When the French Huguenots first settled in the Franschhoek Valley more than 300 years ago, it was full of elephants. Now it’s full of grape vines. What a difference three centuries makes, I thought, looking up at the surrounding mountains and trying to visualise herds of this most African of animals terrorising the European immigrants as they planted row upon row of vines.
Indeed, these days, looking at a sea of vineyards, it is difficult to picture anything wild in Franschhoek unless, of course, there has been a bit too much indulgence in what life in this picturesque Cape village revolves around — wine.
I reflected on this as I stood in the fragrant rose garden at La Couronne (”the crown”), with a particularly nice merlot swishing around in an overlarge glass under my nose. La Couronne is one of the larger and more impressive accommodation establishments in Franschhoek.
The hotel began life as a rambling, thatched house on a working wine estate, became a 10-bedroom country hotel and, over the past three years under the ownership of German immigrant Erwin Schnitzler, has evolved into a 19-room luxury hotel with a reputation for fine dining and has become the epitome of refinement, elegance and chic.
La Couronne is a cool starting point from which to actively explore Franschhoek — billed as the food and wine capital of South Africa.
According to the Franschhoek guide map, when the Huguenots arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1685, they chose this valley, which was called, appropriately, ”Oliphantshoek” (elephant corner) as their new home. Apparently able to do little else than till the soil, grow grapes and make wine, they got rid of the elephants and turned the picturesque valley into a sort of French enclave, a little piece of Europe trapped in Africa.
The village’s French origins are never far beneath the surface and on the weekend closest to Bastille Day (July 14) each year, there is a gourmet fair in celebration of Franschhoek’s heritage.
Huguenot Street is the main highway and byway, lined on one side by numerous restaurants, coffee shops, antique dealerships, art galleries and curio shops.
On the other side, somewhat incongruously dominating the skyline against a backdrop of mountains, is the NG Kerk, which dates back to 1841. Visitors are welcome to go inside and explore — and the curator on duty is very keen to impart snippets of local history.
But at the end of a day spent wandering around, Franschhoek left me thirsty for real history — not the bottled variety that can be quaffed at any number of the swish eateries in town. The town is nice to stroll through and shop in if you can afford to.
While I can appreciate the attraction of Franschhoek and, for that matter, its neighbour Stellenbosch, this area of the Cape is, for me, so much more than a wine cellar.
It is the seat of Europe’s influence on Southern Africa — which might have been the cause of South Africa’s historical political struggle, yet it is also where the seeds of the uniquely rich heritage we now share were originally sown. I wish I could have found more evidence of this as a first-time visitor.
All the wine estates offer tastings and tours. Staying at La Couronne, the easiest places to start are either at the La Couronne estate itself or at the Mont Rochelle estate next door.
Then, down the road, there are the bigger boys, such as Boschendal, Bellingham, Rupert & Rothschild and Graham Beck.
Or some of the newer kids on the block like Waterford Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, my main port of call.
A personally guided tour of the cellars and the opportunity to taste some of the newest vintages in the Waterford stable left me a little more clued up. Returning to the old colonial charm of La Couronne, I had new respect for the rows of bottles resting alluringly in their rack behind the bar, but still found myself wistfully searching the ever-present mountains for the spirits of the long-departed elephants.
I settled into my armchair with a glass of Cabernet looking out over the impressive peaks and found myself thinking that perhaps the Huguenots should have enlisted their help in the winemaking process rather than sending them packing.
Imagine how effortlessly a small herd of elephants could have trodden grapes.
Sharon van Wyk was hosted by La Couronne
The lowdown
La Couronne is located in the Franschhoek wine valley. It is a five-star boutique hotel at which children and families are welcome.
Each of its 19 rooms has air-conditioning/heating, satellite TV, a direct-dial phone, mini-bar, tea and coffee-making facilities and a full en suite bathroom. Until October 15, rooms at La Couronne cost as follows: Sauvignon — R1 100 a night; Chardonnay — R1 300 a night; Shiraz — R1 450 a night; Merlot — R1 600 a night; Pinotage — R2 200 a night; Cabernet — R2 000 a night; Reserve suite — R3 000 a night and Cap Classique suite — R4 000 a night.
These prices are per room, not per person, and include breakfast, VAT and the 1% tourism levy. The hotel is an hour’s drive from Cape Town International airport and guests are offered a meet-and-greet service and return transfers.
For more information on La Couronne contact the hotel on (021) 876 2770 or visit www. lacouronnehotel.co.za. For more information on Franschhoek and the Winelands tourism route, phone Tel: (021) 876 3603 or visit www.franschhoek.org.za or www.sacape.co.za.