Home & Away with Robert Walshe
Destination Hotspot Grande Roche Paarl South Africa
Grande Roche situated on the site of the old De Nieuwe Plantasie in the Drakenstein valley of Paarl, South Africa is hotel, famous for its exquisite location in the heart of the Cape Wineland’s as well luxurious accom-
Bosman’s Restaurant at Grande Roche Paarl.
www.robertwalshe.com
modation, award winning cuisine and flawless service and hospitality. Its heritage dates back to 1717 when a grant of land was given to Hermanus Bosman, the ‘sick comforter‘and assistant to the Reverend Simond. After being in the same family’s possession for nearly 200 years, it was modernised in 1926 by new owners the Du Toit family. After a fire in 1953, it was rebuilt as a Victorian manor house. It was finally transformed into a luxury hotel in 1991 following its Cape Dutch restoration and declared two years later a national monument. The rooms spread over a number of smaller buildings are joined by manicured lawns shaded by pretty trees and decorated with a wealth of rose bushes. This remarkable attention to detail extends to the bedrooms, the most popular of which are the terraced suites. “Bosman’s” situated in the manor house is a silver service restaurant appealing to the most discerning of palates and used to winning “Best of Award’s” in many international magazines. The cosmopolitan atmosphere in the dining room is relaxed without paintings on the wall to detract from the views across the vineyards. Michelin-trained Executive Chef, Roland Gorgosilich, infuses classic international cuisine with imagination and innovation. Sommelier Jacques Mbuyi offer’s one of the best wine list compilations in the country,
covering South African as well as international wines. Grande Roche Hotel facilities include tennis courts, outdoor pool as well as a steam room and conference rooms. www.granderoche.com Nearby the town of Paarl has a unique character, not least because vineyards still grow in between residential neighbourhoods but also because it is here that the struggle to gain recognition for Afrikaans as a written language was achieved. Today the Afrikaans Language Museum bears testament to this accomplishment and there is a monument to this unique language on the slopes of Paarl Mountain. Main Street Paarl is a colourful collection of beautifully restored Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian buildings and includes the oldest Dutch Reformed Church in the country – the Strooidak Church - and the Paarl Museum. A large variety of grapes are grown in Paarl, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc and the Paarl Wine Route is also known as the ‘Red Route’ because of this. “L’Ormarins” based in nearby Francschhoek is the home base and main estate of Anthonij Rupert wines. The vineyards have been extensively remodeled over the last six years, with the lower lying vineyards pulled out and new plantings higher up the slopes of the Groot Drakenstein Mountains. The Anthonij
The Grande Roche Paarl South Africa.
Rupert Wines philosophy of matching meals are served in porcelain dishes variety to site, to produce the highest on flights. For great fares visit www. quality of fruit, with neither expense turkishairlines.com nor commitment spared to capture Robert Walshe is a travel broadthat quality in a bottle, guarantees caster with Q Radio & Travel Editor a current portfolio of wines that are for numerous print and online publisecond to none. My preferred car cations on the island of Ireland. www. rental company on this trip was Hertz robertwalshe.com & pick up is available in downtown Capetown or at the International airport. Hertz consumer discounts with full details are available at www.hertz.ie Turkish airlines fly daily from Dublin to Capetown via Istanbul. Their business class service is by far the most impressive of the Middle Eastern carriers departing Ireland. World class cusine at Bosman’s Restaurant In fact all business class Grande Roche Hotel Paarl.