South African vineyards with rooms

Why worry about driving after a great wine-tasting? Wineries all over the Western Cape now welcome guests to stylish rooms in period buildings.

Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyards, Franschhoek

Touring the vineyards in the Dassenburg mountains on horseback, with stops for little tastings, is the primary appeal of a stay at the Mont Rochelle estate, a large vineyard which also boasts a 16-room hotel with typical Cape Dutch architecture – thick white walls and a thatched roof. Some rooms have outdoor plunge pools as well as marble baths, the bar features dark wood, leather couches and fireplaces, and there’s a fantastic restaurant, Mange Tout, where you can pair the estate’s cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot with dishes such as springbok shank and oxtail cannelloni.

• +27 21 876 2770, montrochelle.co.za. Rooms from £200, including breakfast.

Klein Genot, Franschhoek

Klein Genot is a boutique abode designed with advice from a feng shui expert, with airy light spaces, fountains, and seven bedrooms off a central atrium. It specialises in red wines, with a few recently released whites, all served in a spectacular dining room with wooden beams and chandeliers.

• +27 21 876 2738, kleingenot.com. Rates £85 per person, including breakfast, afternoon tea and soft drinks.

Bo La Motte Guest Cottages, Franschhoek

A tranquil hideaway at the foot of the Middagkrans mountains in Franschhoek, these four self-catering cottages are set amid the estate’s pear orchards and vineyards. It specialises in Rhone varietals such as viognier, shiraz and grenache, and is also good for families. One of nine original Huguenot farms settled in 1672, it now has a swimming pool and offers fly-fishing.

• +27 21 876 3067, bolamotte.com. Cottages from £50 a night.

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