Chamonix Wine Farm

At the head of the Franschhoek Valley, where the Drakenstein mountains rise steeply and the morning mist lingers over the vines, Chamonix Wine Farm occupies one of the most beautiful sites in the Cape Winelands. The land has been under cultivation since 1688, when it formed part of the historic Huguenot estate La Cotte — one of the original French settler farms that gave Franschhoek its identity as the French Corner of the Cape.

The property changed hands and names over the centuries. In 1965, the Pickering family purchased the farm then known as Waterval and renamed it Chamonix, after the picturesque Alpine village in the French Alps that the setting reminded them of. But it was the arrival of German-born entrepreneur Chris Hellinger in the early 1990s that transformed Chamonix from a fruit export farm into a serious wine estate. With tenacity and vision, Hellinger launched a comprehensive replanting programme, steadily replacing the fruit orchards with noble French grape varieties — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Pinotage. He built an underground cellar using old-world principles, designed to work with gravity and natural temperature regulation.

The results have been consistently exceptional. For over 20 years, Chamonix has won prestigious awards both domestically and internationally, with particular acclaim for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — varieties that thrive in the estate's cool, high-altitude vineyards. The Troika, a red Bordeaux-style blend that has become the estate's calling card, combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot into a wine of elegance and structure. The Troika Reserve represents the finest expression of this blend in exceptional vintages.

The current winemaker, Gottfried Mocke, brings an intuitive understanding of the estate's terroir. The vineyards sit at elevation on granite and sandstone soils, benefiting from the valley's distinctive mesoclimate — warm days tempered by cool mountain air and altitude. This combination produces wines of intensity and freshness that have become Chamonix's signature.

Beyond the cellar, Chamonix is a destination in its own right. The estate's self-catering lodges face the Jack Nicklaus-designed Pearl Valley golf course, offering luxury accommodation in a high-security environment surrounded by vineyards and mountains. The on-site restaurant serves cuisine designed to complement the estate's wines, and the tasting room is open daily from 09:30 to 16:30, welcoming visitors to explore everything from the unoaked Chardonnay to the Troika Reserve.

Chamonix embodies the Franschhoek spirit: French heritage, mountain grandeur, and an uncompromising commitment to quality. It is a place where 17th-century Huguenot roots meet contemporary winemaking ambition, wrapped in one of the valley's most spectacular settings.