Cape Town - Back in 1982 Achim von Armin established Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek, with the vision of becoming the first estate in South Africa to specialise in the production of wines in the style of Champagne.
Using just two varietals – chardonnay and pinot noir – he has achieved a remarkable range of beautiful sparkling and still wines.
Who doesn’t love the chardonnay pinot noir blend, which celebrates its 21st this year, the unwooded pinot noir, the delectable Pierre Jourdan MCCs, and and the Tranquille blend? If you don’t, then I’m afraid we can’t be friends.
Haute Cabrière is a family business. Von Armin’s wife Hildegard can often be found in the tasting room, and eldest son Takuan worked his way up from apprentice to his position as cellar master.
Then there’s Takuan’s lovely wife Christiane, whom he credits as being a major force in shaping the brand’s evolution. She was Haute Cabrière’s marketing and administration manager, and later its managing director before moving on to a new position at one of South Africa’s top wine distributors.
With this intensely personal and highly motivated management going on behind the scenes, what does that mean for us, the visitors? Great wine, for a start. We were treated to a tasting of some of the 2015 vintages recently, which will soon be released for sale.
There is also a top-class restaurant run by chef Ryan Shell, who is exceptionally creative. He has his own veggie garden on the estate from which he harvests seasonal produce daily. This means the menu changes regularly, with dining options which include lunch, dinner, tapas, and the Taste Of The Seasons menu, which comprises a choice of starters, mains and desserts.
The elegant restaurant itself, like the barrel maturation cellar and tasting room, is carved into the mountain. This makes it cool in summer, and a roaring log fire warms it up in winter. On a beautiful sunny day there is seating outside with a spectacular view of the Franschhoek valley. I definitely recommend you set aside the better part of a day for your visit here.
Cellar tours are conducted every Saturday morning, and you are guaranteed to be entertained.
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Haute Cabrière is on the Franschhoek Pass (Lambrecht Street), Franschhoek. Tasting room hours are Mondays to Fridays 9am till 5pm, Saturdays 10am till 4pm, and Sundays 11am till 4pm. Haute Cabrière Cellar Restaurant is open for lunch from noon till 3pm Tuesdays to Sundays, and dinner from 7pm till 9pm Tuesdays to Saturdays.
The Delicious Little Things menu is served on the terrace from 3pm till 7pm Tuesdays to Saturdays. In winter, dinner and tapas are only available on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The lunchtime Taste of the Season menu is R325 a person for three courses and R445 a person for six courses, including wine pairings. For reservations and inquiries, e-mail [email protected] or call 021 876 3688.
Weekend Argus