A Holiday Paired With Wine in South Africa

La Residence, Franschhoek & The Winelands

East from Cape Town, idyllic Franschhoek sits in the heart of the Cape Winelands, a storied valley of centuries-old vineyards, orchards and sandstone peaks punctuated by charming Cape Dutch architecture and artisanal wineries. Days here are a beguiling mix of undisturbed natural beauty paired with nature’s bounty distilled: plump grapes plucked, crushed, fermented, aged and swirled around a wine glass, sipped as an accompaniment to breathtaking sunsets. A relaxed way to see Franschhoek’s vineyards is aboard the delightful Wine Tram, departing from Franschhoek Village and zipping between local vineyards, allowing for a hop-on, hop-off exploration fuelled by wine. Of course, if you’d prefer something a little more refined, ask your Travel Designer to suggest a few ideas. A road trip from Cape Town to Franschhoek in a V8-powered Cobra, perhaps?

Your base in Franschhoek is the magnificent La Residence, set amongst Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz vineyards, rose gardens and fruit orchards. The hotel’s lavish interiors are finished in a striking, unrestrained maximalist style, with bold colours, chandeliers, antiques and a gallery’s worth of artworks, while an eye-catching exterior is framed by dramatic mountain ridges and roamed by peacocks, lending the property an air of fantasy and seclusion.

A handful of individually styled rooms and residences at La Residence offer everything from elegant suites with mountain views direct from the tub, lofts with roll-top baths and farmhouse ceilings, to suites in the vineyard with private plunge pools. The best of them, though, is the exquisite country-house like Franschhoek House, an exclusive-use villa with six bedrooms, a heated chequerboard swimming pool, and rooms painted in vibrant jewel colours, finished with contemporary art and chic furnishings. The estate’s culinary philosophy is a celebration of the region (and utilises a similarly striking, colour ethos as the hotel): seasonal dishes crafted from ingredients plucked from the gardens, paired with an eclectic and expertly curated menu of Franschhoek wines.

Travel tip: Ask your Travel Designer about a room during September’s Franschhoek Uncorked Festival, to see the little village burst to life in celebration of the region’s wine.

Cape Town, Franschhoek & Constantia: A Luxury Wine Tour In South Africa

If you really want to begin to get to know South African wines, then consider an in-depth luxury tour of the Cape’s wine regions. For this, we partner with New Frontiers, South African locals and luxury travel experts to curate in-depth, bespoke itineraries that explore the best of the Cape’s wineries. You’ll embark on explorative 4×4 journeys that wind from vantage point to vineyard, bike rides between some of the region’s best and lesser-known wineries, and view-laden hikes in beautiful gardens and lush forests.

You’ll begin in Constantia, tracing its forested slopes and vineyards between cellar tastings and scenic drives along the mountain-framed False Bay and the breathtaking Cape Peninsula, with stops for tastings on the bucolic Constantiaberg slopes.

You’ll pause at historic estates such as Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia, renowned for their dessert wine: Vin de Constance, and you’ll meet members of the team like Alan, who’s been an integral part of Klein Constantia for two decades. Afterwards, following the road east to Franschhoek reveals sunlit vineyards and a charming town shaped by its French Huguenot heritage. Days are unhurried yet indulgent with languid strolls through leafy lanes, bookmarked by tastings of small-batch vintages at family-run estates and the town’s chic restaurants. Expect a mixture of culinary experiences married to explorations of the remarkable terroir, with tastings directly from the barrel with the winemaker, and hikes along hidden trails threaded through orchards and old Cape farmsteads.

Your 360 Private Travel Designer will fine-tune your accommodation to your needs, ensuring the hotel or private villa matches your taste, with options encompassing everything from wine estates nestled beneath mountain silhouettes softened by a copper sunset, with access to nearby wine regions like Stellenbosch and Paarl, elegant manor houses with space for the entire family, and boutique spa retreats set directly in the vineyards.