Cabernet Franc estates

Open from Monday to Saturday and on public holidays, this family-owned estate on the Helderberg slopes counts Cabernet Sauvignon among its wines. Hempies du Toit turned it back into a wine farm in the mid-nineties.

Tastings run here in the Banhoek Valley, just off the Helshoogte Road out of Stellenbosch towards Franschhoek. The vineyards are planted to French varieties, and the flagship is Rhodium, a red blend. Adrian Vanderspuy set the winery up in its present form in the early two-thousands.

Tastings are walk-in on Fridays and Saturdays and by appointment midweek, and every wine is grown, made and bottled on the farm. The Wraith family put the estate together from two neighbouring farms in an amphitheatre between the Helderberg and Stellenbosch mountains, and Alex Starey runs the vineyards and cellar. Alongside the annual Keermont range there is a Single Vineyard Series, which is not bottled every year.

Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch, Paarl and the Swartland sits alongside a Cabernet Franc, all made with a handful of growers, one of whose vineyards was planted when the land was still turned by horse and plough. Tastings are by appointment at Leef op Hoop in the Jonkershoek Valley, on the stoep or in the cellar, with deliberately few tables. Viticulturist Etienne Terblanche and winemaker Stephanie Wiid run the label, which takes its names from weeds found among the vines.

Tastings run every day, with food platters served alongside the tutored ones, and the range includes a Banghoek Chardonnay and The Laurence Reserve red. The estate on the Helshoogte Pass also has two restaurants, one of them the Asian-inspired Indochine, along with lodges and a spa. Laurence Graff of Graff Diamonds has owned it since the early two-thousands.

Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are the focus here, from the Old Vine Chenin Blanc to the Eden single-vineyard wines. Tastings take place in a private tasting room on Eden Farm in the Polkadraai Hills and cover the Raats Family, Bruwer Vintners and MR de Compostella ranges. Booking is essential because the tastings are kept small, and Bruwer Raats's sons now work in the family business.

Red wines are the focus at this small winery on the Helshoogte Pass, with tastings in a room inside the owner's home on weekdays and by appointment at weekends. Prohibition is a straight Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Shiraz carries a new artist's portrait on its label each vintage. The farm also has self-catering cottages.

The range here includes Trilogy, the flagship blend, alongside a Cabernet Franc and the First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate sits at the western foot of the Simonsberg and takes its name from the Warwickshire Regiment, in which a former owner, Colonel Alexander Gordon, served.

Walk in for a tasting from Monday to Saturday, with premium wines poured on request and cheese and charcuterie platters on offer. The Malan family farm high slopes against the Jonkershoek mountains above the Banghoek basin, and the range includes Cabernet Franc and the Family Reserve, a Bordeaux-style blend.

Olive oil and wine can be tasted separately or together here, with the wines split between Bordeaux varieties and the Giulio Range, an Italian line named after operas. Giulio Bertrand, a businessman from Piedmont, bought the Somerset West estate in the early nineties, planted olive trees and brought Sangiovese vines from Italy.

Chorus, the restaurant on the estate, serves seasonal four- and six-course menus. The vineyards on the Schapenberg above Somerset West are certified biodynamic, and the Circle of Life range covers a white made mostly from Sauvignon Blanc and a Bordeaux-style red.

Tastings are held in the restored manor house, where the Helshoogte Pass begins its climb out of the Banghoek Valley towards Franschhoek. The estate also has restaurants and a country lodge. The wines are made from Bordeaux varieties, with single-vineyard bottlings, sparkling wine and the Simone and Richelle blends.

Tastings here range from a flight of estate whites to a premium line-up with Cap Classique and Port, and a signature tasting runs in the historic cellar. Veldt Restaurant cooks over open flames, and the estate, on the slopes of the Simonsberg, keeps a block of old-vine Chenin Blanc. Weddings, seasonal dinners and harvest celebrations are held here too.

Tastings run every day on the Helshoogte Pass, and the range takes in a Malbec, a Cabernet Franc and a Chardonnay alongside a rosé and a dessert wine. The restaurant serves Banhoek country cuisine with tables under the trees and a play area for younger children, and there are suites and country rooms for anyone staying over. The name recalls the farm's past as an apple orchard.

Tastings are held on the top floor of the winery in the foothills of the Simonsberg, with cheese and charcuterie platters, and the Vine Bistro serves French bistro food at lunch and on Friday and Saturday evenings. May de Lencquesaing bought the estate, and her private glass collection fills a museum in the winery that's free to visit. Lady May, from a single vineyard, is the flagship.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are poured in the tasting lounge, with an MCC Rosé among the premium options and a food and wine pairing on offer. The Banhoek Valley estate also has a bistro-style restaurant, a spa and rooms to stay in, and guests can swim in the pool, fish the dam or ride the bike paths.