Top image: La Motte CEO Hein Koegelenberg celebrates the estate’s acknowledgement as Drinks International Best Food & Wine Matching Experience with Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche and Chef Gregory Caci from Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant.
Enjoying internationally acclaim for the quality of its wine tourism offering, Franschhoek-based La Motte Wine Estate has again been acknowledged as Best Food and Wine Matching Experience in the 2018 edition of the Drinks International Wine Tourism Awards.
Comments from the judging panel included:
“Great wine and food experience, fun, interesting and exciting – makes you want to visit.”
“The complete food and wine experience, very impressive.”
“Every opportunity has been taken – so many experiences including a history walk and demonstration kitchen.”
The La Motte Tasting Room and the estate’s Pierneef à La Motte restaurant offer a comprehensive Food and Wine Experience, introducing guests to food and wine in a host of innovative ways. From dedicated food and wine pairings to authentic local cuisine, the novel La Motte food and wine experience extends to the estate’s comprehensive tourism offering and is included in themed pairings and dinners, Classical Music concerts, educational walks such as the Historic or Sculpture walk, a guided mountainside hike, art experiences and the charming Farm Shop. Food and wine are also celebrated through seasonal events such as an interactive Harvest Experience during the pressing season and the popular Evening of Vintage Wine & Venison in winter, to name but a few. (See the complete list in Notes to Editor)
“In today’s world, experience is at the essence of what we do. Sharing our passion for quality food and fine wine in an inventive way, keeps our guests intrigued”, says La Motte CEO, Hein Koegelenberg. “We are honoured and very pleased to receive the international acknowledgement.”
The Drinks International Wine Tourism Awards aim at recognising the estates that successfully implement wine tourism to support their focus of wine making. This is the fourth time La Motte has won this prestigious award after also receiving top honours in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
The La Motte food and wine experience includes:
In the Wine Tasting Room
Visitors can choose between a Wine Tasting of the La Motte Collection (5 wines), Pierneef Collection (2 wines), all La Motte wines (7 wines), a comparative Syrah tasting or Vintage tasting.
On Friday mornings, a Food and Wine Tasting experience developed by the estate chef and cellarmaster, is presented by a well-informed wine-ambassador to guide visitors through a selection of sample-sized haute cuisine portions paired with La Motte wines introducing guests to the best combinations.
During harvest time, a Harvest Experience introduces guests to the harvest process and is concluded with a tasting of fermenting grape juice, wine and harvest-inspired bites such as Mosbolletjies (the traditional South African sweet bun made from the yeast of partially fermented grape juice), Must syrup ( a reduction of sweet grape must), a traditional chopped salad wrapped in a vine leaf, Something Savoury – a duck and grape sausage and Something Sweet – a Grape Frangipane tartlet.
