Tea at Pierneef à La Motte

I recently received an invitation to experience the brand new Winelands Tea at Pierneef à La Motte in Franschhoek. The invitation was hand delivered, complete with a decadent mini red velvet cake as a taste of what’s to come. The red velvet cake was heavenly, to say the least! So my expectations were high as we confirmed our tea date for the 13th of February 2013.

My husband and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary this year on the 14th of February, and as we don’t like to compete with the madness of Valentines Day, we decided to make the Winelands Tea a part of our anniversary celebrations on the 13th. We thought it would be quite romantic to be sharing a cup of the world’s finest tea in the breathtaking Franschhoek valley, while enjoying some delectable cakes and confectionery.

It was my first visit at the beautifully kept La Motte Estate in Franschhoek. We were greeted by the very friendly host, and were shown to our table. Here we each received a glass of La Motte MCC, while our waiter explained the menu for their Winelands Tea. It consisted of 5 delectable treats – 2 of whom were savoury, and the rest sweet. We each had a layered trout pancake with cream cheese, poppy seeds and chives (and some kind of almost curry-flavoured egg yolk, I just couldn’t put my finger on it!), a rosewater macaroon, a melktert-flavoured chocolate truffle, a biltong-topped choux bun filled with a delicious savoury custard, and then we also got to choose from an array of cakes. I chose a mint mousse cake, and Schalk had a caramel crunch cake. I would have to say that I enjoyed his choice more than I enjoyed mine (I tasted 3 of the 5 cake choices, and my recommendation would be the super moist red velvet cake). Still, my favourite confection of the day was the immaculate trout pancake, a surprising verdict coming from a dedicated sweet tooth like myself.

We were also presented with a wide selection of TWG teas, and I opted for the Creme Caramel flavour (a rooibos variety). We were encouraged to enjoy the tea without milk or sugar, and it was truly refreshing.

The whole experience was very relaxed, yet classy and decadent – an absolute must for special occasions. The service was impeccable and the staff were very friendly and extremely well informed. We were even treated with a glass of La Motte straw wine at the end of the tea affair – a sweet viognier with intense apricot and almond flavours. It was the perfect ending to an afternoon of pure indulgence.

The Winelands Tea at Pierneef à La Motte costs R125 per person. Sweet wine or sparkling wine can be ordered at an additional R20 per glass – totally worth it. Be sure to also take a peak inside the “Plaaswinkel” – there are some really beautiful things for your kitchen and home.