Things to do in South Africa

A wine flight through Mont Rochelle’s vineyards

An exceptional wine tasting experience that will take you on a trip of Mont Rochelle’s rolling vineyards…

By James Basson

General Manager for Mont Rochelle by Virgin Limited Edition

You don’t have to be the world’s savviest oenophile to enjoy a tasting at Mont Rochelle. Part of the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio, this idyllic property is all about guilty-pleasured luxury and not a sniff of pretence. For those who don’t know what a wine flight is, it’s essentially a selection of wine, and commonly offered by Franschhoek’s estates to showcase their produce. Mont Rochelle has devised an exceptional one that will take you on a trip of our rolling vineyards.

The contemporary Country Kitchen is the perfect place to pull up a stool and drink in unhindered views of the Franschhoek Valley. You have eight of our estate’s wines from which to mix and match. The options range from our latest lifestyle white, Little Rock 2020, its grape juice fermented at 12 degrees to preserve the aromatic flavours, to the flagship Miko Red, a three-component blend matured for 24 months in oak barrels.

If you’re looking to line your stomach, our gourmet menu offers moreish plates such as baby marrow and chickpea taquitos with lemon mayonnaise and pickled onion. The Chardonnay, a favourite tipple of Sir Richard Branson’s, pairs lovingly with a panko crusted goat’s cheese and light tahini dressing. The peppery blackcurrant notes of the Syrah invites richer delicacies like grilled beef sirloin with a balsamic reduction or chorizo and gorgonzola.

If you can’t get enough, our team will happily package some bottles for your onward trip or even ship your favourite blends home. However our estate’s reach is far and wide and the team can suss out your nearest distributor.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Route 62 Cape Gourmet Self-drive
by Becky Souissi

Length15 Days

Price range£5,375 - £5,895pp

Alfred & James Basson

James Basson has worked in the hospitality industry for almost twenty years. Starting his career as a wide-eyed food runner during school holidays, he catapulted up the ranks during his time at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat where he became General Manager and met his wife, Dee. James now manages the much-lauded Mont Rochelle estate where he enjoys welcoming people from all walks of life.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Laura, who's travelled extensively in South Africa. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - ex banker who can show you the hottest foodie spots in Cape Town, the award-winning young sommelier who can introduce you to Stellenbosch's finest wines and the walking safari ranger who can guide you to the best game.

Laura Preston

Travel Expert for Alfred&

Having travelled extensively through Africa, Laura has a wealth of experience. She is passionate about Tanzania’s diversity from the quiet wilds of Ruaha that feel completely private to the silvery sands of Zanzibar and Stone Town’s spice-laced streets. In South Africa, she sought out the best views over Table Mountain, cocktail in hand, as well as the lesser-visited Kruger conservancies for more exclusive safaris. But her favourite place in the world has to be the Serengeti for its wide-open plains and incredible game that epitomise that feeling of Africa.
Wayne Howarth

Head Safari Guide at Kariega Game Reserve

Wayne loves being outdoors and has spent most of his life between the family farm and working on Private Game Reserves in the Eastern Cape. He has been guiding at Kariega for 12 years. His qualifications include Field Guide Association of South Africa (FGASA) Level 2, Advance Rifle Handling, Skippers Licence Category R and first aid. One of his career highlights was becoming a finalist in the 2021 Safari Guide of the Year competition.
Rupesh Kassen

Founder and guide of Eat Like A Local

Rupesh Kassen abandoned his decade-long career in banking to move to East Africa, where he trained and worked as a chef. He later became immersed in South Africa’s food scene and worked as a food critic before setting up Eat Like A Local in Cape Town. Rupesh now offers guided food tours to showcase the city and its diverse culture and history through food.
Fundi Ziqubu

Sommelier

Fundi was born in Durban and fell in love with wine when it was introduced to her by a few Capetonian friends. On discovering her passion she got the chance to study wine with the department of tourism in collaboration with the Sommeliers Academy. Being appointed sommelier at Lanzerac was a career highlight and in 2019 Fundi was named most up-and-coming wine steward by the Distell Inter-Hotel challenge.
Ntobeko Ntshingila

Duty Manager at Three Tree Hill Lodge

Ntobeko has been part of the Three Trees family for 13 years and describes it as a lovely journey with lots of room for growth and experience. She has her own family, including a daughter of 18, and a son, aged three. She lives in a nearby village with her parents, four siblings and three nephews. When not spending time with her family she manages her broiler chicken business, which brings her extra income.
Cheryl Blackburn

Owner and guide, Three Tree Hill Lodge

Being born in the Kruger National Park instilled in Cheryl a love of nature and wildlife. Having lived and worked as a guide in the Kruger reserve, and also in Botswana, she eventually got the opportunity to run her own lodge, with her growing family, in the lush KwaZulu Natal Drakensberg region. She still finds time to guide guests on foot, tracking white rhino in the neighbouring Spioenkop Game Reserve.