Three reasons to discover the Robertson Wine Valley

15 Mar 2017

I recently attended the Hands on Harvest festival in Robertson. Taking place over a weekend every year, the festival aims to promote the winemakers and farms of the area with multiple events, hands on activities and, of course, wine tastings. The festival may be over, however, there are many reasons to pay a visit to Robertson. Here are my top three:

Experience winemaking at Excelsior

It doesn’t get more hands on, or rather feet on, than picking and stomping your own grapes. Wine farm Excelsior offered this at the HOH festival, as well as an in-depth guided tour of their cellar and winemaking process; a wine tasting on their beautiful deck overlooking the farm dam; a tour of the farm on the back of a bakkie; and the option of blending your own wine (naming and printing a label included).

Three reasons to discover the Robertson Wine Valley

Unfortunately the picking and stomping was only available for the HOH festival however the wine tasting and blending as well as deli lunch is available to the public whenever.

Fine blend #diyblending #handsonharvest #tastethelifestyle #countrylife #celebraterobertson

A post shared by Ruth Cooper (@remcoopkins) on Mar 11, 2017 at 2:28am PST

Excelsior also offers charming accommodation at their Manor Guesthouse. Once a family home, this Cape Dutch guesthouse now offers nine classically decorated en suite bedrooms.

For interactive wine tasting with a difference, make sure to put Excelsior at the top of your itinerary when exploring Robertson.

For more info or to make a booking go to www.excelsior.co.za.

Sample Viljoensdrift wines upon a river boat cruise

Wine farm Viljoensdrift offers a leisurely wine tasting on a 50 minute boat cruise upon the Breede River. Peruse the bird and wildlife along the banks of the river with a glass in hand, and enjoy the option of a picnic lunch assembled from the Viljoendrift deli upon the banks of the river before or after your cruise.

The river cruise costs R60 for adults, including wine tasting prior to departure at reception, and R20 for children between three and 12 years. For more info or to make a booking go to www.viljoensdrift.co.za.

Indulge at Bon Cap’s Sunday buffet lunch

The picturesque Bon Cap offers a traditional buffet every Sunday from 12 -2pm. Expect freshly baked breads, soups, a wide variety of salads and vegetarian options (think roasted cherry tomatoes with Parmesan, crisp asparagus and bean salad, quiches, roasted veg and sweet pumpkin), as well as hot options of rice, potatoes, a minimum of two meat dishes and then of course a selection of dessert. Bon Cap also offers a stunning wedding venue and eight cottage accommodation options. Sunday lunch bookings are advised.

The Sunday buffet costs R140 per person and the cheese platters are R220 per platter for 2. For more info or to make a booking go to boncap.co.za/bon-rouge-bistro

For more info on the Robertson Wine Valley go to www.robertsonwinevalley.com