Driving through the vineyards towards Grande province feels a little like lifting a large weight off your chest; a  respite from the crowds and traffic that throng Franschhoek's Main Road even on a late-summer Sunday morning. Mountains to the left of me, vines to the right, here I am… heading for the friendly bustle of The Restaurant at Grande Provence.
Grande Provence is part of one of the oldest wine estates in the valley, dating back over 300 years to the time when the French Huguenots moved into this corner of the Cape, chasing (or shooting) out the pachyderms the Olifantshoek was known for. With the elephants gone, the Huguenots' vines and oak trees flourished in the fertile valley.
The Huguenots (and the elephants) may be long gone, but the vines and oaks are still one of the most attractive elements of Grande Provence today, providing top-notch estate wines and the shade to enjoy them under.
Wine worth tasting
Before settling in to a lazy lunch, it's well worth tasting the estate wines to see what grabs your palate. Grande Provence is home to the popular Angel's Tears range of wines, offering a quaffable white, red and rosé. They're good for an everyday glass of vino, but the Grande Provence range are far more fitting for a day out in the winelands.
For white wines, the estate produces a Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, although the Sauvignon is currently sold out. No matter, the Chardonnay is a stunner. Matured in French oak for 11 months, it offers a perfect balance between wood and fruit which is often out of kilter in new world Chardonnays.
For those chilly Cape winters a 100 percent Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are also produced from grapes grown on the estate. The flagship wine — if you have R475 to spare — is the grandly titled 'The Grande Provence'. An intriguing blend of noble red varietals based on merlot (60 percent), but spiced up with lesser-known Rhone varietals which is well-suited for some of the heavier dishes on the menu.
Local fare with global flavour
And what a menu it is. Since Vanie Padayachee first put The Restaurant on the Franschhoek dining map with her Asian-infused cuisine, the menu has come full circle to its current incarnation offering local fare with global flavour.
Just six years out of chef school, new Executive Chef Jacques de Jager brings a world of influences to Grande Provence, after stints in kitchens from Phildelphia to the Bazaruto Archipelago.
De Jager fills the sizeable shoes of Peter Tempelhoff, who has moved on to Liz McGrath's Collection of hotels, but De Jager has evidently stepped up to the skillet admirably if the packed tables one Sunday are anything to go by.
A pleasant open terrace leading off the main restaurant is the ideal setting for a late summer lunch, with tables scattered a respectable distance apart under the oaks and umbrellas. Service is brisk and friendly, although knowledge of the special Sunday menu can be a little threadbare.
Expect light summer starters such as a Salad of artichokes and bocconcini scattered with beetroot and rocket and topped with crispy Parma ham, or a delicious Ballottine of Norwegian Salmon with slow roasted tomatoes. This is the French corner after all, so for main course you could do worse than the Oven roasted Guinea Fowl with herb risotto, or the local twist on game bird with the Seared ostrich fillet and liver with braised red cabbage.
Not spoilt for choice
A glass of The Grande Provence is probably your best bet with either of those. All estate wines are available by the glass, but it's disappointing that the estate doesn't offer any other wines from the Franschhoek Valley. Sure, it's a restaurant on a wine estate, but why restrict diners from enjoying their favourite varietal with their meal? Anyway…
When evening rolls, or winter, rolls around the atmosphere changes completely. The metal outdoor tables get packed away, the umbrellas folded and the dining affair moves indoors to the über-stylish restaurant where steel rafters and skylights shield the drop-dead gorgeous high-back white leather chairs. It's as if the happy-go-lucky summer child of outdoor dining got dressed up for the evening.
And spend the evening you will, working your way through course after course of De Jager's cuisine. If you simply can't handle the drive back to town afterwards, plan ahead and book the Owner's Cottage — a five-star four-bedroomed cottage on the estate that has played host to everyone from Jude Law to FW de Klerk — to ensure you don't have to leave the valley before you're quite ready.
For more information Visit www.grandeprovence.com to find out more and to book. The Restaurant at Grande Provence is open daily for lunch and dinner.
» This article originally appeared on http://iafrica.com .
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