wine farm on our wedding shortlist, and if you’re having a small wedding, I think it would be absolutely fabulous.

The tasting room is modern and airy, and offers four different kinds of tastings, plus different wine pairings: oysters, biltong, and nougat. I prefer the Grande Provence wines (with the curly “GP” logo on the bottle) to the everyday brand. You can also order platters at the tasting room.

For more substantial meals, you can have picnics on the lawns (my favourite lunch option at Grande Provence), or sit down at the Bistro, which serves breakfast and lunch, or the more formal Oa k Restaurant, for lunch or dinner – make sure that you book all of these in advance.

There is also a hotel, an art gallery, and a shop, plus you should take a leisurely stroll through the gardens after your tasting. The most unique thing at Grande Provence is the wine blending experience. You are given three varietals, and you make your own wine, which they seal for you.

6. Leopard’s Leap

Leopard’s Leap might be one of the newer Franschhoek farms, but arriving there feels like a breath of fresh air after all the history in Franschhoek, and it is a lot of fun. It has lovely rolling lawns, a bike track, a modern, casual vibe, and very drinkable wines.

There are all kinds of very inventive pairings that you can have with your wine tasting (think bao buns or bobotie, a classic Cape Town curry). After your tasting, buy your favourite bottle and have it on the terrace. For lunch, the Rotisserie Restaurant, which serves South African food, is very popular, but they also have pizzas and platters on offer.

7. Maison

Lunch views from Chef's Warehouse at Maison Estate in Franschhoek. Mountain, vineyard and sky views are visible. — Lunch views from Chef’s Warehouse at Maison

Maison is the best wine farm close to the village for a fabulous lunch – I always book this as my first or last lunch on a weekend in Franschhoek. The decor here is striking: from the entrance, the tasting room and restaurant look typical Cape Dutch style, but the interiors are modern, airy, and minimalist.

Chef’s Warehouse, one of South Africa’s best restaurants, has an outpost at Maison, and they serve a four-course tapas menu, which changes regularly but is always incredibly inventive, with an optional wine pairing. There are also pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan menus available.

Despite the food being top-notch, Maison has a very laid-back vibe as a working wine farm, and the staff are welcoming and friendly. If you have a table outside, there are chickens wandering around, and goats and ponies which make an occasional appearance, much to the delight of diners.

8. Rickety Bridge

The manor house at Rickety Bridge in Franschhoek. Photo credit: Visit Winelands — Rickety Bridge in Franschhoek / Photo: Visit Winelands

Rickety Bridge has been operational since the 1700s, and there is a lot going on. It is one of the first stops on many of the Franschhoek Wine Tram lines, and the staff are excellent at dealing with large groups of people.

They have several different tastings available, which take place on the terrace overlooking the vineyards, as well as a wine blending experience, cellar tours, and vineyard walks. Their restaurant, Paulina’s, serves bistro food done very well, in a casual setting.

Mountain Views

Don’t miss the Franschhoek wineries on the hills overlooking the village, which have stunning views.

9. Haute Cabrière

Views from Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek. Haute Cabrière has some of the best views of the Franschhoek wineries. Photo credit: Visit Winelands. — Views from Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek / Photo: Visit Winelands

Haute Cabrière is another iconic Franschhoek winery, which dates back to the 1600s. It has a very casual terrace where you can enjoy your wine tasting, but because it is slightly elevated, it has the best views out over the Franschhoek Valley. It is perfect for your first lunch in Franschhoek, or as a spot for pre-dinner sundowners.

Haute Cabrière makes a wide range of wine, but their MCC, under the Pierre Jourdan brand, is my favourite. Try a Pierre Jourdan tasting with a macaron pairing if you wish, in the spirit of all things French and fabulous.

You can also book a cellar tour, and if you ask nicely, you might get to witness a sabrage, where a champagne bottle neck is cut off with a sabre – Haute Cabrière is famous for this, and has offered sabrage masterclasses in the past (they actually still sell the sabres).

They have a bakery (which is a good place to stop before you board the Franschhoek Wine Tram!), as well as a more formal restaurant, which is French-inspired.

Planning Your Franschhoek Wine Tasting Itinerary

IMHO, three wine farms is the magic number for a wine tasting day. By the third stop, it’s usually time for lunch, after which most people want a nap. Any more than three, and things tend to get a bit messy, or you forget what you’ve even tasted (unless, of course, your party is classy enough to make use of the spittoons – of course they are).

Breakfast, and especially lunch, at Franschhoek wine farms should always be booked in advance. Not all of the estates will allow bookings for wine tasting – check each wine farm individually. If you can make a booking for wine tasting, you are better off doing so. Particularly in the summer, they can fill up very fast.

If you’re doing only a tasting, you should plan for about an hour at each farm. If you’re having breakfast too, factor in another 1-2 hours, and at least an extra 2 hours if you’re having lunch.

Option 1: If you’re starting in the village, you could do just the village farms, with breakfast at Grande Provence and lunch at Chef’s Warehouse at Maison. You could also do only one or two of the village farms, and then branch out to any of the outliers, the Simondium farms, or Haute Cabrière.

Option 2: You could also do it the other way round, so that you roll back into the village in the afternoon, just in time for lunch and a nap. In that case, start at either Boschendal or Babylonstoren for breakfast, and then go either to Anthonij Rupert or Vrede en Lust, followed by one (or, at a maximum, two) of the village farms.

Wildcard option if you’re spending your birthday on the Franschhoek wine route, this is how I’d do it:

Start your day with breakfast at Babel at Babylonstoren, followed by a massage and some lounging around in the spa. Around midday, stroll on over to the Babylonstoren tasting room for your first tasting.
If you have time, pop into Vrede en Lust for your second tasting, and make sure to get a birthday treat at the bakery.
Spend lunch at Grande Provence, having a tasting and a picnic on the lawns.
Finally, end your day at Haute Cabrière, with the macaron and MCC pairing, while watching the sun go down (you’re allowed to do four tastings on your birthday).
For your fabulous birthday dinner, choose between La Petite Colombe and Chef’s Warehouse at Maison (although honestly, if you’re doing fine dining, you’d be better off doing just two farms and going back to your hotel for a swim and a nap before dinner).

Spending a whole weekend in Franschhoek?

See my suggested itinerary for how to do a long weekend in Franschhoek.

Also, if you’re doing the Constantia wine route, here’s my guide.