Get unhinged at Franschhoek's Uncorked wine festival

You've got two options. You can either go to the Uncorked wine festival or not go. The former is, of course, the most sensible option. Celebrate the arrival of Spring at the Uncorked festival held annually in the Wineland's gourmet capital, Franschhoek, and indulge your palette with a sensation of fruity, wooded and spicy wines. This year the Uncorked event will take place on 3 & 4 September. If you don't go, you'll end up whining about it.

Franschhoek is home to a plethora of fine dining restaurants, food markets and art galleries encompassed by breathtakingly surreal landscapes. Franschhoek has a French heritage which is evident in the architecture of many of the buildings in the town centre. Franschhoek certainly boasts an element of finesse and certainly has that "je ne sais quoi" that makes it a desirable destination fit for an erudite.

Sweeping mountain vistas, clusters of vineyards, delicate rows of lavender fields and gently flowing rivers are great ingredients for an idyllic weekend away. Throw in a vibey wine festival, and you're pretty much set for a heavenly break. It's hard not to absorb the flavour of Franschhoek.

So, what's on the plate for the Uncorked festival? Simple. The idea is to swan from farm to farm, sample the latest barrel and heighten your senses with new vintages. This festival has covered all the bases, including a transport option. A pre-booked shuttle service offering transport between wine farms is available to the public.  I suggest purchasing an access card which gets you a wine glass and free wine tasting at selected farms. You can either purchase your access card from Webtickets or directly from one of the farms.

The Uncorked festival has numerous other events thrown into the mix, not just wine tasting. You can expect cellar tours, food and wine pairings, art exhibitions, gourmet food markets and even a rare exhibition of luxury cars!

But what is wine without entertainment? Your eardrums will be kept busy with a wide range of eclectic sounds from local jazz/blues bands to the odd out of tune song sung by your frazzled wino friends. Just smile, hum and go with the flow.

Go to the Uncorked festival. Attendance is mandatory. Getting unhinged is optional.

For more information, please consult the official tourism site for the Franschhoek Winelands.
To book your access card prior to your arrival at Uncorked, please book through Webtickets.