The cold months are such a good time to visit the Cape winelands, and when winter days dawn with not a cloud in the sky, there is nothing more beautiful than the French corner's rows of fallow vineyards and lush greenery offset by rugged mountain.

I could spend hours just looking at this beautiful setting, perhaps with a delicious cup of tea in hand, as I rest my eyes and soul from months spent foraging in the concrete jungle.

Not so long ago, I found myself doing just that from a luxurious vantage point above the quaint town of Franschhoek.

The bright winter sun beat down on us as we sat down for breakfast on the patio of Mont Rochelle's wonderful restaurant, Mange Tout on a Sunday morning.

A twice baked cheese soufflé was to be my breakfast —a decadent savoury breakfast that perfectly suits the incredible view. But I digress. Though breakfast is an absolute joy at Mange Tout, it is for the dinner menu set in the hotel's round dining room for which I write.

Walk into the dining room in the evening and be serenaded by piano maestro Alfio as he plays the white baby grand in the corner. Alfio even has a dessert named after him (Alfio's Duet) — a white chocolate panna cotta, oreo and blueberry compote — probably the most decadent thing on the menu.

Chef Leigh Trout created a fresh and interesting menu at Mange Tout, heading up the food side of things at Mont Rochelle for over a year. He has recently left the restaurant in order to pursue his business interests, but has left behind some creative dishes, that add twists to old favourites.

A lasagna constructed on the plate it's served, containing Shamji mushrooms, cheese fondue, toasted pinenuts and what I think was kale leaves —bright green leaves cross between spinach and broccoli in flavour — offered a tasty start to my evening at Mange Tout.

The starter is subtle yet flavourful and best of all, it's light, so you'll have space to enjoy your main course. Of the four starters on the menu, three seem to have an Italian root. The open mushroom lasagna, the Mange Tout minestrone and the West Coast crayfish cannelloni all have a particular Italian flavour. My partner swore by the cannelloni creation too, served with orange segments, coconut and pepper dew sauce.  

Our food was accompanied by wine from the estate. This was an interesting moment as though our waitress was attentive, she was not able to recommend any particular wines. Wine is a big focus at Mont Rochelle as the estate produces some fine examples of cultivars grown mostly on the property by winemaker Dustin Osborne and his team.

But while the Mange Tout waitresses seemed aware of the importance of the wines, they didn't come across as being as knowledgeable as they should be about which to recommend with each dish.

We started with the Mont Rochelle Chardonnay which was lightly oaked and perfectly agreeable with both starters. I should have stuck with this wine for my main of guinea fowl, but instead had a Mont Rochelle blend called the Artemis. The wine is robust, with a palette of berry. It's a delicious wine, but I wasn't convinced by the pairing with the guinea fowl, even if it seemed to make sense to pair such a robust wine with the meal because of the Van der Hum jus it was served in.  

My partner enjoyed his meal of Kingklip with braised fennel, sweet potato gnocchi and orange and misu, with the Mont Rochelle Merlot.

Aside from offering Mont Rochelle's own excellent wine, Mange Tout's wine menu has an extensive wine list of other top wines from South African and beyond. I do like this as I feel that a restaurant that's serious about hospitality should confidently offer a good selection. Besides, with wine that's as good as Mont Rochelle's they've nothing to lose.

The restaurant is a lovely place to spend an evening if you're visiting the area, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny. Even though the restaurant has specials available, such as a two-course winter special at R150 per person or a three-course one for R190, you're likely to get caught by the wine which is pretty costly. For the more serious foodies, Leigh Trout has put together a degustation menu of five courses.

Go along a little earlier so that you can watch the light fade over the valley and the twinkling lights come on in town while you enjoy a drink. It's a romantic setting and one that's really worth the experience.

Contact  Mont Rochelle to make a booking at Mange Tout by calling 021 876 2770 . Or visit their website for more information by clicking here.