La Vierge Restaurant

Nestled in the folds of the Hemel en Aarde Valley in Hermanus is La Vierge Wine Farm and La Vierge Restaurant and Champagne Verandah. La Vierge Restaurant is situated in an elevated position enabling diners to take full advantage of the picturesque view of the valley's vineyards, farmlands and the distant ocean.

La Vierge Wines can be paired with the available set menus and are presented in four ranges – The Premium La Vierge selection (Sauvignon Blanc, Weisser Riesling and Redemption Sauvignon Blanc), the Lifestyle Temptation range (Sauvignon Blanc, Rose and Syrah Red Blend) and the maiden vintage Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines recently released in the first months of 2010.

The entrance to the restaurant is above the wine vats and guests walk on a platform above these to reach the verandah and the restaurant. The decor is contemporary and there are floor to ceiling windows which make the most of the panoramic vistas.

There is an outside seating area on the verandah which is the ideal place to sit on a nice Summer's day. Colorful umbrellas provide shade and the menu has a delightful selection of lighter meals for lunch time, as well as starters, a "soup du jour", dessert options and a Cheese Platter.

The La Vierge (meaning virgin in French) logo represents Adam & Eve pondering the serpent and the apple. The Temptations Menu was themed "Spring in the Garden of Eden" and the wording included "surrender your senses". Strong, seductive colours are used in the branding elements and incorporated in some of the decor items and table settings.

A pianist played beautiful background music on the evening of our review setting the scene for
a memorable and romantic night in this fertile valley. We enjoyed some delicious home-made bread with real butter and perused the menu options while enjoying an extra starter of Anise Fish pate covered with caviar, with compliments of the restaurant.

My partner chose the set menu with the wine pairing suggestion and I selected my courses from the main menu. The Quintet of Love consisted of 5 fresh Luderitz Oysters paired with La Vierge Original Sin. Gratinated with a Champagne Sabayon the oysters were rich and elegant in flavor, topped with leeks. I had the most incredible Potato and Leek (Pomme du Jour) soup which was substantial and textured. It tasted 100% home-made.

The Seared Soya and Honey Marinated Norwegian Salmon was the set menu item paired with La Vierge Noir and I decided on the Market Fish. The Salmon was gently cooked so it was still rare in the middle. It melted in the mouth and was accompanied by a red wine and balsamic reduction, poached potatoes and a star anise infused tomato and aubergine concasse. It was slightly sticky and we could taste soya and honey . Kingklip was the market fish of the day and it was lightly pan-fried and served on a bed of mushy peas. We received a platter of crisp vegetables with our meal consisting of sugar snap peas, carrots, green beans and courgettes.

We both opted for The Fruit of All Evil for dessert which appeared on the set menu and was paired with the exceptional La Vierge Noble Late Harvest Weisser Riesling. The dessert was a flat, French-style baked apple puff pastry tart dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with creamy Vanilla Pod Ice Cream and apple syrup. It looked like a pancake with thinly sliced apple on the top. We ended this excellent evening off with a refreshing cup of tea.

La Vierge is a place of distinction with an inspiring menu, outstanding wines, breathtaking views, professional, prompt service and beautiful music which just adds a touch of class and glamour to any occasion.