Wine & Food

Franschhoek calls itself South Africa's food-and-wine capital, and with well over thirty restaurants packed along just a few kilometers of main street, that's hardly an exaggeration. One dish keeps appearing again and again: smoked trout from the mountain dams surrounding the valley. Locals often call it salmon trout, since its flesh is colored a similar orange to salmon, even though the two fish aren't related.

That's no coincidence. Smoked trout pairs almost naturally with an old, oak-aged Semillon. Both share the same oily, creamy texture, and the wine's acidity cuts through the fat of the smoking process rather than being overwhelmed by it. A young, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc feels thin and sharp by comparison. Not without reason. Reuben Riffel, one of the town's best-known chefs, likes to pair local fish with exactly these mature white wines rather than the expected light varieties. One more reason to stay a while longer.

With game, the equation shifts. Springbok and kudu, both regular fixtures on Franschhoek menus, call for the valley's robust Cabernet and Shiraz blends, with enough tannin to carry the game's flavor without being overwhelmed by it.

There are plenty of occasions to celebrate. A glass of Cap Classique often opens a menu, or simply marks a celebration, frequently a Pierre Jourdan Brut from Cabrière. Franschhoek even holds its own Cap Classique and Champagne Festival each year, where dozens of producers pour their bottles side by side. The crisp acidity and fine bead clear the palate before a meal, without any of the sweetness many people expect when they hear the word sparkling wine.

So the circle closes. What ends up on the table in Franschhoek is rarely a coincidence. It's the continuation of the same idea that guided the first Huguenots when they planted vines here: to draw the best from what the soil provides, and drink it alongside food grown right next door.