Mont Rochelle is not just a wine estate, it’s a wine estate with benefits. Go for a lunch, drink some wine and if you had too much of either or both, book yourself in at their spectacular hotel.

Situated in the heart of the Franschhoek valley, Mont Rochelle offers the best of both worlds. If you’re in the mood for some fine dining, try Mange Tout, situated at the hotel. The tasting facility forms part of the Country Kitchen and its perfect for long summer lunches. The menu looked very interesting. They even cater for Rabbit Eaters, who will apparently be knocked out of their shocks by the Braised Rabbit with Basil Pesto Pasta. Luckily they cater for the rest of us as well.

We got introduced to Dustin Osbourne who is the wine maker of Mont Rochelle. He shared some wine making secrets with us and then left us in the capable hands of Louraine, the tasting room manageress. She was friendly and we enjoyed her company.The white wines were a bit pricey, but really good. The red wines were very affordable and well worth every cent.

My friend and I decided to re-visit them in the near future. They have guided horse-back wine tasting tours, that takes you to two neighbouring farms and ends at Mont Rochelle again. It takes about 3-4 hours, depending on your riding abilities and the amount of alcohol consumed at each farm. Adventure of note I would say!