We went to Franschhoek for our wedding anniversary as we hadn’t been back there since getting married in Paarl in 2014…so it was such fun to reminisce about all the places we went before getting married.
So, for my wedding anniversary I waned to do something a little different, obviously it needed to include wine, as it is Franschhoek after all. So, I thought a bespoke wine tour on mountain bikes would be a lot of fun…and with my husband being a big cyclists and I have just started. I thought it would be the perfect activity for us.
It wasn’t easy to find a local company with competitive prices to do the cycle wine tour, but after a lot of searching I came across Franschhoek Adventures…who I really can’t recommend enough, Robyn is fantastic.
Booking
It was super easy to book, and Robyn who took us on the tour was fantastic at making recommendations of wine farms to visit, how many we could realistically visit (as you don’t want to fall off your bike drunk, you need to cycle back), what we should wear, etc. Any concern or question I had, she addressed and made me feel so at ease. I just knew I didn’t have to worry as she had everything covered and was so professional.
Robyn organises the hiring of your bike and helmet. On the day of your tour, you meet her at the bike shop to get fitted for a bike, and you leave from there. She cycles with you the entire time and gives you a little history of Franschhoek and wine farms.
My Bespoke Wine Tour
For our tour (which was a surprise for my husband Garith), I decided to go o 4 farms, where 1 included a pairing and the last one included lunch.
We visited:
I am not a MCC drinker, at all but I loved their. We ended up buying a box. We did a pairing here, which was with canapés, and was so delicious. Wow, it was like fine dining canapés style. I highly recommend it.
My only note is, the farm is up a hill, so if you are cycling, be prepared to go up hill a bit, but the MCC at the end is worth the effort.
A selection of photos from la Lude (taken with my iPhone 8)
This is an easy cycle from Franschhoek town, it is along the road, but Robyn guides you the entire way. And to be honest, the people are used to active people and cyclists so they are very accommodaing.
We only tasted a few wines here as we are cycling and believe me, the wine goes to your head much faster when you are cycling. The view over the vineyards at this wine farm are really pretty and they have a delicious Chenin & Pinotage.
A selection of photos from la Couronne (taken with my iPhone 8)
La Bri is very close to La Couronne, so it’s an easy cycle and the surroundings are very pretty…I mean who does love mountains and vineyards. It’s what dreams are made of.
La Bri was one of my favourites, the cycle down the driveway is so pretty and it’s lined with trees and the mountains in the background…it’s very picturesque. And, they have some really good wine, especially their merlot & boudreaux style blend…not always my cup of tea but I can appreciate a good red wine, even if I might not choose to drink it.
It there is space sit on the balcony, the view is gorgeous…but it’s not always open, because if the wind picks up then they don’t allow you outside.
A selection of photos from la Bri (taken with my iPhone 8)
This was our final stop for wine tasting and lunch. The gardens of this wine farm are extremely beautiful, and if you are a dog lover, then you will feel at home as their farm dogs are roaming the gardens and will sit for a quick cuddle if you show interest. It was a great setting for lunch, which was a big platter of fresh salads, cold meats, cheeses, perseveres, all the delicious things that the cape is known for.
I highly recommend popping in here for lunch if you are in the area. The setting is perfect, and the food & wine is delicious. If you enjoy a Rose, there’s is pretty good, it’s made from Shiraz grapes. It’s a great light wine to enjoy will drinking in the atmosphere and enjoying delicious food.
A selection of photos from la Bourgogne (taken with my iPhone 8)
My thoughts
I would do this kind of tour again, in a heart beat. It’s such fun and a really different way to see the Winelands. I really can’t recommend Robyn from Franschhoek Adventures enough, she is friendly, helpful and full of knowledge of the area. She sits with you at the all the wine farms and you chat and can ask her questions about anything and everything. By the end of the day, you feel like to are sitting with a friend chatting and enjoying Franschhoek and not someone you only met a few hours ago.
We had a fantastic fun-filled cycle tour. My only wish, was it could have been longer, as we had such a great time.
Franschhoek Adventure’s details
Please do keep in mind, they offer a whole range of activities in Franschhoek, just visit their website to see what all is on offer.
website – http://franschhoek-adventures.co.za
email – tours@franschhoek-adventures.co.za
cel – +27 72 999 8581
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/franschhoekadventures/
Thank you so much for.your wonderful.article. I’m so pleased you enjoyed the tour and your stay in Franschhoek. It is indeed the best part of my job to not just have guests, but make friends. It was a pleasure to meet you both. Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.