Soccer fever hits cool climate Durbanville Wine Valley

While the Durbanville Wine Valley may well be prized for its cool climate, things are heating up as football fever hits this popular wine route a mere 20 minutes away from Cape Town’s city centre. Even beer on tap makes a guest appearance in the valley known for sauvignon blanc and merlot. “Our tight-knit band of talented vintners may not have all mastered the art dribbling, yet they are masters of hospitality,” says Michelle van Staden of the Durbanville Wine Valley Association. “Each and every cellar is positively bursting to spoil wine-loving football enthusiasts with their wares.” Several wine farms – Nitida, Durbanville Hills Cellars, Bloemendal Estate, Hillcrest and Meerendal – will host special football-themed food and wine activities over the period of the World Cup (with beer on tap makings its debut at Nitida). Other farms on the route, including Altydgedacht, D’Aria, and Diemersdal will welcome visitors to their tasting rooms with their usual gusto. A word of advice from the Durbanville Wine Valley Association: “Plan before you party during the World Cup festivities,” says van Staden. “Let’s have some fun, enjoy wine responsibly, get home safely and have no regrets the morning after.”

Bookings:
Please make all your bookings for any of the activities directly with the host farm. See contact details on programme below. Should you have any enquiries please feel free to contact 083 310 1228 for further details. Don’t delay as places are limited.

Contact Us:
Should you have any queries, suggestions, comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
Michelle van Staden
Email: info@durbanvillewine.co.za
Mobile number: 083 310 1228

Durbanville Hills Winery

The magnificent views overlooking Robben Island and Table Mountain will compete with big screens for attention. The modern tasting room will be open from 9h00 – 19h00 on the days that CT based games are played. Some of the other choices for football fans and their friends:

• Special ‘soccer tasting’ during the soccer world cup which includes 5 different Durbanville Hills wines, each paired with a unique South African ‘happie’.
  Cost is R50 per person and includes a branded foil dropless as souvenir.
  
  
• In addition to watching soccer games on big screens in the tasting room and @ The Hills restaurant, a foose table and soccer goals are available. Cheese platters will be sold in the tasting room at R70 per platter (Serves 2 people)
  
  
• @ The hills restaurant will be serving a special soccer menu ranging from Biltong soup, Malay pickled fish, Ostrich bobotie and Springbok potjie to West Coast mussels in a Sauvignon blanc cream sauce. 2 course R100 / 3 course R130. The normal a la carte menu will also be available.
  
  
• @ The hills restaurant will be open on the evening of the 3 July, (CT game – quarter final), where they will be offering a Traditional South African themed dinner. Booking is essential.

Cassia at Nitida

Cassia at Nitida are going all out! Cassia’s venue-facilities have been transformed into a German style beer hall, with four beers on tap and a HD Big Screen. A spectacular soccer-ball lookalike Geo dome with two screens sports a lounge and a kiddies area for moms and tots. The Football Fest menu includes German fare from bratwurst and weiswurst to porkloin in beer sauce; Eisbein and veal Schnitzel.

• Book to avoid disappointment: contact Cassia at 021 976 0640

Bloemendal Wine Estate

At Bloemendal Wine Estate the battle cry is ‘Football o’ Fun’. On match nights the Bloemendal Wine House Restaurant matches world cup soccer with live bands, dinner and wine. Kicking off with the Boulevard Blues on Friday, June 11th, other bands during the World Cup range from the Stremes, Diamondback and the Studebakers to Ryno Velvet, Dane Taylor Trio and the Bloemendal Blues Band.

• Cost: R120 - include dinner, wine and live music.
  Book at 021 976 2682.

Hillcrest Estate

Hillcrest Estate will fly the flag for Bafana at the Hillcrest Restaurant with its sweeping views over Table Bay. Normally open only for lunch, Hillcrest Restaurant will also be open on selected match nights, serving delicious Mediterranean-inspired fare, soup and cheese platters. “Dress proudly South African”, the Hillcrest team advises.

Cost: lunch or dinner R45 (wine excluded) to R75 (bottle of wine included).

www.hillcrestfarm.co.za

Meerendal

Meerendal, one of the oldest Wine Estates in South Africa, is situated just outside Durbanville on the Vissershok road, only 20 minutes from the centre of Cape Town. With its focus on Food and Wine for the past six years, many tourists enjoy the traditional food and special feel of the farm, with its spectacular view over vineyards and the Boland mountains.

We have developed a special Food and Wine Tasting menu for groups that we serve in our function venue, the Barn & Lawn. The visit includes a free wine tasting and three course meal matched to three award winning Meerendal wines. A glass of each wine is served with each course.

• Bookings can be done with Joline at joline@meerendal.co.za, tel nr 021 975 1655.
  Minimum of 10 persons.
  
  
• Tourgroup Menu 2010
  Starter: Chef’s Soup of the Day
  Main Course (Select 1 to be served on the day): Traditional Bobotie OR Homemade Chicken Pie OR South African Beef Potjie
  Dessert: Cape Style Malva Pudding
  R175.00 per person + 10% gratuity
  No charge to Guide & Driver