The Franschoek Wine Tram

With a day of wine tasting in Stellenbosch already under our belts (and headaches), we woke up for a fresh day of wine in Franschoek, the adjoining valley a 35-minute drive away. Expectations were high; we weren't sure how we were going to top the previous day's experience but we'd booked ourselves tickets on the Wine Tram and so hopes were high. The drive in did not disappoint; the valley was flanked with looming mountains and the grapes of 40 wine estates blanketed the ground beneath. 

The Franschoek Wine Tram operates a hop-on hop-off service with eight separate lines that stop at eight different wineries in any one day. In South African winter (Northern Hemisphere summer), operational lines are halved. The tram portion of the adventure only takes you to some of the wineries; for the rest, a mini-bus picks up merry tipplers at appointed times to shuttle them through the valley. All journeys start and end in Franschoek town centre which also happens to be within a stone's throw of a slew of local accommodation, cafes and bougie boutiques including this gem:

After procuring our tickets and wristbands, we hopped on the Pink Line and roughly planned our itinerary whilst our faculties were intact. After the first glass at Rickety Bridge, we realised that more than three wineries would be unwise. And so using our careful powers of deduction, and steering clear of Richard Branson's local winery, we opted for two more stops, one at Leopard's Leap and a final stop at Le Lude. In the end, we picked well. 

Rickety Bridge 

I like to pretend that I know a thing or two about wine but the reality could not be further from the truth. But at Rickety Bridge, our first wine tasting vaguely smoky and it transpires that fires in Franschoek two summers before affected the soil and therefore taste of the wine. Go my palate! We drank our tasting portions and took in the view in the sunshine before making our way onto the tram. Although the wine wasn't our favourite, the valley vantage point was a little bit magical.

Next stop: Leopard's Leap

This winery touts itself as a bit of art winery, whatever that means. The mood felt distinctly more upmarket-cum-pretentious and the courtyard was dotted with sculptures that I'm sure somebody appreciated for their craftsmanship. The wine was already starting to affect us at this point.

We didn't think much of the bestselling wine at Leopard's Leap and everyone seemed to be having less fun than us. So we made this stop a quick one and hopped on to our next stop.

Le Lude

Originally, we were going to do another stop after this one, but we fell in love with their sparkling wine and, after our tasting, ending up ordering a bottle, followed by lunch, followed by dessert. The garden locale didn't hurt either. 

Our waitress/wine taste master was very knowledgeable and gave us ins and outs of the MCC, Methode Cap Classique process. Their wine is the closest thing you get to champagne in South Africa and at significantly smaller prices (even better with the favourable exchange rate) it's delicious. We each bought two bottles and also bought my friends, Michael and Jane, a bottle to take to lunch at their house later in the week. I find it incredibly sad that I have no pictures of the wine. But the restaurant was as beautiful as the winery itself and this fish in a cream wine sauce was just as delightful. 

And so drunk, heavier and happier, we boarded the wine tram one final time, making our way back into Franschoek and pottering around in the shops before making our way to our beautiful, beautiful B&B. 

South Africa is a country of juxtaposition and, for this day, we go to appreciate the more beautiful aspects of what it had to offer. And although we didn't like the wine of Franschoek as much as the wine of Stellenbosch, upon reflection, this place still has plenty of charm.