The best dressed couple at this evening’s cocktail party at La Motte to raise the curtain on a Bastille Day weekend packed full of fun was Marc and Brigitte Kent (below).

Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg welcomes guests below:

Earlier in the afternoon, a tasting of Rhône-Alpes wines was held in the spectacular art gallery at Grande Provence. That seven of the ten French winemakers had been misplaced in Angola and two cases of wine, sent from France a month ago had been seized by customs and diverted to Nietvoorbij for “tests” failed to dampen the enthusiasm of tasters. Nor did the howling gales outside.

My top white of the tasting was a Condrieu from Vienne while an old vines Syrah 2010 from Yann Chave was my pick of the reds. Some wonderfully clean reds and well priced too plus a couple of stinkbombs which should delight the Brett police.