Paserene Franschhoek

Paserene takes its name from Passeriformes, the Latin order of perching birds that includes swifts and swallows -- creatures associated with travel, freedom, and the instinct to return home. It is a fitting name for a winery founded by a third-generation South African winemaker who spent a decade making wine in California's Napa Valley before returning to the Cape to build something of his own.

Martin Smith grew up in a winemaking family in Ashton, in the Breede River Valley. His grandfather farmed wine in Paarl, his father was both a winemaker and the proprietor of a bottling plant. After studying winemaking, Smith left South Africa for Napa, where he spent five years at Newton Winery in Saint Helena followed by six years at Vilafonté alongside Dr Phil Freese and Zelma Long -- two of the most influential figures in South African-Californian winemaking. It was during his time at Vilafonté, between 2010 and 2017, that Smith began planning his own label.

In 2013, while still making wine for Vilafonté, Smith and business partner Ndavhe Mareda released their first vintage under the Paserene name. The debut was a red wine called Black, followed by a white called White Black -- both with minimalist label designs that signalled a modern, unfussy approach. The pair chose Franschhoek as their base, acquiring land on the R45 near La Motte and building an ultra-modern cellar and artfully designed tasting lounge called The Paserene Nest, its curved architecture inspired by a swallow's nest.

The wine portfolio is divided into two ranges. The Paserene Range represents the pinnacle: the Chardonnay, the Union (a Syrah-led blend with Carignan and Mourvedre), and the Marathon (a Cabernet Sauvignon from low-yielding Tulbagh vines), all crafted for ageing upwards of twenty years. The Elements Range is the playful counterpart -- single-varietal wines designed for everyday drinking, including Bright (Chardonnay), Rosie (Carignan-dominant Rose), Emerald (Sauvignon Blanc), Midnight (Cabernet Sauvignon), and Dark (Syrah from Tulbagh).

Smith's Napa experience is evident in his approach: meticulous vineyard selection, a preference for concentrated fruit from specific sites across multiple terroirs including Franschhoek, Tulbagh, and Stellenbosch, and a willingness to let wines age before release. The tasting lounge operates seven days a week and offers two tasting flights -- the Paserene Range at R220 for three wines and the Elements Range at R120 for five wines. Paserene is a stop on the Franschhoek Wine Tram's Red Line, making it easily accessible as part of a valley-wide tasting itinerary.