Paarl - It's the busiest time of the year for the wine industry – harvest – and many farms are opening their gates and vineyards to visitors for festivals over the next few weeks.
At Nederburg in Paarl you can join the annual Harvest at Dusk next Saturday. You’ll get a glass of bubbly on arrival, nibble on some savoury treats served at tables on the lawns in front of the manor house, and then you’ll be put to work picking grapes.
It might sound like a cheeky way for the farm to get you to do their work for them, but trust me, as a novice you’ll pick barely a tenth of what an experienced worker does. If you’re a wine lover, however, it’s a good way to experience first hand the hard labour that goes into getting those grapes from the vines and into your glass.
It’s all in the name of fun. There will be prizes hidden in the vineyards, and more for those who put their heart and feet into stomping the grapes.
Viticulturist Unathi Mantshongo will be there to explain what gives each wine its own personality, and you’ll also taste the fresh must before it becomes wine.
After all that, as the dusk turns to darkness, there’ll be live music and a harvest feast prepared by The Red Table restaurant. Don’t be deceived by the time of day; you’ll still need to wear a hat and sun block, and dress for comfort more than for style. No heels, ladies.
l The Harvest At Dusk begins at 4 for 4.30pm and ends late. It costs R330 a person, R220 for children six to 12 (including a soft drink, juice or water instead of the bubbly). There is no charge for children under six. Booking is essential as there are only 100 tickets. Call The Red Table on 021 877 5155 or send an e-mail to [email protected]
l The Feast Of The Grape takes place on D’Aria in Durbanville on February 28 and March 1, and represents the farms in the valley – Altydgedacht, Bloemendal, De Grendel, Diemersdal, Durbanville Hills, Klein Roosboom, Meerendal, Nitida, Phizante Kraal and Signal Gun, with tastings from all of them, and stalls offering harvest-inspired, festival-friendly dishes.
Explore the Durbanville terroir and wine styles with the winemakers and a Cape Wine Master in the tutored tasting theatre (free, but booking is essential via [email protected]), let the children run loose in a tented area filled with minders, a go-kart track, and an inflatable soccer field.
There will be grape stomping so bring a change of clothing for them, and yourself. This festival will give you a chance to be part of the second vintage of the Durbanville 12, a sauvignon blanc made from grapes from all the farms in the valley.
This festival has partnered with Uber so you can drink and not drive. Sign up with the promotional code Feast2015 and get a free first ride up to R200. Tickets are R110 including a glass and 10 tasting coupons, or R60 for a designated driver ticket.
Children under 18 pay R20 and entrance to the Kids Zone is free. Tickets available at www.quicket.co.za and at Tyger Valley Centre (opposite Clicks) until Monday, at any of the farms, or at the gate. The fun begins at 11am and ends at 7pm on the Saturday, and 6pm on the Sunday. Tastings close at 4pm on both days, but you can buy by the bottle if you wish to continue drinking.
l The ATKV-Oesfees at Solms-Delta (March 21) in Franschhoek is always an opskop of note. The farm is strongly connected with the musical heritage of the Western Cape, and the concert that takes place every year is legendary.
Elvis Blue, Radio Kalahari Orkes and Emo Adams and Koos Kombuis are among the more than 100 uniquely South African performers taking to the stage at the eighth annual festival this year.
The festival gives thanks for and celebrates the end of the harvest, bringing together farmworkers and farm owners from the Franschhoek Valley to kuier and vastrap, along with thousands of other music lovers who enjoy a day of rural Cape sounds and flavours, under the estate’s shady oak trees.
“While now a large-scale event, the ATKV-Oesfees is still as authentic as ever, touching all who perform and attend, with the power of music and gratitude,” said Mark Solms of Solms-Delta. “We are especially delighted that this year’s Oesfees falls on Human Rights Day – there couldn’t be a more appropriate day on the calendar to enjoy this unifying celebration.”
Food will be along the traditional lines of waterblommetjie bredie, snoek en patat, koeksisters, samoosas and hertzoggies. Solms-Delta wines, some aptly named Langarm, Vastrap, Cape Jazz Shiraz, Lekkerwijn and Hiervandaan, will accompany the Boland fare.
Tickets are available online from www.plankton.mobi for R120 (adults) and R35 (children 2-12 years), or at the gate for R150 on the day. Members of Gemeenskap, Solms-Delta’s community-based wine club, can purchase tickets for R99. Entry for children under two is free. Gates open 9am, music from 10am-8pm.
Visit www.solms-delta.co.za or www.oesfees.co.za, call 021 874 3937, or e-mail [email protected]
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