The Bot River Spring Weekend 2016
Fri Sep 2, 17:00 - Sun Sep 4, 16:00
Bot River Town Square
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Bot River hosts a blooming nice Spring Weekend!A pantry of homegrown pleasures to be savoured...
The tickets above are all explained below in a dazzling array of awesomeness, however in summary:
1. ADULT PASS: This entitles 1 x Adult to freely venture from farm to farm, over both the Saturday (10am-5pm) and Sunday(11am-3pm), and savour the complimentary tastings each estate has put on for the Spring Weekend. Please collect your complimentary Bot River Spring Weekend tasting glass from the Tourist Information Office (Google Map link in "When and Where").
2. MAGNUM MAGNIFICENCE DINNER: Bigger is better, and we're showing the best of it. The Dinner will be held in the Beaumont Cellar on the Friday night (September 2nd) from 5pm to 10pm. It will be a Sommelier-presented showcasing of the best large-format bottles sourced from Bot River farms, paired with 8 courses of delectable cuisine from Nici Beaumont and her Zest Catering organisation. Spaces are limited ... something not to be missed.
3. PINK GIN & BUBBLE POLO: The beautiful people at Maramanna Polo Estate have taken their hand to making a spot of gin!
So...let's have a sundowner there, have a spot of bubbles from Genevieve MCC, maybe an oyster or six, and settle in to a "Battle of the Bounciest".
Yup, we're sticking winemakers, sommeliers and selected members of the public into giant inflatable plastic balls, and having a proper 5 on 5 match up, Polo-Style! Bounce-Off commences at 5pm ~ Pink Gin, Bubbles, Oysters and Nibbly Picnic Baskets available on-site.
4. SPIT & SKOFFEL NIGHT: On Bot River's most recent wine farm additions, there'll be a Saturday Night session of Spit-braaing and Lang-arm Skoffel at the farm on the Karwyderskraal Road. This will be a "parents' night off" (so no children please), and bring your dancing shoes! Welcome drinks kick off the festivities from 19:00h, and a full bar will continue to welcome you until the later hours. For any further enquiries please contact [email protected].
5. SO WHAT DO I DO FOR BREAKFAST ON SUNDAY?: Good question. You'll need something hearty to put you in good stead for the final leg. Join any of the listed farms above who'll be putting on a spread ~ Please, please book in advance as to give fair warning. You'll be joining most of the farms in their personal kitchens, so let them know you'd love to be a part of their morning too.
FOR ALL EXTRA ENQUIRIES, PLEASE EMAIL: [email protected] ~ & for the full dazzling array of awesomeness, please continue to read on:
Home to eminent wine mavericks, Bot River features 11 wine farms – most of them family-owned and run – and during the Spring Weekend each of them will share something unique to their ‘farm cupboard’. Albeit olive oils, fresh produce, deli offerings, honest wines, farm fare, indigenous greenery or local talent, it will be a sumptuous showcase of Bot River’s brimming ‘pantry of delights’. But this heart shaped town offers far more than just fine wines and fresh air and it is during this weekend of homegrown goodness that visitors will experience its distinct, laid-back character and quirky, country charm whilst interacting with its amicable farm owners and winemakers.
“Bot River’s chilled approach to life and playful camaraderie amongst its winemakers is infectious and makes one feel part of the community almost instantaneously. As if our genuine hospitality is not enough to perk you up, the scenic drive to our Botriviera, especially this time of year when it features rolling green pastures and vivid canola fields, guarantees to put the spring back into any jaded city dweller’s step,” shares Kobie Viljoen of Villion Wines and current Bot River Vineyards Chairperson.
“One day in our company is simply not enough so we are opening our doors for the whole weekend so that visitors can soak up, sip, savour and share in our passions and pleasures. The stuff that makes us stand out from other wine routes, with lots of barrels of fun thrown in for good measure,” explains Melissa Nelsen, Cap Classique maven and creator of Genevieve MCC.
The Bot River Spring Weekend kicks off in high spirits with a sommelier-led "Bot River Magnum Magnificence" at Beaumont Wine Estate, one of the oldest wine establishments in the area, on Friday, 2 September. Local producers will haul out their ‘big boys’ from the cupboards, for some of South Africa’s top sommeliers to match them with delectable pairings. Top end stuff!
***SPACES LIMITED ~ PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE***
The Spring Weekend 2016 promises Bot River bliss at its best, and all farms will be open from 10am until 4pm on both days, and a weekend pass costs R100 per adult which includes a wine glass alongside an informative booklet to be collected at the tourism office opposite the local hotel, and two days of bountiful discoveries. On the Saturday and Sunday (3rd & 4th of September) the farms dotted along this 10 km enclave (a mere hour’s drive from Cape Town) will entice visitors with their true talents and tastes. This includes a sausage making course at Luddite, famous for its technology-resistant winemaking philosophy. Here Genevieve MCC will also treat enthusiasts to Oysters & Bubbles all weekend long and have magnums of its newly released 2012 vintage on sale.
Early birds can rise to a hearty breakfast at Goedvertrouw and avid outdoors fans can lace up for a guided fynbos hike amongst the Nguni Stud at Paardenkloof Estate where family picnics prevail. Nature lovers will also have a blast at the Ecology Lifestyle Farm, with specials on fynbos plants at their nursery and Paardenkloof wine tastings and pairings to coax the senses. Or why not fill your own picnic basket, with fresh farm goodies, all served up with live music and a petting zoo for the kids.
Other delicious lunch destinations en route include:
• Forage Restaurant at Wildekrans where the chef roams the pastures and forages for fresh ingredients to offer an indigenous dining experience.
• Gabriëlskloof, nestle atop a hill with awe-inspiring views of the Overberg, is another must-visit during your spring-capades as they are famous for hearty, slow-cooked meals Gran would be proud of. During the Spring Weekend they will also be experimenting with tasty pickles and preserves in their kitchen, sell it in their deli and pair it with their elegant wines in the tasting room.
• Child-friendly hosts for the weekend include Beaumont Estate, where a pink sweet stall, pink kiddies bowling action, a playground and tractor rides will keep the little ones entertained whilst adults can feast on gorgeous jewellery, plant and produce boxes, delicious food and stellar wines.
• Barton Estate, all decked out with a jumping castle and tractor rides, will tempt passersby with complimentary canapé and wine or beer pairings and a wine blending competition.
††† A highlight event of the Spring Weekend will take place at Maramanna Polo Estate on the Saturday evening where a Pink Gin and Bubble Polo affair will end off the day’s entertainment with fun-loving action, locally made gin and a bubbly bar. “We will have some bubble soccer on the go for those who are up for a quick game of ‘inflated’ action. You know those big bubbles kids usually play with on water. Imaging those… but with adults in them, trying to kick a goal through the posts. It should make for some hilarious viewing while we all sip on flutes of bubbly and G&T’s,” chuckles Penny Verburg of Luddite Wines. †††
*** Limited tickets for the exclusive Magnum Tasting & Dinner at Beaumont cost R450 per person and include rare cellar releases, fabulous food and sheer sommelier excellence.
††† Tickets for the Pink Gin and Bubble Polo sunset party which starts at 5pm cost R150 per head and include a welcome drink, a happy box of spring snacks and the bubble soccer action.
~> THE BEST SUNDAY BREAKFASTS will be happening at Luddite, Gabrielskloof, and Goedvertrouw, at a cost of R150/head. Please book in advance.
For accommodation options to make the most of your glorious stay in the BotRiviera please visit: www.botriverwines.com for a comprehensive list, and for all contact details.
DIRECTIONS
The Bot River Spring Weekend 2016
Bot River Town Square
17 Hoof Way, Bot River, 7185, South Africa
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