The Season of Sauvignon festival held each year in
Durbanville will be taking place over the weekend of 25th and 26th
of October. We will definitely be there and hope to see lots of you as
usual. It is the easiest festival to get
to as Durbanville is only half an hour from the City. Entrance on all the farms is free and most
of them have wonderful events organised and will supply food and wine for a
fee. It is very child friendly. Check out the details on www.durbanville.co.za
We were at the media launch of the festival yesterday
held at Phesantekraal (the only farm not open on the 26th). We
tasted the wine we helped to make by picking grapes in harvest time in February on one of the 12
Durbanville farms who each contributed a ton of grapes
to the wine. It has been
called Durbanville 12 and the wine displays lovely green apple,
fig leaf and citrus flavours. It will be
at launched at the Festival and on sale there and thereafter at Ultra at R60 a
bottle.
We started with a scheduled stop off
at Klein Roosboom where we were welcomed by owner Karin de Villiers
and a glass of their excellent Jean
2014 Sauvignon Blanc
They will be having a French Market at
the Season of Sauvignon
The Klein Roosboom hedge of beautiful yellow
roses next to the tasting room
The tasting room has been converted
from the old wine cellar
Other farms had their wine and a
matching dish waiting for us. Altydgedacht 2014 Sauvignon Blanc was paired with
ripe melon and parma ham
Klein Roosboom's line up of wines in
the tasting room
A nice packaging idea
Nitida provided four snacks with
their 2014 Sauvignon Blanc. A salmon
mouse on tiny scones, a sundried tomato capresse, samoosas and small pies
Meerendal give us smoked salmon, thick
cream cheese on a small pastry or salmon cakes on filo pastry to accompany
their 2014 Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Lynne and PRO Johanita of Cream
Library waiting for the bus from town with more journalists and bloggers. On
the table in front of us is Durbanville Hills 2014 Sauvignon blanc with rolled
omelette spread with cream cheese and smoked salmon then sliced into small
morsels and topped with lemon ‘caviare’ speres. Lovely match and very good
Karin explains what is going to happen
today and at the festival
A lovely platter of meats, cheese and
relishes and chutney accompanied the Klein Roosboom 2014 Sauvignon
We get to Phesantekraal for the main
event. Lynne with Kate Jackson of the Durbanville Hills
There is a
marvellous view of the mountains from the farm
Etienne Louw of Altydgedacht, who is Chairman of the
Durbanville Wine Valley association welcomes us
He told us about the launch of the
wine Durbanville Twelve which was made at Harvest time from grapes provided by all twelve Durbanville producers and we
were able to to taste it
The listening audience
The media listen to the story in the
new glass clad tasting room. Phesantekraal
has been extensively and beautifully redesigned since we last visited.
John, photos like this do not tell a
story. Title if you want
We moved through to the room next door
where there were more food pairings with different farms' 2014 Sauvignons Blanc
A pot of Chilli con carne with
roosterbrood
A Cheese platter with Signal Gun
Sauvignon 2014 and Nitida
A line up of bottles of Durbanville 12 for the media with their passes for the
festival
D’Aria had
their 2014 Sauvignon
Busy Bennie Howard
of Meerendal and Liza Goodwin, Meerendal cellarmaster with a huge cauldron of mussels and their 2014 Sauvignon. Mark Norrish was keen to try them both.
Serving them
to the hungry
Pork belly and
some salad
Arno presenting the Hillcrest 2014 Sauvignon Blanc
which shared the table with Durbanville Hills Rhinoveld 2014 Sauvignon and the De
Grendel Koetshuis 2014 Sauvignon Blanc
Karin with her
huge pot of Chilli con carne and her wines
Waterlily and Suider Terras 2014
from Bloemendal served by Adele and winemaker Francois Haasbroek
Joyful celebration of dessert in the
"Hoenderhoek” with Bennie Howard, Bianca Coleman, Righard Theron of de Grendel and friends
On the wall of the tasting room are
jars and jars of spices herbs and other botanicals and aromatics found in wine
tastes
It has been a very sympathetic
modernisation
and it is a very comfortable tasting
room
Looking through to the far mountains
of Franschhoek from Phesantekraal
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014
The programme for this year's Season of Sauvignon on October 25th and 26th
Altydgedacht this
year, will be offering outdoor kids' activities such as tractor rides, a
farmstickle kid's area as well as live music for the adults to enjoy and wine
tastings Opening times: Saturday & Sunday, 11 am-4pm. Entrance is free
Bloemendal Visitors
can enjoy live music and kid's entertainment at the wine farm Sushi and oysters
will be sold throughout the festivities and Bon Amis will be open for breakfast
and lunch Opening times: Saturday 11 am-5pm, Sunday 11 am to 4pm. Entrance is
free
D’Aria kicks off the Season of Sauvignon with a Fun at the
Fairground theme. Loads of kids' entertainment that includes fun rides, face
painting, sand art, petting zoo and a mechanical bull for the adventurous! Live
music and FREE wine tastings throughout the day! Enjoy a variety of food
offerings such as flammkuchen, gourmet burgers, sushi, oysters and bubbly to
name a few Opening times: Saturday 10am-7pm & Sunday 10am-5pm. Entrance fee
Adults R20 & Kids R10 (2-12 years)
De Grendel restaurant will be open for lunch during the
weekend and will be one of the venues where those interested can do the
Helicopter tours. Live music and kids' entertainment will be available
throughout the weekend and visitors to De Grendel should look out for the
Sauvignon Blanc cocktails, pizzas and platters that will be on sale Those who
would like to eat sushi and oysters can do so as well at this venue Opening
times: Saturday 10am-7pm & Sunday 10am-4pm
Diemersdal food stalls, live music and kids' entertainment.
Booking is essential. Opening times: Saturday & Sunday, 11 am-6pm Entrance
fee Adults R 100 & Kids R40
Durbanville Hills Wine
tastings will be R50 per person and includes a glass The restaurant will be
open for breakfast and lunch. There will also be food stalls and tutored
tastings available. With the beautiful scenery at Durbanville Hills one has to
make use of the opportunity to be outdoors and Sit down for a picnic. It is
essential to make a booking for the picnic basket ahead of time. A big screen
will be available for the rugby enthusiasts over the weekend. Also remember
that the Helicopter tours also stop here Opening times: Saturday 10am- 6m &
Sunday 10am-5pm. Entrance is free
Hillcrest will be offering wine tastings, craft beer, kid's
entertainment as well as live music Visitors can also expect to see gourmet
food stalls and olive oils on sale at the farm Opening times: Saturday &
Sunday, 11 am-5pm. Entrance is free
Klein Roosboom will be participating this year under the
theme 'A Breath of French Air' and will be offering French market style food
over the weekend with Croque Monsieur, fromage, charcuterie, frites, mussels,
boulangerie and French patisserie. Visitors can also enjoy live music and kid's
entertainment Entrance is R50 per person and includes a wine tasting and a
glass. A French Feast to the table with Johnny Hamman & Marius Uys
(Kokkedoor 2014) will be an extra event Opening times: Saturday 11 am-6pm &
Sunday 11 am-5pm
Meerendal is another one of the venues where the Helicopter
tours will be available. The Crown restaurant will be open both days with a
special Sauvignon Blanc 3-course meal on offer and on Saturday there will also
be a farmers market, tutored tastings, live music and kids' entertainment
Opening times: Saturday 9am to late & Sunday 10am-4pm Entrance is free
Nitida will offer live music, free entrance, kids
entertainment and picnic baskets at Tables - bookings for the picnic baskets
are essential. They will spice things up by offering a Sauvignon Blanc
Elderflower slush garnished with fresh mint. There will be Food Stalls spread
around the amphitheatre at Tables that include beef fillet/ chicken burgers,
scrumptious boerie rolls, suckling pig on herbed flatbread, pancakes and ice
cream. In addition to Tables, Cassia will be open for breakfast, lunch and
dinner. Opening times: Saturday & Sunday 11 am-4pm, Entrance is free
Groot Phesantekraal will kick off the festivities on the
Friday evening with a Barnyard BBO Opening times: Saturday 11 am to 2pm.
Entrance is free
Signal Gun Mad
Hatter's party will be offering live music, kids' entertainment a petting zoo
and plenty of fun for young and old. Sweet and savoury eats will be on sale and
visitors can also enjoy the wine garden that will be situated at the venue
Opening times: Saturday & Sunday 10am-5pm Entrance fee Adults R60 &
Kids R30
