Our commitment

Our approach includes a commitment to responsible supply chain management, fair trade policies, ethical dealings with our employees as well as the local community, and, of course, the environment.  

We know that some changes can be made immediately; however, others may take a little more time. Virgin Limited Edition is proud to have taken steps at all our properties to reduce any negative environmental impact, and Mont Rochelle is no exception. 

Mont Rochelle is very conscious about ensuring that our supply chains are ethical about the raw materials and labour used. We strive to ensure that as much of our food as possible is locally sourced in South Africa to ensure maximum economic benefit to the people and minimal transport and food miles. 

Located on a 37-hectare vineyard, Mont Rochelle is in a unique position to be able to serve a range of high-quality wines that are produced entirely on-site. The hotel and its two restaurants also serve food and wines purchased from nearby producers, supporting local businesses and economies. It’s all about local sourcing to ensure maximum economic benefit to the community and minimal transport and ‘food miles’.

Our chefs use vegetables from local farmers, and all our fish and shellfish are sourced from local waters. The lamb and springbok come from the Karoo and surrounding regions, and trout is sourced from the local Franschhoek valley.

The on-site herb garden provides parsley, thyme and rosemary for the kitchens. Olives and fruits (including figs, crabapples, pomegranate and kumquat) are all sourced from local trees surrounding Mont Rochelle.

We also have four ladies in the team who have been trained in beekeeping by The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR). The hives are hosted on the Mont Rochelle property and are already producing loads of honey! 

Since 2018, Mont Rochelle has supported FRANCO, an organisation bridging the gap between communities in the Franschhoek Valley, through the Pack for a Purpose scheme. FRANCO has proudly funded many social projects, including ex-offender community reintegration, soup kitchens, life-skills training in schools and early childhood development centres.

A selected number of treatments at the Mont Rochelle spa support the Kusasa Project. At least 15% of the treatment price goes towards assisting their work, promoting academic, sporting and life skills for underprivileged children in the Western Cape.

Mont Rochelle achieved this accreditation earlier this year. Even though Mont Rochelle as like Virgin, looks to put their people and environment first, this accreditation makes it official for the rest of the world to see as well. WIETA accreditation focuses on the well-being and ethical practices of employees in the workplace. This flows through the whole production chain of producing a bottle of wine, from the vineyards to the end consumer. This accreditation also opens more world markets for Mont Rochelle to sell our wines to.

The latest technology has been used for the infrastructure of each vineyard block to improve precision farming methods. Water usage technology is also being used to promote sustainable water usage and improve optimal plant growth and the sustainability of the plants, even in drought-stricken seasons. We also use a cover crop program in all our vineyard blocks where we sow different kinds of seeds on a yearly basis to improve the soils, limit water evaporation and suppress the growth of weeds in the vineyards. We also implemented raptor poles (birds of prey poles) in all our vineyard blocks to promote and improve birds of prey’s ability to control the populations of vermin in the vineyards. These vermin can cause a lot of damage to the root systems of a vineyard plant, and in this way, nature helps us to control this problem.

We were privileged enough to be able to replant the entire farm with exceptional quality vines, cultivars, and clones. This process started with the planning phase in 2015, and the last vines were planted in 2023. At the end of the day, the better the quality of grapes we can produce,e the better the final product in our bottles of wine will be. Each vineyard block was individually planned out and identified to see what rootstock, clone, and cultivar would work best on each different soil type. This was important to achieve Mont Rochelle’s long-term goal for the quality of wines we want to produce.

We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travellers to make a lasting impact in the community at their travel destination.  

If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and bring supplies for area schools or medical clinics in need, you'll make a priceless impact on the lives of our local children and families. 

At Mont Rochelle, we are currently supporting FRANCO to improve collaboration between social programmes and organisations within the Franschhoek Valley. The projects that FRANCO have funded include ex-offender community reintegration, soup kitchens, life skills training in schools, music outreach, school holiday programmes and early childhood development centres.  

FRANCO are also involved with various sports programmes as well as support groups for the elderly and people with disabilities. 

If you’d like to get involved and purchase items to help this worthy cause we’ll be happy to provide a list of supplies. Whether it’s clothing, school supplies or non-perishable food items your donations will make a priceless impact to the lives of local children and families. 

Please click here to see which supplies are needed for our project/projects.