Under the Influence of Mont Rochelle
If you get the chance to visit Franschhoek after the world opens up, you may find yourself temporarily lost and confused, you won’t believe that this beautiful little Corner is indeed in Africa. Translated from Afrikaans, Franschhoek means the French Corner. This quaint little town full of beautiful Dutch Architecture has become the unofficial food and wine capital of the cape.
Franschhoek’s original inhabitants were the Khoisan people. In the late 1600’s French Huguenots, escaping religious prosecution moved down to the Cape. Many of these settlers named their farms after the different areas where they came from originally in France. Many of these farms have grown into renowned wineries and still retain their French names such as Boschendal, La Motte, Vrede en Lust, Haute Cabriere, Mont Rochelle, Rupert and Rothschild and Chamonix.
Mont Rochelle has had a few owners over the years with of the most notable being Miko Rwayitare. Rwandan born, and educated in the DRC, he is credited with building Africa’s first ever mobile services provider and reportedly the first man to make a cellphone call on the continent. He was also the first black owner of a vineyard in South Africa – Mont Rochelle. The vineyard’s premium wines are named after him – as well as the restaurant. The Miko Range is only produced in exceptional vintages, ensuring that the best wine possible is bottled in his memory.
Mont Rochelle was purchased by Sir Richard Branson in 2014 and is part of the exclusive Virgin Limited Edition collection which includes Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, Kasbah Tamadot in Morcocco, Mahali Mzuri in Kenya, The Lodge in Verbier, Son Bunyola in Mallorca and Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa.
We are proud to be an exclusive distributor for this amazing range of wines. Dustin Osborne, the winemaker at Mont Rochelle is a qualified oenologist and viticulturist. Dustin embodies the spirit of the new generation of wine makers, and is recognized among the most promising of South Africa’s new winemakers.
Even if you can’t get down to the Cape, there is a beautiful place right here in the Masaai Mara to enjoy high end hospitality and also to sip some of these delicious wines as you watch a magical African sunset. Click here for more information on what we reckon is one of the most beautiful places in Kenya – Mahali Mzuri.