La Residence - a luxurious boutique hotel in Franschhoek

We took the opportunity of being at the Diners Club Winemakers Awards function to visit the La Residence Manor house. It has been wonderfully decorated and appointed by the owner, Liz Biden. It is full of ormolu French furniture, huge Indian glass chandeliers and many paintings. The rooms are spacious and elegant and there is a feeling of opulence, quiet seamless service and relaxation. If you can afford this 5 star boutique hotel, you are in for a peaceful and luxurious stay

The entrance with fountain

Nicky Lomba and friend admiring the sculpture by Dylan Lewis

The entrance and concierge’s desk. The desk is made from walnut and apparently comes from Russia, although it is in the French empire style. The room has high distressed beamed ceilings and a minstrels' gallery

Lots of ormolu furniture and jardinières with those magnificent glass chandeliers from China and a classic checkerboard floor

A comfortable sofa in front of the imposing fireplace

The solarium with some day beds

and stairs to the upper floor

The back courtyard with terrace and lawns

A corridor to the suites

Our favourite vignette. A walkway covered in jasmine in full flower and then a view to the vineyards and beyond. The smell of cinnamon and jasmine was heady.

The Honeysuckle suite. A luxury room with a huge four poster bed and everything you might want in a luxury suite. Per person rates for this suite vary from R3 600 off season, R5 100 mid season and R5 500 in high season. They also do Full Board rates. These, obviously, are subject to change. Superior rooms like this are the most expensive, You can book the entire house to accommodate 22 people

The attached bathroom with a bath with a view, beautiful saffron orange Thai silk curtains and a Persian carpet

The view from some of the rooms over the Franschhoek valley. In the distance are the Villas

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

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Diners Club Winemaker of Year Brunch

The awards ceremony was held on Saturday night at an apparently glittering dinner at La Residence. We only made the Brunch list on Sunday where we were allowed to interview both the winners. Jacques Erasmus of Spier entered his Creative Block 2 2014 dry white blend and won Winemaker of the Year and JD Pretorius entered the Steenberg Merlot 2012 and won Young Winemaker of the year. We know them both well so it was great to talk to them both about their wines and about what they are going to do with their prizes.

Besides the Trophy, they each won 2 tickets on Delta airlines to San Francisco and five nights accommodation in Napa Valley. Jacques Erasmus won R50 000 and JD Pretorius won R25 000. They are planning to enjoy their trips next September/October when they may be able to take part in a harvest if they can extend their stay. JD has already spent one season there and looks forward to returning to re-establish connections and friendships. Both the Winemaker and the Young Winemaker of the Year qualified with more than one wine – Jacques had two wines in the finals and JD had three, proving that their winemaking skills are consistent and worthy of their awards. JD told us he thought he had won with the 2011 Merlot and was surprised and delighted that it was the 2012 that got the ultimate prize.

The wine makers of the year. JD Pretorius of Steenberg on the left, Jacques Erasmus of Spier on the right

Lee-Ann Shepherd, Head of Marketing at Diners Club, tells us about the awards the previous evening

Jacques and his wife being interviewed by another journalist

Bonita Nuttall of Carte Blanche with JD Pretorius

A new view of the Franschhoek mountains behind La Residence

Bottomless Colmant MCC blanc and rosé to drink. Life is hard

The bar area at the Villas

The brunch table and the seating area in front of the fireplace. This room opens out onto the terrace and the pool area

The brunch spread was so not suited to Banting! Lots more dessert items than savoury. We took the tops off the sandwiches, ate lots of little cheese tarts and finally succumbed to some of the chocolate cake and a tiny macaroon or two

Roasted vegetables on bruscetta

Cherry delice and flourless chocolate tart with berries

The vineyards

The Pool terrace

The villas in the vineyards. This is where families with children may stay. No children are allowed at the main Hotel

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

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The annual Bosman Release Celebration on Lelienfontein estate

This was held on Lelienfontein estate in Wellington on Saturday and Sunday. It was a chance to taste all the newly released wines and have a fun day enjoying music, food and the new wines. We had a ball and we really liked the food that was on offer. And yes we did buy some of the new wine. Their new Malbec is wild and sassy and full of lovely soft fruit. And the new Nero d’Avola is dark and sensuous and deep. So some of each came home with us

One of the old Cape Dutch farm houses

A warm welcome with a glass of Chenin

Monique Fourie welcomes us with a glass of Bosman Wine Club Selection

Malita Joubert did the food and it was sold in this small barn. Elize Goffe Wood loved the chicken pie

Another of the old Cape Dutch Buildings on the werf, dated 1785

Art on show and a wine tasting route had been set up at stations in the wine cellar

Dave Nel at the station in the barrel cellar

Slide presentations and films projected on the wall

We joined Corlea Fourie, the winemaker, in a guided tasting of three Bubblies

She explains the differences

Drappier Champagne from France, Bacio dela Luna (a Prosecco from Italy) and Bosman’s own MCC Steen made from Chenin blanc

We begin the tasting route with the Adama Red and White

American and French Oak barrels

Proteas and Spekboom make good decorations

In the tank cellar two experienced vine grafters gave a demonstration of the different methods

He makes it look so easy

Encounters in the cellar. Chef Pete Goffe Wood

We were all hoping she couldn’t find the “on” button

We taste the superb Malbec and the Nero d’Avola with Bosman Brand & Marketing Manager Neil Büchner

Superdad Bertus Fourie (Corlea's husband and Coffee Pinotage winemaker) and Batman recruit

Another tasting station, another opportunity

Everyone chilling in the tasting room and this was where you paid for the wine you wanted to take home

And, finally, a chance to taste the Bosman’s dessert wine Dolce Primitivo

Grown to commemorate an Italian prisoner of war who drowned in the farm dam

Max gave us a taste of the delicious Bosman Erfenis

And yet another place to taste wine, this time with Managing Director Petrus Bosman

The queue for lunch. All the dishes cost R50 including the large slices of cake

Michael and Maddy Oliver at their table

This cake was wickedly good. Layers of thin almond meringue sandwiched together with rich flavoured cream and topped with chocolate flakes. We shared this

Busy chefs cooking outside

 Filo chicken pie with some salad

A red velvet cake

A rich carrot cake ring

Mini cheesecakes

Prawn curry on a bed of mushy rice – we shared this

Good tender roast beef smothered in a rather heavy wine sauce with very slap chips

Our chicken pie did not spend too long in the oven, but was good

A local choir to entertain us

and music from a very competent trio

Shante Hutton also having a fun day

with Monique

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

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