Harvest time marks a special period in the Cape winelands. Between January and March each year, the grapes ripen and are harvested to start the magical process of winemaking. The Paarl Harvest Celebration creates a unique opportunity for wine enthusiasts to experience the journey from the vineyards to the bottle.
On Saturday March 2, nine wine producers in the region have joined forces to offer a fun day with harvest activities, excellent wines, fabulous food and great entertainment for the entire family. From 8am to 6pm, visitors can try grape stomping, barrel rolling, explore working wine cellars and go on guided vineyard tours.
There are special food and wine pairings, wine tasting sessions and lots of child-friendly activities.
The jam-packed itinerary includes Boland Cellar, Domaine Brahms, Mellasat, Nederburg, Perdeberg, Rhebokskloof, Simonsvlei, Vendôme and Windmeul. Each winery presents its own programme and visitors can decide whether they’d prefer to chill in one spot or visit as many participants as possible. A hop-on hop-off shuttle will be available between the nine participating Paarl Harvest Celebration farms from 9.30am departing every 15 minutes.
Start the day with a scrumptious breakfast at Domaine Brahms and Mellasat or a cup of coffee served with traditional, freshly baked mosbolletjies at Windmeul. Food trucks and pop-up food stalls will serve a variety of menus ranging from traditional South African delicacies to gourmet street food at Boland, Nederburg, Perdeberg, Vendôme, Simonsvlei and Windmeul.
Find time to relax with a vino-therapy foot massage at Mellasat or a yoga session on the sweeping lawns in front of the impressive manor house at Nederburg. Most of the participating wineries offer special kids’ areas, where the youngsters can play under supervision, while the adults indulge in tasting young wines and a selection of different cultivars or make use of the special offers to stock up on award-winning wines.
Each winery presents their own programme on the day. Bookings and payments can be done directly at each participating venue.
Tickets for the shuttles can be purchased online for R100. For more information contact +27 (0) 87 094 3850 or +27 (0) 78 706 9560.
Visit www.paarlharvestcelebration.co.za for updates, detailed programmes and entry costs.
Follow @VisitPaarl on social media for more information and the latest harvest news.