Wednesday, December 26, 2012

LA MOTTE - WINE ESTATE IN FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA



La Motte winery, nestled in the picturesque Franschhoek Valley in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, offers world-class wines in their tasting room, top notch restaurants serving delicious cuisine, exquisite gardens to stroll, a wonderful farm shop with gifts galore, or simply sit out under the trees and sip and glass of their best.  Like I did recently with my mom and sister.

Entrance to La Motte, off the main road as it goes into the village of Franschhoek, just a few doors down from where my mom lives.





Mountains and valleys surrounding Franschhoek are said to date back 250 millions years - majestic!!!  As always, when I go back, I drive around in awe of how spectacular, how magnificent, how majestic the surrounding mountains are - rugged, soaring and a backdrop like no other.  What a better setting in the foreground than vineyards and roses.










At the top of the drive as you approach is an exquisite 13 foot bronze sculpture of a woman bearing an overflowing glass of wine, rising out of the vineyards, against a sheer mountain backdrop.  An exquisite sight.










Entrance gardens with indigenous aloes, strelitzia and fever trees.














Relax under the old oaks, looking across to the wine tasting area






La Motte farm shop




















My absolute favorite collection of proteas (national flower of South Africa) and pincushions, few bright orange roses










Inside the farm shop, everything from fresh organic farm eggs, wine, proteas and gorgeous gifts















Bakery selection of delicious goodies





Proteas





Walk across the bridge to the wine tasting area





Inside the wine tasting area



















Sipping wine with mom







The tables have spectacular hand blown glass vases with a pincushion in each one, and handblown glass olive oil and balsamic vinegar bottles with glass stoppers - love them.




Inside Pierneef a la Motte restaurant, the bar area








More handblown glass - a piece of art with a protea




Pierneef a la Motte restaurant - named after the famous South African landscape painter, Jacob Hendrik Pierneef.




Inside Pierneef a la Motte, incredible pieces of art, porcelain chandeliers





Flower arrangements everywhere using indigenous flowers and fynbos




Inside the restaurant, a photograph of Pierneef, the famous artist after who the restaurant was named.  A museum on the grounds holds a collection of his artwork.


























An exquisite setting from La Motte, overlooking vineyards, gardens to the majestic mountains

















1 comment:

  1. The Cabriere Estate is home to the renown Haute Cabriere wine and Pierre Jourdan wines and is actually two wine farms in the franschhoek wine estates.

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