Taking place at the Roundhouse Restaurant and surrounds in Camps Bay Glen in Cape Town, and at The Hyatt in Johannesburg, Under the Influence of Riesling Festival 2009 is a four day event welcoming the best international Riesling producers and their South African counterparts as they successfully showcase the versatility and compatibility of Riesling as an excellent lifestyle companion to the warm South African climate and cuisine.

The producers who produce wines across thirteen regions over Germany, Slovakia, Austria, Australia, Portugal, Washington State (USA) and South Africa are here at the invitation of Sommelier Jörg Pfützner on behalf of The Riesling Club who, along with luxury lifestyle magazine G&W (Golf und Wein) and Under the Influence Wine Society and Lexus, is promoting the culture of Riesling in South Africa.

International producers in South Africa
Participating producers are Egon Müller, JL Wolf and Dr Loosen Estates, Willi Bründlmayer, Philipp Wittmann, Hermann Dönhoff, Dirk van der Niepoort, Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, Werner Mayer-Näkel and Robert Weil also includes the top South African Riesling producers who will also be exhibiting their wines as well as hosting workshops and fine dining events for the trade, media and public.

Programme of Events
The festival which will take place over four days will consist of:

- Four workshops (for wine lovers, trade and press)
- Two fine dining tasting events (Cape Town and Johannesburg)
- A food and wine pairing tasting and exhibition with four of South Africa’s top celebrity chefs and all participating local and international Riesling producers.
- A three course degustation picnic accompanied by both international and local Rieslings on the lawns of the 222 year old Roundhouse featuring one of Germany’s top live performers, Sven Meyer.

Riesling & Wine Pairing Exhibition (Chefs & Producers)
Aubergine’s Harald Bresselschmidt, Overture’s Bertus Basson, The Collection Hotel Group’s Peter Tempelhoff and Roundhouse Restaurant will, alongside the Riesling producers, create food and wine pairings at the festival. Guests will be able to visit the exhibition stands of the chefs and Riesling producers, tasting their dishes and sampling the matching wines.

 

Johannesburg (19th February)
Venue:
Workshop and Fine Dining Event 18h00 onwards to be held at The Hyatt in Rosebank

Cape Town (20th February)
Venue: Roundhouse Restaurant
Workshop and Fine Dining Event 18h00 onwards

Cape Town (21st February)
Venue: Stans Halt Tasting Room (Roundhouse)
Workshop for Winemakers and Enthusiasts 11h00 - 13h00

Roundhouse Surrounds:
Riesling and Food Pairing Exhibition 15h00 onwards
Degustation Picnic 18h00 –21h30

Cape Town (22nd February)
Venue: Cellars Hohenort Hotel
Press and trade workshop (press and trade to be advised by invitation only)

Cost:
Johannesburg workshop and fine dining event R2350
Cape Town workshop and fine dining event R2350
Cape Town Winemakers Workshop R450
Riesling and Food Pairing Exhibition plus Picnic cost R500 per person

 

Johannesburg –The Hyatt, Rosebank, Johannesburg
Cape Town –Roundhouse Restaurant and terraced lawns, Kloof Nek Road, Camps Bay Glen

For further information on the festival and ticket prices, please contact Jörg Pfützner on info@rieslingclub.co.za or call him on 072 467 5943.