It’s a damp, chilly afternoon. Ancient oak trees are depositing droplets of water on the ground outside. But we are cosy and warm at Franschhoek’s La Motte wine estate, and sampling a selection of the estate’s award-winning wines, under the tutelage of Maritha duToit, La Motte’s Brand Ambassador. We don’t know a lot about wines, but Maritha, affectionately known as Zita does, and is happy to share some of her knowledge with us. An open fire warms the room, and a few other groups of people are scattered around the room doing tastings of their own. The walls are hung with original works of art, by acclaimed South African artist Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, after whom La Motte’s Pierneef Collection of premium wines is named. Through floor to ceiling glass windows, we can see into the maturation cellar, where wooden barrels of wine wait their turn to be tasted. With its picturesque setting and historic charm, La Motte is the perfect destination for those who appreciate the finer things in life, and when you are finished with your wine tasting, there’s a restaurant as well as a museum and art gallery, where a selection of permanent and temporary exhibitions are housed.
Franschhoek, from the Afrikaans word meaning ‘French Corner’, is one of South Africa’s oldest settlements, founded in 1688 by Huguenots who, fleeing religious persecution, settled in the Cape. They planted vineyards and introduced wine, and many of the wine farms in Franschhoek are named after French wine districts, or still bear their original French names, like La Provence, La Terra de Luc, and La Motte. Sitting at the foot of the Mont Rochelle nature reserve and surrounded by vineyards and craggy mountains, Franschhoek lies in one of the most beautiful wine valleys in the world. At less than an hour from Cape Town this is the perfect escape from the city, and it’s justifiably famous for its superb local cuisine and exceptional wine. The fertile valley is one of the most popular wine-producing regions in the Cape Winelands, and has an exceptional variety of wine estates that produce some of the finest wines in South Africa.
The choices for wine tastings in Franschhoek are endless. Leaving La Motte, the estates of Anthonij Rupert, Grande Provence, Haute Cabrière, and Le Lude are all still on our list. On a friend’s recommendation we visit Vrede en Lust for a wine tasting with tapas pairing, and sample morsels of seared tuna,…
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