Taste The Helderberg: the ultimate advent of spring festival

IN celebration of the advent of spring, Stellenbosch Wine Routes will be hosting a sensory showcase of one of its famous wine wards, Helderberg, at the elegant Cavalli Estate on Thursday, August 29.

Helderberg is home to some of South Africa’s most celebrated wine estates, including Ken Forrester, Longridge, Hidden Valley, Peter Falke, Waterkloof and Cavalli, as well as an array of delectable local restaurants and eateries. Taste The Helderberg festival will once again showcase this treasure trove of gourmet discoveries in its popular setup which provides guests with easy access to this ward’s finest food and wine selections. Festival goers will have the opportunity to taste their way through more than 100 premium wines and buy dishes from local chefs and artisanal producers to find that winning food and wine combination.

Cavalli’s beautiful and modern interiors offer stunning views of the Stellenbosch and Helderberg Mountains, and visitors can expect to savour these too as they enjoy their walk-around tasting of this epicurean district’s spring offerings. To further add to the ambience of the festival, entertainment by acoustic violin and guitar quartet, Newton, will add a lively musical backdrop.

“It is a long-standing tradition to bid farewell to winter with the Taste The Helderberg festival, which welcomes one of the most important and exciting seasons in the winemaking cycle. This festival is therefore especially joyous, and we invite everyone to participate in this feel-good energy,” says Elmarie Rabe, manager of Stellenbosch Wine Routes.

To effectively capture this invigorated energy, festival goers are encouraged to be inspired by 2019’s Pantone Colour of the Year, Living Coral, with spot prizes offered to those who dress accordingly. “This colour stands for joyful pursuits and playful expressions, which is a perfect description for this particular spring-focused festival,” says Rabe.