Wine on the River is always SUCH a jol, and this year was no exception. The weather played ball at a scorching 30-plus degrees, the river rolled on peacefully, and the manicured green lawn only served to highlight the epically beautiful surroundings. If you haven’t found yourself sitting on a hay bale sipping a chilled glass of wine under an umbrella along the banks of the Breede – shame!
Standout wines
I had never even heard of Windfall before, but their reds are so darn smooth. Their Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz in particular are ravishing.
Goedverwacht was an education, because for the first time I tried a Colombard (which I ashamedly didn’t even know was a thing!) Their Great Expectations Colombard is so fruity and fresh!
Graham Beck’s Game Reserve Chenin Blanc is loaded with tropical fruit, but is still super crisp. They donate a portion of all their Game Reserve wines to wildlife conservation, so this wine’s good for the environment – bonus.
The Chardonnay I tasted at De Wetshof was unwooded and so yum. Not surprising that it won a gold veritas award. It was awesome that the assistant winemaker (who served us) was a lady. I love seeing ladies dominating the wine industry!
Prettiest stalls
With over 30 stalls at the festival, it helps to have an eye-catching stall. I always look forward to seeing Bonnievale because they put it in so much effort in terms of presentation. Last year their stall was crisp and clean in white and mirror. This year it was abloom in pastel – perfect in preparation for summer.
Viljoensdrift was very suave and sophisticated in their presentation, with dark wood, purple orchids, and smartly dressed wine pourers.
Food
I’m never sure whether I look more forward to the food or the wine at such events – I love both equally! The lamb chops this year came with chips, and the most satisfying giant onion rings I’ve ever laid eyes on. The whole stacked paper cone vibe was impressive too. The chops were tasty, although perhaps a little chewy. Maybe they needed a little more time on the braai.
La Mont were clever little cats walking around with a basket of chicken wraps that would have seemed like a god-send to anyone who may have had a tad too much to drink. It helped that they were delish too.
Where sushi is available it’s always a must for me. Thank goodness for Mimosa! As usual, their sushi was just about perfect. Although I’m convinced their platter portions have shrunk slightly.
Fun and unique experiences
It’s good to take a small break from drinking wine halfway through the day in order to explore everything else the festival offers.
Sumsare had a pretty amazing brandy on offer that was smooth and seemingly floral to my taste. I’m not a brandy fan, but I was informed by my fellow tasters that this brandy is pretty much everything.
Tanagra had just about every flavour of grappa that you could conjure up. Lemon was clearly the most popular as it was finished. I tried their peach offering, and fruit flavoured or not, I won’t be sipping grappa straight anytime soon again.
I don’t know if it was the wine or my inner child, but a horse ride felt like an absolute requirement. Jaapie was my trusty steed, although I was definitely more excited about our time together than he was.
All the boat trips until 5:30 were fully booked, which was kind of heart shattering. Of course nobody wanted a boat trip in the midst of the Bokke taking on Wales. So instead of ending the day with bubbly on a boat, we popped a bottle on the dance floor instead, which was a great opportunity to mingle more closely with fellow festival goers!
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