Before You Come Up the Hill
Questions Visitors Ask Us
Tastings, children and dogs, bookings, courier, weddings and the three cottages, answered plainly.
Visiting the Farm
Getting Here and Opening Times
We are on Robertsvlei Road, five minutes from Franschhoek’s main road, on the slopes above the town.
When is the tasting room open?
Daily from 10:00 to 17:00, closed only on Christmas Day and Good Friday. Cellar tours run every day at 11:00 and 15:00.
How far are you from Cape Town and Stellenbosch?
About 75 minutes from Cape Town, 60 minutes from Cape Town International Airport, 30 minutes from Stellenbosch and five minutes from the main road in Franschhoek.
Does the Franschhoek Wine Tram stop here?
No, the tram does not stop at Swaelkloof. Taxis and shuttles run up from town, and there is ample parking at the cellar.
Is the estate wheelchair accessible?
Yes, the tasting room and the restaurant are both wheelchair accessible, with parking close to the cellar door.
Which languages does your team work in?
Our site is in English, Afrikaans, French and German, and many of the visitors we host each week come from France and Germany.
Tastings and Tours
Tasting at the Cellar Door
Four ways to taste, from 45 minutes at the counter to 75 minutes in the barrel cellar.
Do I need to book a tasting?
Bookings are recommended for groups of six or more. Smaller groups are welcome to walk in during tasting room hours, and the cellar tour takes up to 12 guests at 11:00 and 15:00.
What do the tastings cost?
The Classic Tasting is R120 per person for five current releases over 45 minutes. The Reserve Tasting, five reserve wines including Swaelnes on the cellar terrace, is R220. The Chocolate and Wine Pairing with a Franschhoek chocolatier’s handmade chocolates is R195, and the Cellar Tour and Barrel Tasting with the winemaking team is R320.
Are children welcome?
Yes. Children are welcome and can join the table with a grape juice tasting at R45 while the grown-ups taste wine.
Can we bring our dog?
Dogs on leads are welcome on the terrace, which is where the Reserve Tasting is poured on a warm day.
Are tastings free for wine club members?
Kloof Club members get free tastings for two on every visit, along with first pick of new releases and library wines.
Wine and Courier
Buying and Sending Wine
Everything is grown, pressed and bottled on the farm, then collected at the cellar door or couriered.
Do you courier wine around South Africa?
Yes, anywhere in South Africa. Courier is free on 12 bottles or more and R150 otherwise. You can also collect at the cellar door.
How do I pay for an order?
Orders are confirmed by email with our EFT details, so nothing is charged online. Cards are welcome when you pay on collection at the cellar.
Can I buy single bottles or only cases?
All wines sell by the bottle and in cases of six. The estate olive oil and the Tasting Trio Gift Box are sold singly.
What is Swaelnes?
Swaelnes is our flagship Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, 22 months in French oak. The 2021 is R385 a bottle.
How does the Kloof Club work?
Cellar Membership is six bottles three times a year, about R1 150 a shipment at 10% off. Reserve Membership is twelve bottles three times a year including Swaelnes, about R2 650 a shipment at 15% off. Both include free courier and a members’ harvest lunch each March.
Is there a joining fee or a contract?
No joining fee, and you may cancel any time after two shipments.
Lunch Runs Wednesday to Sunday
Die Swael serves lunch 12:00 to 15:30 Wednesday to Sunday and dinner 18:30 to 21:30 on Friday and Saturday, with the Sunday Long Lunch at R495 per person.
The Cottages
Staying Among the Vines
Three self-contained cottages opened in 2023, each with a breakfast basket and a private stoep.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check in from 14:00 and check out by 10:00. Late check-out to 14:00 can be added for R400 a booking.
How many people do the cottages sleep?
Vineyard Cottage sleeps 2 in a king bed over 48 m². Olive Grove Cottage sleeps 4 in two bedrooms, king and twin, over 85 m². Swallow’s Nest is a loft for 2 above the old stables with a queen bed, 40 m².
What do the nightly rates come to?
Vineyard Cottage is R2 450 a night in winter and R3 250 in summer. Olive Grove Cottage is R3 400 and R4 600. Swallow’s Nest is R2 100 and R2 850. Winter runs 1 May to 30 September and summer the rest of the year.
Can we add a fourth or fifth guest?
An extra guest is R450 a night, in Olive Grove Cottage only, as it is the cottage with two bedrooms.
Is breakfast included?
Yes, a breakfast basket comes with every cottage, along with Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a fireplace.
What extras can we book with a stay?
A Vineyard Picnic Basket at R650 a booking, an In-Cottage Massage at R750 per person, a Reserve Tasting at R220 per person and Late Check-Out at R400 a booking.
Weddings and Functions
Getting Married Under the Oaks
The Oak Lawn, the Old Cellar and Die Swael carry ceremonies, long tables and company days.
How many guests can you seat?
The Oak Lawn holds 180 for a ceremony under 200-year-old oaks, the Old Cellar seats 120, and Die Swael seats 70 for a small wedding. There is also a boardroom for 24.
What is included in a wedding package?
The venue, the ceremony lawn, Chef Sipho’s menu, estate wines, a coordinator and the three cottages for the couple and family.
What do the packages cost?
Intimate, up to 40 guests, from R48 000. Classic, up to 100 guests, from R128 000. Grand, up to 160 guests, from R195 000.
How does the planning run?
We plan a wedding over the year: a first call, a site visit, a tasting menu with the kitchen, then a final walk-through before the day.
Do you host company lunches and conferences?
Yes, corporate lunches, team days and conferences for up to 60 guests, using the cellar, the lawn and the boardroom.
Can we book a farm event instead?
Our own calendar runs through spring and summer, from Jazz on the Oak Lawn to the Harvest Long Table Lunch.
Still Something to Ask?
Send us the question and we will answer it. Or come up the hill and ask at the cellar door.
Swaelkloof Wine Estate
Robertsvlei Road
Franschhoek 7690, Western Cape
- Tasting Room
- Daily 10:00 to 17:00
- Cellar Tours
- Daily 11:00 and 15:00
- Die Swael Lunch
- Wednesday to Sunday 12:00 to 15:30
- Die Swael Dinner
- Friday and Saturday 18:30 to 21:30
- Closed
- Christmas Day and Good Friday
Tasting bookings are recommended for groups of six or more. For a cottage, a wedding or a long table, tell us the dates and the numbers and we will come back to you.
Wheelchair access to the tasting room and restaurant, ample parking, and five minutes from the main road in Franschhoek.