Choosing a Tasting in Franschhoek
A plain guide to the four tastings at Swaelkloof in Franschhoek: length, wines poured and price, plus groups, children and dogs on the terrace.
Read the PostIn short: two of you, take Vineyard Cottage for the king bed and the wide stoep, or Swallow’s Nest for the quiet of the loft. Four of you, take Olive Grove Cottage and its two bedrooms.
Check-in is from 14:00, check-out by 10:00, and a breakfast basket comes with every cottage.
We opened three cottages among the vines in 2023, one for four guests and two for couples. Most of the questions we get before a booking are the same three: how big is it, how many can sleep there, and what does it cost in the season we are coming. Here are the answers in one place, so you can pick the cottage first and look at dates second.
Which Cottage Suits Your Party
All three are self-contained, each with a private stoep, a fireplace, air conditioning and Wi-Fi, and each stands among the vines rather than in a row of rooms. The difference is size, the bed, and how far you want to walk from your door to the tasting room.
- Vineyard Cottage Sleeps 2, king bed, 48 square metres. The wide stoep looks straight down the vine rows. From R2 450
- Olive Grove Cottage Sleeps 4 in two bedrooms, one king and one twin, 85 square metres. The family and small-group cottage. From R3 400
- Swallow’s Nest Sleeps 2, queen bed, 40 square metres. A loft above the old stables, reached by a stair. From R2 100
Only Olive Grove Cottage takes an extra guest, at R450 a night. Families of five or more usually book Olive Grove and one of the two-sleeper cottages together.
Couples tend to choose on feel: the stoep and the king bed of Vineyard Cottage, or the quiet of the loft in Swallow’s Nest.
Winter or Summer: What a Night Costs
We keep two seasons and no others. Winter runs from 1 May to 30 September, and summer covers the rest of the year. Winter is the quieter, greener half of the year on the slopes, with the fireplaces lit and the vines bare; summer is long light on the stoep and the harvest coming in.
| Cottage | Sleeps | Winter, 1 May to 30 Sep | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard Cottage | 2 | R2 450 | R3 250 |
| Olive Grove Cottage | 4 | R3 400 | R4 600 |
| Swallow’s Nest | 2 | R2 100 | R2 850 |
A stay that crosses the seasons is worked out night by night, so a trip that starts in late April and ends in early May pays each night at its own rate. The booking page adds it up for you before you send anything.
Check-In, Check-Out and the Breakfast Basket
Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by 10:00. If you arrive before your cottage is ready, leave the car with us and start with a tasting: the tasting room is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and the cellar tour runs at 11:00 and 15:00. The breakfast basket is in the cottage for your first morning, and Die Swael serves lunch from Wednesday to Sunday if you would rather not cook.
Add-Ons Worth Booking Ahead
Four extras can be added to a stay. The picnic basket and the massage need a day’s notice, so ask for them with the booking rather than on the morning.
- Vineyard Picnic BasketR650 per booking
- In-Cottage MassageR750 per person
- Reserve TastingR220 per person
- Late Check-Out to 14:00R400 per booking
The Reserve Tasting is five reserve wines including Swaelnes, seated on the cellar terrace. If you are not sure which tasting to put on your stay, our guide to choosing the right tasting runs through all four.
Getting Here, and Seeing Dates
We are on Robertsvlei Road, five minutes from the main road in Franschhoek, 30 minutes from Stellenbosch, 75 minutes from Cape Town and 60 from Cape Town International. Taxis and shuttles run up from town and there is ample parking, which matters on an evening when you have been tasting. The Franschhoek Wine Tram does not stop here.
Once you know which cottage you want, see the cottages for the full description of each, or go straight to book a stay, pick your dates and add-ons, and we will confirm the cottage by return.
