TGIFood

Imagine if your idea of ‘work’ was a day in the winelands

Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss at FYN. (Photo: Supplied)

17 Jan 2025

A revamp at La Motte sees the Franschhoek veteran position itself among those winelands venues that soon become drawcards for weekend visits. More than only wine tasting. And in Constantia, a four-course High Tea.

Jacques Borman was the winemaker at La Motte estate in the Franschhoek Valley in the late 1990s when he invited journalists to blend wine with him. We sniffed, looked at the comparative colour of individual red wines he had selected, then he left it entirely up to us to decide how much of which to pour into a single vial.

Apparently I did a good job (he told me afterwards, though wine had passed, to be fair), but you don’t do a decent job of blending wine one day and change careers and apply for a job as a winemaker the next. More to the point was the insight Borman had given us into this aspect of the process of making and blending wines. A wonderfully creative job; one to be coveted.

Imagine that? You climb into your car in the morning and drive to work. And “work” is a big, beautiful wine farm… I had a taste of it, sort of, in 1992 when I spent a season helping Erica and John Platter with the editing of an edition of their wine guide. Only a few short months, but that was my destination when I left home in Tamboerskloof every morning for three months. Delaire, now Delaire Graff.

But here’s the point I’m making with this: one of these fine days, we will be back in Cape Town again and when that happens there will be days like those again, and I will share them with you. Right here.

There are stories on wine — much more so than mere sipping and spitting — just as there are stories in food. This new diary is all about both of those categories of stories worth writing and reading about.

Winemakers, I decided long ago, are among life’s blessed. I still hold that. (La Motte has held a special place in my creative heart ever since — these are the ways to win a food and wine editor’s heart.)

La Motte seems to be a good place to introduce this regular diary, as we start a new year. And a lot has been happening at La Motte. And it’s about food and wine. A new “family brasserie”. An “ateljee” and a “spens” (pantry). A farm shop and of course a wine experience, an artisanal bakery and garden café, and “Season III” of JAN Franschhoek, so chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s role at La Motte remains intact.

La Motte reopened in December, introducing its revamp as “a reimagined version of the beloved family farm”. Cue PR-speak about “elevated” offerings and “curated” spaces, and sighs from the rest of us. But let’s wade through the marketing speak to find what’s actually going on.

Looking at the proferred photographs, I see that these spaces have a striking commonality — magnificent vaulted ceilings, which offset each space in different ways. The ceiling of the Ateljee (gallery/studio) in particular is a glory of architectural design. This is replicated in the L’Ami Family Brasserie, while the ceiling of the farm shop is a more rustic vaulted wooden affair.

L’Ami (friends) Brasserie at La Motte. (Photo: Supplied)

L’Ami is described as “the new family brasserie” at La Motte. As often happens in this valley, going all the way back to John Huxter’s days as chef at Le Quartier Francais, the menu promises to celebrate the cuisines of France and the Cape, with “a menu inspired by seasonal, farm-sourced ingredients and the artistry of open-fire cooking”.

It promises an à la carte menu for lunch from Wednesday to Saturday, and dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings. On Sundays, family meals are served.

The Ateljee at La Motte. (Photo: Supplied)

The Ateljee (Afrikaans, derived from the French atelier, referring to a gallery or studio) is punted as “a creative space to engage with artworks, artists and makers”. As well as viewing the exhibitions, visitors will be able to meet the creators, “see their creative processes, and join in the making”.

The first season is themed “sharing that which brings great joy” and exhibits paintings, ceramic and textile art and products, with a pending programme of workshops and events presented by the artists and makers.

The Spens at La Motte. (Photo: Supplied)

The Spens (pantry) is designed as an old-fashioned farm pantry, stocked with what you’ll need when assembling a picnic. In PR-speak, “this thoughtfully curated space is filled with quality, down-to-earth foods that celebrate the essence of farm life”. Expect the sort of things you’d expect at a farm stall, in other words — local cheeses, seasonal fruit and vegetables, pickles and preserves, and charcuterie. (Intersperse any of the aforementioned words with others such as “artisanal”, “organic”, “elevated”, “curated” et al. ?)

Or this: “From Karoo-certified lamb sourced from the farm Matjesfontein to free-range beef and must-have pantry staples, every item reflects La Motte’s commitment to authenticity, sustainability, and the joy of sharing good food.”

La Motte Artisanal Bakery & Garden Café, with indoor and outdoor seating, offers freshly baked bread of many kinds from the wood-fired oven, along with breakfasts, light lunches and patisserie.

The gardens of La Motte with their ancient oaks, pond, stretched lawns and kids’ playground are free to explore.

Wine in nature at La Motte. (Photo: Supplied)

For obvious reasons, the La Motte wine tasting option remains, and the tasting room, offset by the maturation cellar, includes a verandah that overlooks a pond and gardens.

The La Motte Farm Shop is the brainchild of Berdine Swart, owner of The Local Edit and founder of The Apiary Studio. “The Apiary Studio’s first project, the Farm Shop, brings to life Berdine’s commitment to celebrating South African design and craftsmanship.”

Working in collaboration with The Apiary Studio under the creative direction of Marize Albertyn, the shop offers “artisan-made treasures” from handwoven linen and bespoke kitchenware to pottery sourced from local kilns.

And then there was JAN. “Season III” of JAN Franschhoek is under way, set in the historic Veepos cottage amid lavender fields, where “the nostalgia of a South African family table with Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s Michelin-star culinary innovation” is promised.

High Tea summer menu at The Cellars-Hohenort

High Tea in the Greenhouse, The Cellars-Hohenort. (Photo: Supplied)

Meanwhile in Constantia, The Cellars-Hohenort will forever bring to mind the late, adored Liz McGrath, for this writer at least. I know that she would smile on hearing that her beloved hotel is serving High Tea at the Greenhouse, a space for which she hired and encouraged a number of top chefs over the years, not least Peter Tempelhoff, and look at him now.

There’s a swirl of flair about the promised High Tea affair: four courses, no less. How does this sound:

Course 1: High Tea sandwiches (cucumber and sundried tomato; roast chicken coronation; and smoked salmon rose).

Course 2: Roast beef and mushroom empanada; braised lamb tartlet; smoked snoek terrine; and baked cranberry and Brie phyllo.

Course 3: Scones with strawberry jam and chantilly cream.

Course 4: Sweet and delicate confectionery such as raspberry and pistachio Swiss roll; caramel popcorn choux puff; dark chocolate and honeycomb tart; blueberry tartlet; and pineapple, sesame and coconut opera cake, with a bottomless cup of Nigiro tea or Lavazza coffee.

The Cellars-Hohenort High Tea features a choice of 11 loose-leaf teas, “curated” by Master Tea Blender Mingwei Tsai. (Do we curate cups of tea now? We used to just make them. I don’t think I’ve ever said, “Excuse me, I’m just nipping into the kitchen to curate a cup of tea.”)

He has also created a Cellars-Hohenort Blend of Nigiro tea, incorporating the spicy fragrance and bronze/apricot colour of the Liz McGrath Rose. This rose grows on site in the gardens of The Cellars-Hohenort and was hybridised in 2003 to commemorate the 80th birthday of the late Mrs McGrath, the founder of The Liz McGrath Collection of three sister-hotels.

Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss at FYN. (Photo: Supplied)

Talking of Peter Tempelhoff: his FYN restaurant in central Cape Town, in spitting distance of Parliament, has become the first restaurant in Africa to earn a three-star rating from the Food Made Good Standard, awarded by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (the association which consults on the World’s 50 Best Sustainable Restaurant Award).

Helmed by chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss, assisted by effervescent beverage director Jennifer Hugé, the restaurant achieved the rating after a rigorous evaluation, which involved answering more than 200 questions covering social responsibility, environmental impact, and responsible sourcing, as well as submitting multiple layers of evidence to support its sustainability claims.

That’s all in this inaugural Food Editor’s Diary. Let me know what’s happening on your local food scene. No promises — I’ll only share the things that I think are worth your time and money. And mine. DM

www.la-motte.com

The Cellars-Hohenort

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