Laborie is the jewel of the KWV crown and the accommodation, apart from the Manor House was built to put up visiting wine industry executives. As a result of this it has a slightly staid, corporate look about it, but the upside is that the quality of the furnishings is top notch. Take room five, the Jean Taillefert suite, which has a floor-to-ceiling wall unit. You won't find even a hint of melamine or chipboard here.
This is old-school artisan carpentry from solid timber. Created and installed by a joiner who has incorporated a bar basin in one section of it and secret spaces to house the TV and other technologies in another. There is also a library of thumbed books so varied and interesting that the collection evolved, rather than as a result of the studied placement by an interior decorator. I like the fact that despite its 300-year heritage, there is strong and free Wi-Fi reception in the room.
If you're smart, you'll arrange for a sleep-over party for a group of your friends and take over the Manor House. We were the only two at breakfast when we stayed but it was truly the most fabulous of breakfasts not only on account of the quality ingredients but also because we sat at the head of a yellow-wood table that went on for metres, as if pointing right out of the front door and onwards to the mountains. Can you imagine a dinner for 20 of your friends around a table such as this one?
Again because of the connection to KWV, the art collection in the Manor House is first-rate with heritage pieces and many notable South African artworks from the 1970's onwards.
We found the food at the Laborie restaurant top-notch and the producer's market they hold here on a Saturday the perfect place to stock up on goodies for a picnic. The accommodation is graded four-stars but all you need to have a five-star experience is to bring along your own bathrobe and slippers.
For more information call Laborie, Main Road, Paarl, +27 (0) 21 807 3390, or go to az.oc.seniweirobal@noitadommocca.
