Melvyn Minnaar
Lifestyle
In a town like Franschhoek, where the tenuous Huguenot soul was sold out long ago to compliant Biggie Best tourism and big buck retirees, it’s easy enough to find a relaxing spot to sip an adequately-made hot-vineyard wine. To discover something a little more rewarding for body and spirit requires one to trace the old-time truth of a once genuinely pretty town beyond the brash passing trade and its signs. Yes, there are shimmerings of that soul, if you care to look.
You find it behind the fake facades, walking down the back streets of the town and stepping through the vineyards, in the towering mountains and the smiles of the local labourers. It finds elegant expression in people who can combine the original spirit of the place with seamless comfort and creativity.
One such place is Le Quartier Franais where Susan Huxter and her all-woman team operate such fine-tuned, hands-on hospitality that the establishment was recently welcomed into the esteemed Relais & Chateaux organisation – a worldwide association which holds its selected members to the so-called 5-C philosophy of “character, charm, calm, cuisine and courtesy”.
“Charm and calm” only indicate slightly the splendid upmarket accommodation of the auberge, while “courtesy” signals that service and comfort cannot be faulted. In the restaurant, the spirit of “cuisine” that the famous Andre William-Smith established many years ago still lingers. It calls for an inventive combination in the kitchen of local character with the contemporary.
Then there is the wine. Le Quartier’s wine list has always been an adventure. Treating local producers, those outside the valley and a few justified imports with connoisseurial respect means that tourists get the full vino experience.
Related to the Le Quartier set-up by family connection and management expertise is the Mreson Soleil du Matin winery in the heart of the Franschhoek Valley, where winemaker Pierre Wahl conjures up some prize-winning delights. Here, too, the Bread & Wine Restaurant entices streams of visitors with a truly creative take on a wineland menu.
The name of the place says it all – and more. As a perfect match to the cellar’s cooled, new-wave style pinotage, fresh- faced chef Neil Jewel from the United Kingdom has a free hand and open mind about local produce. He creates easy-to-eat dishes with one primary focus: taste. Of course, this has to go with the restaurant’s other main ingredient, bread. And this is where Christina Slattery rules the run of the dough machines.
An ideal opportunity to take in this high-class country feast will be at the winery’s annual blessing of the harvest. Celebrating the romantic charm of wine- making, clients, friends and family will gather there on February 12 for a day to hand-pick grapes and press them with their feet.
To complete this unique experience, the wine-making team will descend on Bread & Wine to feast further on a Mediterranean buffet. To join in the fun, phone Uschi van Zweel on (021) 876-3112.
Le Quartier Franaise is situated 45 minutes outside of Cape Town at 16 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek. For bookings, telephone (021) 876-2151, fax (021) 876-3105, or e- mail [email protected]