This past weekend was no doubt a weekend to remember. The taste of the dry, sparkling wine with an aftertaste of apples upon our arrival, the vibrant chatter of voices in the Stellenbosch town hall, the cozy set-up of the venue and the aromatic, mouth-watering Canapés the chefs were serving up. It was truly a flavourful and worthwhile experience.

With huge smiles on everyone's faces, winemakers and chefs chatting to everyone and anyone, it was a truly immersive experience of joy and what felt like a shared love for Stellenbosch's fine wine and food culture. After the festival I made it a note to return next year, to experience it all over again.


There were a variety of wine selections from Shiraz to Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, each as premium as the next. You've never had real wine until you've tasted what these winemakers had on offer. It was great getting to chat with the winemakers themselves, knowing more about the wine and their processes. One winemaker with his delicious, rich and flavourful red wine, said that his wine is made the old school way - I kid you not, you could taste the love and dedication with each sip.


The Chef's worked tirelessly with smiles on their faces to bring us dishes that paired well with the premium wines on offer; balancing different flavours to excite our tastebuds and have us coming back for seconds, even thirds. My top 3 dishes for the night were:

The Springbok and Scottish Pap - I probably had this 4 times. The Meat was well-cooked (as expected) and paired nicely with the pap which had a good consistency. I would have never thought to pair wine with pap but needless to say, it was a winner - taking spot number 1 on my top 3 dishes.


The braised lamb with roasted strawberries - A flavor combination of note and an unexpected pairing which tantalised my tastebuds. One simply has to taste this dish to understand how delighted I was to have discovered it and why 3 servings of this were simply not enough!

The sticky oxtail with risotto - Who knew the Risotto I watched getting cooked on TLC would taste better than depicted? More so when paired with the juices of the sticky oxtail, cooked to perfection.
If you've never experienced what South Africa's top chefs have to offer and the finest wine made by Stellenbosch's winemakers, I suggest you put it on your bucket list. If you have, then you know the right thing to do is to come back. This is something I would definitely experience again next year, with the ticket prices being worth every cent for this memorable experience.