Nestled just about an hours drive outside Cape Town is Franschhoek. And in Franschhoek, you will find Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate. With a rich history of over 300 years & spreading out over 47 hectares of the Cape Winelands, it is bound to provide you with very unique experience of the finer things in life, which I have come to love & share.
On arrival, bubbles. It's a must. Always. And the MCC here is something that you could be sipping on for the entire day.
We had a wonderful experience of extensive tasting & each wine was explained, but not too much, so as to lead you on to make your own tasting notes & connections. So you are not told what you should be tasting, but you can make your own connections.
The one thing that I am always so impressed with is the knowledge that the staff have about the wine. I love sitting & listening to them & finding out why this estate & what their personal favourites are. But here are my favourites from my visit.
A varietal, that is so rare in South Africa, that I will highly recommend it, is the Zinfandel. With handpicked grapes that have been fermented in French & American Oak for 12 months, you know you are going to have a winner. A range of ripe black fruits on the nose, a full bodied red wine with a surprisingly fresh palate with a nicely balanced aftertaste of slight spiciness & strawberries.
So the Amphora has a cool story, & it started when the winemaker imported 2 clay amphorae from Italy. Then selecting a small block of the 34 year old Chenin Blanc, they very best yellow, sun exposed bunches were picked as to maximise the flavours & expression of the wine. De-stemmed by hand & then left to ferment naturally on the skins for 7 months.
Leaving us with an extremely aromatic & fresh wine. First on the nose you get strong citrus notes which carry on through to the palate, then hints of slight perfume. What a beautifully complex wine that has layers of textures of fruits.
This unique destination offers exceptional experiences, & not only award winning wine tastings. A wonderful take on modern African Cuisine by Chef Guy Bennett at The Restaurant. A stunning collection of contemporary South African art at The Gallery.
Chef Guy surely has made a name for himself & since taking over the reigns in the kitchen last year October, he has put together a menu that captures his passion for local produce. The à la carte menu, has been individually priced for lunch & is available as a set 3 or 4-course dinner menu. The artistry of Chef Guy comes out on every plate that you are served. You can clearly see that his dishes are influenced by his surroundings.
Enjoy a sunny winter's day in the Franschhoek winelands, whilst having a hearty lunch being surrounded by the beauty that is Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate. Or be like me & book in to experience The Owners Cottage & The Restaurant for dinner! Check out Part 2 of the #WineRoutingWithLloyd visit here.
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