Food & Wine

Cosecha Latin Luncheon – Noble Hill

H|H Cosecha- Noble Hill 5

I recently introduced a friend to Viognier, a grape cultivar that’s rarely appreciated. I just so happened to have taken a bottle of Noble Hill Viogner to a friend’s dinner event one evening and he raved about this particular vintage. With this in mind when we both managed to have a free moment from life, setting up our own business ventures and well the mundane existence of laundry. We decided to take a break, grab a bite to eat and catch up. We bitched and gossiped a little too!

I originally thought that a walk through the Babylonstoren gardens and a look at their newly launched tasting room would be fantastic, until we drove past Noble Hill and I was reminded of the novice Viognier drinker, the wonderful dogs on the farm and feeling of family at this boutique estate.

Restaurant entrance

Now, I’ve visited the tasting room more times than I can count, every trade show, every summer(that I manage to enjoy) with some of their Mouverdre rose at home. However, the welcome and service you get when you walk in, simply personal. I love their dogs, not all people do but to me, animals and great people-wine too are what makes a home and encouraged me to not just drive past this little spot.

Staring out the large window of the modern, yet natural tasting room, as we quaffed, chatted, took a few selfies and were enlightened by just how boutique this estate and wine production is.

It was time to eat!.

Restaurant table

Cosecha Spanish for vintage, crop, yield- more so Harvest. A fitting name of their on-estate Latin restaurant especially as we slowly just began this anticipated period in the Boland, to most this is the true “season” and busiest time of year.

Our lunching experience at Cosecha was simply one the most flavour packed meals we have eaten in a while, in the french inspired town of Franschhoek most meals are simply braised in a little butter with slight addition of classic flavours! Here on the outskirts of Paarl and the French corner was bursts of fresh lime,smoky chipotle and Lamb barbacoa packed with umami flavour-OUR BEST!

We loved our dishes and spoke so much to the lovely owner Kathleen that we barely photographed a thing.

Luckily fellow writer Keri Bainborough had recently visited and snapped these great pics here.

Cosecha at Noble Hill Guacamole
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We started with the Prawn Ceviche to share with a few corn soft tacos (I have no idea who Tim Noakes is nor his agenda) and some Mescal before opening our Chardonnay. Fresh flavours with a good balance of lime and corriander-a little shy on prawns but at the price we paid who can complain.They also make quite a theatrical guacamole with bringing the stone pestle and mortar to your table to get the Gauc’ to your exact liking.

Mains were delicious! Slow-cooked lamb leg, green rice, served with the most robust jalapeno mint salsa from above and shredded pork in homemade tortillas with green apple salsa. If we hadn’t eaten enough Mr Viognier decided to have TWO desserts off the board. Catherine punted the chocolate cake and he craved the NYC chocolate cheesecake, so in true style he ordered-and ate-both.

Then a picnic basket passed us……but that’s a post for another (Summer’s) day.

Thanks to Jo’ and Kathleen & Chef for the super friendly service it was truly memorable.

P.S be sure to take a walk to the dam -also used as their picnic area- after lunch it’s a cute place to just chill after such a lovely lunch.


Noble Hill Wine Estate & Cosecha restaurant | +27.21.874.3844 info@noblehill.com 

IMAGES: Kristopher A. Tillery for Noble Hill

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