The parade, which forms part of the 2015 Stellenbosch
Wine Festival presented by Pick n Pay, celebrated the essence of the winelands
and paid homage to the thousands of men and women responsible for the
incredible success of the wine industry in Stellenbosch and the surrounding
areas with an official blessing of the harvest.
Pre-festival festivities taking place in central
Stellenbosch include a colourful harvest street parade and the traditional
blessing of the harvest ceremony, followed by a street festival on Saturday, 24
January. On Wednesday, 28 January, guests can sit down to an elegant,
open-air gala dinner in Plein Street, right in front of the impressive Town
Hall for the Longridge Long Table. Winery Experiences will run from 24
January to 1 February on various farms and estates in and around Stellenbosch.
The festival will culminate in a three-day wine and
lifestyle experience from Friday, 30 January to Sunday, 1 February at the
Coetzenburg grounds. Located in a natural amphitheatre, the grounds are
surrounded by mountains, a river and oak-lined walkways, and couldn’t be a
better location in which to enjoy good food and wine – and great entertainment.
EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF STELLENBOSCH DURING THE 2015
STELLENBOSCH WINE FESTIVAL
Visitors to the annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival
presented by Pick n Pay can expect an extraordinary wine and lifestyle
experience. From 30 January to 1 February, festival goers can enjoy the
best of Stellenbosch at the picturesque Coetzenburg grounds – great food,
fabulous wines, live entertainment and fun activities for the whole family.
SCINTILLATING MUSIC LINE-UP
See some of South Africa’s top artists in action
during daily sunset concerts and enjoy the great ambience of the festival
venue. These concerts are all included in the price of a daily venue
entrance ticket. Starting on Friday, 30 January from 20h00 to 22h00, the
ever-popular Jannie Moolman, Corlea Botha and Riana Nel will take festival
goers on a musical journey with everything from classically-inspired ballades
to more up-tempo numbers. If you prefer a more laid-back sound,
then the jazzy sounds of Auriol Hays coupled with the magical fusion of
instrumental act Sterling EQ will definitely appeal to you. You’ll find them on
stage on Saturday, 31 January at 16h30 and 19h00 respectively. Be sure
not to miss guitarist and vocalist Jeremy Olivier on Sunday afternoon from
13h00. Wrapping up the weekend’s entertainment will be an intimate
session with the incredible Kahn, frontman of The Parlotones, from 16h00 to
18h00.
A WORLD OF WINE
Take a virtual tour of the Stellenbosch winelands
under one roof. More than 350 different wines from participating wineries
will be available for tasting. This is the ideal opportunity to expand
your wine knowledge, experiment with new varietals and to taste the latest vintages.
Many prominent Stellenbosch winemakers will be on hand to personally introduce
their wines to the public. Several boutique wineries will only present
their wines on Sunday. All the wines can be purchased on-site at the Pick
n Pay Wine Shop.
GOURMET LANE
Take a culinary journey and experience why
Stellenbosch is considered the gourmet capital of South Africa. Local
restaurants such as Wild Peacock Emporium, Blaauwklippen, Eaglevlei, Clos
Malverne, Spier and Bistro13 (Stellenbosch Vineyards) have paired their
signature dishes with a special wine and guarantee to tantalise your taste
buds. Some of the delicious offerings include: fresh oysters, charcuterie and
cheese platters, kebabs, burgers, pork belly, spring rolls, steak tartare,
tempura prawns, fresh strawberries and cream, wine sorbet and much more.
EXCLUSIVE TASTING ROOM
Pick n Pay SmartShopper cardholders have the unique
opportunity to enjoy special food and wine pairings in a dedicated tasting
room. Winemakers from Spier, Kleine Zalze, Villiera and Waterford Estate
present daily sessions to reveal the secrets behind perfect food and wine
combinations. These award-winning wines are paired with tasting portions
that will highlight the unique characteristics of the wines. Sessions
last for 30 minutes and only 40 people can be accommodated per session.
For bookings, e-mail savannah@worldsport.co.za.
FUN ACTIVITIES
Experience the essence of the winelands by trying out
some wine-related activities. Challenge your friends and show your skills
at grape stomping, barrel rolling and bottle opening competitions. Enter
the Pick n Pay Women’s Walk on Saturday, 31 January, and enjoy a fun 5km walk
through the streets of Stellenbosch in aid of breast cancer awareness.
MTB enthusiasts can look forward to the 18km Momentum MTB Grape Ride on Sunday,
1 February. Participants in the walk and MTB ride will receive free venue
access, but have to purchase a glass for tasting.
KIDS CORNER
Dedicated kiddies’ entertainment at the Momentum
Health Kiddies Area will ensure that toddlers to tweens have loads of fun,
while parents relax and enjoy the festival. The Klouter Kabouter
playground with its mini jumping castles and fun inflatables will cater for the
toddlers, while tweens will love the larger castles and water slide. A
team of dedicated, qualified caretakers will be on duty every day to oversee
activities and make sure everything runs without a hitch.
BOOK NOW!
Tickets are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment. Daily tickets are available from www.webtickets.co.za at R170 per adult, which includes a R20 voucher, redeemable at the on-site PnP wine shop. The daily ticket price for children between the ages of three and 17 is R60, while children under three enter free of charge.
Follow the Stellenbosch Wine Festival on Twitter
@StellWineFest and sign up for regular updates on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/StellenboschWineFestival.