Friday, October 24, 2014

Robertson's fabulous Wine on the River Festival


This is one of our favourite festivals. Who wouldn’t want to taste lovely wines with very friendly and welcoming people from the area on the banks of one of our most beautiful rivers, in the balmy October late Spring weather. “Dit is die maand Oktober! Die mooiste, mooiste maand!”, to quote the song by C. Louis Leipoldt. We bought lots of wine, ate lots of food and tasted lots of good wines.  Next year we will try to go for longer. Just one day at the festival is not enough
What could be a better choice?   A guided tasting of Chardonnays of the valley OR a boat trip on the river with bubbles?
Or lazing on the side of the river with some good wine and food? Clever exhibition people covered up the hay bales!
In one of the wine marquees. Lots of people tasting and getting to know Robertson wines
Lourens van der Westhuizen  of Arendsig opening more of his good bottles of wine for tasting
Talking to customers
Showing us his new labels
Fun on the Quando stand.  Winemaker Fanus Bruwer tastes and his brother Martin pours. We loved his wines so much we bought a case of the Chenin Viognier and a case of the Pinot Noir.
Fanus discusses Pinot Noir with Journalist Graham Howe.
Time for some lunch. We had vouchers for the Zandvliet Fish and Chips and Waterblom Bredie
But we started with crisp and hot tempura prawns and some excellent sushi from the Mimosa stand
Bernhard Hess of Mimosa Hotel in Montague
Fida Hess, who was taking the food orders and was very busy, but not too busy to pose for John
The waterblommetjie bredie had lots of bones it in. It came with sweet potato mash. In the round container is the snoek, chips and fried onion rings
One of our favourite Bonnievale people, Elzette Steyn from Weltevrede
Fanus needs food and this late in the day all that was left was a Spur burger
Um ... there is something wrong with this picture. Shouldn’t she be on the pony and he be leading her around? Looks fun though.
A painting project underway in the childrens’ tent. Keep them amused so parents can get on with some wine tasting
A lovely selection of Weltevrede Bubblies. We came away with a bottle of the  LindeLize rose. Deeply refreshing and fruity but bone dry.
No, you are not getting him with the wine. Henk van Niekerk on the Wonderfontein Paul René stand.  A major attraction for the ladies that weekend
“NO I don’t want to nap like my twin sister. Multitasking mothers can have fun and mind the children
Emden & Monja Stemmet, Excelsior Winemaker Johan's family minding the stand
The afternoon draws on
A very long baby? No, tandem twins
Steyn Fullard of Weltevrede and Colyn Truter
A very happy customer with his purchases
He introduced us to his friendly family, having a lovely day on the riverside
Oh we SO approve
Time to wend our way to the tent to buy wine before leaving
The woman who organised it all was in the tent. Talented and fun Elizma Spangenberg Botha of The  Robertson Wine Valley.  We can’t wait for next year
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

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