When an event is billed as ‘an epic midweek wine-tasting adventure’, you kind of have to go and see what it’s all about… which is how I ended up at work with a very sore head this Thursday morning. And it was worth every Panado.
Tuning the Vine is something like First Thursday meets Franschhoek Uncorked. The idea is simple: buy your ticket, pick up an official #innercitywineroute glass at one of the three starting points, and spend the next four hours working your way through 21 awesome venues and tasting in the region of 200 wines. It’s a pretty nifty concept, bringing together the best of the Winelands and the city’s hottest bars and eateries. A perfect blend, you might say.
SO WE’LL TASTE SOME WINE – WHAT ELSE?
If sipping and swirling is too repetitive for you, rest assured that Tuning the Vine has a little more in the bottle. Activities at the various venues in the past have included crash courses in wine, cider master classes, cellar talks and food and wine pairings.
Live music and a few madcap touches – like temporary wine-themed tattoos (see below) – round off the atmosphere.
WHERE TO FIRST?
Once you have your glass, it makes sense to follow the route from your starting point, but don’t miss out on a visit to the Heritage Square wineries Dorrance and Signal Hill, two urban wineries proving that you don’t need to be an hour out of Cape Town to produce a good bottle.
SURVIVE THURSDAY MORNING
It’s almost too embarrassing to admit, but I made a rookie error when first I ‘tuned the vine’ – getting overly-involved in the wine and forgetting about dinner. Which is a crying shame, really, when you consider that the route is home to some of Cape Town’s most beloved restaurants.
Weinhaus was cooking up its usual meaty storm on the outdoor grill, Charango’s Peruvian cuisine had it packed with punters, Bocca was serving up Italian delights, and don’t even get me started on trendy upper Bree, with Bacon Bar, Culture Club Cheese and Palma all within spitting distance.
GET IN ON THE ACTION
The next Tuning the Vine will take place on 10 February 2016 – get your tickets here.
VENUES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
YoungBlood | Yours Truly | Dorrance | Signal Hill | HQ |House of Machines | Weinhaus & Biergarten | Publik | Charango | Bocca | The Gin Bar | Tjing Tjing | ABC Bar at The Taj |Reserve Wine Vault | Twankey Bar | Jason Bakery | Palma | Culture Club | Bacon on Bree | Door 221 | Little Saint
Photography courtesy