It’s harvest time in the Cape Winelands and, in an ideal world, you’d be able to visit each and every wine estate to watch them craft their exquisite wares. While this may seem a bit farfetched, there is a next best (possibly better) thing to enjoy – the Stellenbosch Wine Festival. With three days of incredible food, fun family activities and the finest wine in the country, The Stellenbosch Wine Festival is one of the biggest wine events on any wine connoisseur’s calendar. Here’s what you can expect at this year’s #SWF2017.
1 Food, glorious food
One of the most popular parts of the festival (aside from the wine) is food. The famous Gourmet Lane will once again provide festivalgoers with scrumptious eats and treats. Expect a plethora of delectable delights from traditional braai boards to gelato and everything in between. Keep an eye out for bespoke food options paired with Fleur du Cap wines by The Goose Roasters and oysters with bubbly from Aphrodite Oysters. You can also attend a canapé pairing session at the Pick n Pay Tasting Room, where an expert will teach you which wines goes best with which foods. A session is R75 and booking is recommended to secure your spot.
2 Music and laughs
No festival is complete without music to liven the mood. Live music will be played throughout the festival and what better way to end off your day than sipping on a glass while enjoying a sunset concert? Performers include Riku Latti, Manny Walters, Tribal Echo, Mila, Hugo Brand, Young Folks and Basson Laubscher. For a full list of artists and the times of their performances, click here. The team from Kyk Net’s Toks & Tjops will be getting up to their hilarious shenanigans live on set from the festival too.
3 Family fun
This fest’s not just about the wine (although it is the main attraction)! There’s plenty of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. First and foremost, it wouldn’t be harvest time in the Winelands without some good old-fashioned grape stomping. There’ll also be a wine-barrel race where you can show off your athleticism or you can do some good by participating in the Pick n Pay Women’s Walk, a 5 km family fun walk in aid of breast cancer awareness and education(R30 – R65 at Webtickets, with a festival entrance discount of R100). The walk takes place on Saturday 25 February at 8 am. No babysitter? No worries! The Momentum Health Kiddies Area will have professional minders to watch the little ones in a playground complete with jumping castle, face-painting and a creative corner.
4 Wine, wine and … more wine
With more than 75 wine estates attending the festival, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Whether you love red, white, blush, bubbles or all of the above, you’ll find a number of wines on offer. This year, the festival has included The Pick n Pay Wine Library where you can try bespoke wines from the region, presented by the winemakers who produced them. These intimate sessions run every 45 minutes throughout the festival (R150 pp per session – book here for this rare opportunity).
OF NOTE
When Friday 24 February – Sunday 26 February 2017
Where Coetzenburg Sports Grounds, Stellenbosch
Cost Day pass: R190 for adults, R60 for children 12 to 18, free for children under 12; Weekend pass: R450 pp, all adult tickets include a tasting glass and cashless voucher and are available at Webtickets
Contact +27 1 886 4330, stellenboschwinefestival.co.za
Photography Courtesy images