FEBRUARY 2015

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RockingaroundPaarlPaarl is celebrating its 2015 harvest inspectacular style with the OmmiBerg‘Round the Rock’ festival on Saturday,7 March.

Participating members of the Paarl WineRoute will be hosting a jam-packed pro-gramme featuring young-wine tastings,harvest activities, special entertainmentfor kids and wine promotions.

Wine lovers can revel in the opportunityto be among the first to taste the young, un-filtered wines from the 2015 harvest. Thesewines can only be tasted in Paarl and if theregion’s past performances at the South Af-rican Young Wine Show are anything to goby, visitors will be in for a rare treat.

Harvest season is a special time in thisaward-winning wine region and each farmwill host special harvest activities to givevisitors a glimpse into the magic of wine-making.

There are fun activities for thewhole fam-ily ranging from Grape Games, tractor andtrailer rides through the vines, grapestomping, guided cellar tours and barreltastings to making harvest focaccia, blend-ing competitions, wine-making exhibitionswith grape identification competitions,cork spitting, wine barrel golf challenge,games of boules, jenga or croquet, as wellasvineyardhorseridesandquadbike trails.

To ensure that the whole family can par-ticipate in this fabulous outing, each farmhas organised specific child-friendly activi-ties. Kids can take their pick from pettingzoos, Junior Cheese Master classes, tradi-tional kids games such as egg and spoon,sakresies, apple bobbing and wheelbarrowraces to jumping castles, water slides, ponyrides aswell as facepainting, temporary tat-toos, gaming stations for teens and creativecorners for the arty ones.

Bring along an appetite and savour the

gourmet offerings, from harvest breakfaststo German specialities like Flammkuchenand hog-on-the-spit, cheese tastings, breadand sorbet stands, special lunch offers, ta-pas and wine pairings, foot-long cheesegrillers, sosaties, toasted sandwiches, gour-met fast foods, cheese and meat platters, ala carte menus at participating restaurantsaswell asharvest food stalls anddeli stands.

For onedayonly,winerieswill be offeringspecial wine promotions and visitors canget hold of great wines at incredible prices.

The different farms are offering amusicalmedley where guests can enjoy a glass ofwine, laze on the lawns and listen to thesoothing sounds of performers such asNew-ton, Andriette Norman, Idols singer LizeMynhardt, Nic Stephens, Viljoen Retief,Slow Jack, saxophonist Mario Arnolds, 5thAvenue and Mark Haze.

Early-bird tickets for over-18s are pricedat R100 from www.webtickets.co.za or R120on the day at participating estates, while ac-companied children younger than 18 enterfor free.

The ticket price includes access to over15 participating wineries, tasting of unfil-tered wine, live music and selected events.Guests are advised to pre-book sit-downmealsandspecialactivitiesas thesearepay-able separately.

The Paarl Wine Route is divided into fiveregions, namely the Voor-Paardeberg,Klein Drakenstein, Suid-Agter Paarl, Paarland Simonsberg. Some of the participatingwineries include Boland Cellar, Druk-My-Niet, FairviewWines, KWV, Laborie, Land-skroon, Mellasat, Nederburg Wines, OlsenPrivate Vineyards, Perdeberg Cellar, Rhe-bokskloof Wine Estate, Spice Route andWindmeul Cellar.

For a detailed programme on this fun-filled vineyard to cellar festival, visitwww.ommiberg.co.za.

From the left are JD Rossouw, winemaker at Boland Cellar, Chanté Neitz, and Rolanie Lotz,Rhebokskloof winemaker..

Pair this rotolowith a light beerFor SouthAfricans, a traditional braai is al-ways on the cards.

Cooking and pairing food with beer is atrend which is gaining traction.

Beer is an excellent accompaniment tofood with its many flavours and textures.

The commonrulewhenpairing beerwithfood is to look for common flavours betweenthetwo.Hereisayummyrecipe,byPeteGof-fe-Wood, to pair with a light beer:

Caramelised butternut and goats’cheese rotolo, crisp sage and pine nuts:

Ingredients:) 2 kg butternut, peeled) 1 tbsp nutmeg) 2 tbsp cinnamon) 50 g soft brown

sugar) 100 g butter) 1 egg) 1 logchevingoat’s

milk cheese) 1 cup parmesan) 3 x 100 g fresh pasta

sheets) 1 egg white) extra virgin olive oil) ½ cup pine nuts) 1 cup sage leaves) 20 g rocket) butter

Method:1. Cut butternut into large chunks and

place it in a roasting tray.2. Season with spices, sugar, salt and pep-

per and dab with butter.3. Bake in a hot oven (200˚C) until the but-

ternut has cooked and is caramelised.4. Put cooked butternut in a bowl and add

the egg, crumbled goat’s cheese and half acup grated parmesan and seasoning.

5. Lay one pasta sheet on top of a clean teatowel. Brush the bottom long edge with eggwhite. Lay another pasta sheet along thatedge so that they just overlap (about 2 cm).

6. Repeat this process with a third pieceof pasta. You should endupwith a large rec-tangle.

7. Spread the butternut mix evenly overthe paste, leaving a 2 cm gap the length ofthe edge nearest you.

8.Brush thiswith eggwhite.Using the teatowel, roll up the pasta towards you into a

neat roulade, enclosed in the tea tow-el.

9. Tie each end of the rotolotightlywithstringandplacein a rectangular bain-ma-rie(itshouldfitinthebathwith ease), filled withboiling water.10. Poach the rotolo for

40minutes, turning it aft-er 20 minutes to makesure it cooks evenly. Re-

move from the water andleave to cool. Remove the tea

towel or it will stick to and tearthe pasta.

11. When the rotolo is cooled, brush witholive oil and refrigerate.

12.Toserve,cuttherotolointothickslices,brushwith butter andwarm in a pan or un-der a grill until golden brown.

13. Heat a little butter in a pan, add thepine nuts and sage leaves and fry until thesage is crisp and the pine nuts are goldenbrown.

14. Spoon this garnish over the rotolo.15. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan and

some rocket leaves dressed with olive oil.Recipe serves eight.– Extract from “A Life Digested” by PeteGoffe-Wood; submitted by SA Breweries

2 HERMANUSHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCHPAARLFab! FEBRUARY 2015

Diémusiekfees ’ngroot trekpleisterMICHELLE VAN DER SPUY

Diegenewat hul kalenders dop-hou sal weet vanjaar se USWoordfees is net om die draai.

Dié fees, wat vanjaar sy 16de be-staansjaar vier, duur van 6 tot 15Maartenword jaarliks indieEike-stad gevier.Die gewildheid van die fees is

onlangs onderstreep met ’n nomi-nasie vir die Fiësta-toekenningvir die gewildste fees in Suid-Afri-ka.Feesgangers kan vanjaar weer

uitsien na ’n verskeidenheid vanopvoerings, vertonings en bespre-kings.DieSanlamMusiekfeesgaandie

voete verseker laat jeuk en dieboude lekker aandie skudkrymetoptredes deur Bobby van Jaars-veld, Chris Chameleon, ElvisBlue, Mr Cat & The Jackal enaKing.Eenvandiegrootmusikale trek-

pleisters by vanjaar se fees is dieJohannesburgse groep Mi Casawat tydens die Woordfees Karna-val op 13 Maart gaan optree.Met treffers soos “These

Streets”, Heavenly Sent” en “Ji-ka” sal hulle sonder twyfel die ge-hooraandiedanshê, somoethullenie misloop nie.Die fees is ook bekend vir sy in-

drukwekkende teaterstukke.Orgie, die sesde boek van die ge-

liefde Afrikaanse skrywer AndréP. Brink wat onlangs oorlede is, istot teaterstuk verwerk enword op

9,11en14MaartbydieKleinLiber-tas-teater opgevoer.“Dit is die poëtiese aard vanOr-

gie wat my nog altyd aangegryphet,” vertel Juanita Swanepoel,watverantwoordelik isvirdiever-

werking van die teks vir die ver-hoog. Sy tree ook as regisseur op.Siener in die suburbs, met groot

name soos Shaleen Surtie-Ri-chardsenChristoDavids,kryvan-jaar ’n Kaapse Vlakte-baadjie enwordvan6 tot8MaartbydieSpier-amfiteater opgevoer.Daar is hierdie jaar egter een

grootverandering:die feesgaanas’n totaal kontantlose omgewingfunksioneer.“Dit sorgvir ’nveiliger feeskern

omdat daar baie minder kontantop die perseel sal wees. Dit is ook’noulikemanierombyjoueie fees-begroting te hou,” verduidelikfeesdirekteur Saartjie Botha.“Agter die skermskan ons ’n be-

ter idee kry van feesgangers se be-hoeftes, wat weer help wanneerons begin met die beplanning virWoordfees 2016.”Feeskaarte,watbyallesvankos-

stalletjies totdiekarnavalgebruikgaan word, sal van 3 tot 5 Maartby FNB se Stellenbosch-tak teenR10 te koop wees. Dit kan ook bydie Woordfeeskantoor in Ryne-veldstraat te koop wees.Tydens die fees sal die kaarte by

die Erfurthuis, De Vette Mossel,die Plataankafee en die Van derStel-sportterrein te koop wees.Opgeleideassistentesalbyaldie

feesvenues wees om feesgangerste help om hul kaarte te herlaai.Al wat jy nodig het is kontant of’n debiet- of kredietkaart.

Mr Cat & The Jackal tree by hierdie jaar se Sanlam Musiekfees, deel van die US Woordfees, op.

Baie pret vir die kindersMICHELLE VAN DER SPUY

Die jongspan hoef beslis nie bydie huis te bly terwyl ma en padie US Woordfees geniet nie.Daar ismeer as genoeg aktiwi-

teite wat spesifiek vir kindersaangebied word, soos die karna-val op 14Maartmet ’nmallemeu-le wat vir groot pret gaan sorg.’nBiertentsal lafenisvirdroeë

kelebied,maarslegsaandiegenewat ouer as 18 is.Daar is ook kindertoneel-pro-

duksies wat die perfekte manieris om joukinders aan teaterstuk-ke bekend te stel.Een hiervan is Kinkel en Kon-

kel, diestorievantweetuindwer-ge wat mal is daaroor om mooituin temaakmethullegroenvin-gers.Nadat Tuinebaai se groen vin-

gers gesteel is, hetBurgemeesterBlombak en Inspekteur Tuin-slang alles gedoen om dit terug

te kry, maar kon dit steeds nievind nie.Met die Jaarlikse Tuindwerg

Danskompetisie om die draai,oefen Kinkel en Konkel hard omdie spesiale goue tuingrawe tewen sodat hulle weer mooi kantuinmaak, maar Doringdrika,hulle aartsvyand en jaarliksedanskampioen,hetanderplannevir hulle.Kinkel en Konkel se vertoning

tydens die US Woordfees vindplaas op 8 en 13 Maart om 10:30by die Weltevreden-landgoed.Kaartjies vir die vertoning kosR60 en kan by Computicket ge-koop word.Twee geliefde kykNET-karak-

ters, Tjiff en Tjaff, gaan ook ’ndraai by die fees kommaak. Hul-le bring ’n klomp nuwe liedjiesen dansies saam met hulle.Tjiff enTjaff enhulmaatjieMi-

mi kan op 7 Maart om 10:30 byWeltevreden gesien word.

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preserved insect fossil. The popularity of amber extends beyond itsuse in jewellery. Amber is known to have metaphysical propertiesthat are said to provide health, good fortune and spiritual healing.

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WALKERBAYBIRDFAIRThequaintlittlevillageofStanfordwillbe-come the centre of the greaterWalkerBayregion for the first ever Walker Bay BirdFair from Friday 27 February to Sunday1 March.

Stanford Bird Club and Hermanus BirdClubhave joinedforces tohost theWalkerBayBird Fair.

This event is modelled on the highly suc-cessful British Bird Fair, held every year atRutland Water, now in its 25th year and re-garded as the biggest wildlife event in theworld.

Tim Appleton MBE, founder of the Britishfair, will officially open the Walker Bay BirdFair on Friday 27 February and attend theevent as guest of honour.

The Fair will offer something special to ev-eryone, from serious twitchers to casual gar-den birders.

There will be several opportunities to spotcommon and rare birds on land, on the riverand on the ocean, under expert guidance.

For instance, attendees may see the iconic

CapeRockJumperandtheGroundWoodpeck-er at Rooi Els, the African Fish Eagle and theshy Little Bittern on the Klein River, Alba-trosses and Petrels on cruises to Dyer Island,andDenham’sBustardandavarietyofwaderson a trip to De Mond.

Three exhibition marquees on the StanfordVillage Green are hosting a variety of presen-tations and workshops.

Top international and South African birdspecialists will explain the wonderful symbi-otic relationship between insects, birds andanimals, teach birders to identify raptors,show them how to take better bird photo-graphs, and more.

Speakers will include Vernon Head, Chair-man of BirdLife South Africa, Mark Ander-son, CEO of BirdLife South Africa, Dr AntonOdendal, Trevor Hardaker and the award-winning photographer Albert Froneman.

The marquees will include a vendor exhibi-tion area, and easy access to the Stanford Vil-lage Food, Wine and Crafts market on Satur-day 28 February.

The Fair will also comprise a bird photogra-

phy competition, a bird-ringing demonstra-tionandfinally,onSunday1March,a liverap-tor display.

Get more information on the Walker BayBird Fair at www.stanfordbirdclub.co.za.

For bookings call Liz Hochfelden on 082 7668319or0283410164orsendane-mail towalker-baybirdfair@gmail.com.

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TThhee rriisseeooff tthheeGGeeeekkssDALEEN FOUCHÉ

A battle rages between friends in a shop inthe heart of Somerset West.

Theweapons of choice are wits, cards and fi-gurines.This is theBattleBunker, a gaming club sup-

ported by a store that sells anything and every-thing related to board and card games.Whenenteringtheshop,peopleofallagescan

be seen sitting around a table, glaring at eachother from behind a handful of cards.TheyareplayingMagic,oneofthemostpopu-

larcardgames in theworld.Magic isnotplayedwith traditional cards, butwith cards decorat-

ed with fantastical characters that wieldspecial abilities. The idea behind the

game is to build an army and battleyour “enemies”.

Magic is one of three gamesplayedona regularbasis at theBattleBunker.Clubmembersalso play Yu-gi-oh, anothercard game, and Hammer-head, a battle game that isnotplayedwithcardsoronaboard,butwithfigurinesthat are put together andpainted by the playersthemselves. The object ofthe game is to grow yourarmy and do battle. “War-hammer is like chess, justa lot more complicated,”says WarrenMacNicol, own-

er of Battle Bunker.WarrensaysalthoughtheBat-

tle Bunker may seem like astrange place to many, it offers a

place for like minded people to meet.“It is a haven for the geeks.”

Geeks used to be stereotyped as the kidsseenwithbrokenglassespatchedupwithsticky

tape,butWarrenbelieves thatgeeksarebecom-ing evermorepopular. “In the past, the comingof age girl would have posters of Bruce Willison her room wall, but now it’s replaced withposters of Mark Zuckerberg [inventor of Face-book].”He says this canbe seen in the growingpopu-

larity of games like Magic. Three years ago,South Africa ended in 97th place (of 97 coun-tries) in the international Magic tournament.Lastyear,SouthAfricawon12thposition in thesame tournament.Warren says that although computer games

do form a big part of the Geek subculture, theBattleBunkerfocusesonboardandcardgames;games inwhich there is human interaction.Hesays he has seen kids aged eight and nine whocouldnot lookpeople in theeyebutwho,withinthree months of joining the club, made friendsandimprovedtheirsocialskills–andeventheirschool marks.Warren explains that board and card games

require strategic thinking and the games oftenattract very smart people. The club boasts ar-chitects, biochemists and computer program-mers among its members.The club hosts movie nights onWednesdays

and the Terminator films are currently onshow.StarWarsandIndianaJoneswererecentfilmsshownattheBattleBunker.OnSaturdaysthere are paint classes for Warhammer figu-rines and games are played on a regular basis.But players alsoneed to eat and that iswhere

Melissa Rouchy comes in. Melissa teamed upwith Warren last year and sells snacks, sand-wiches, subsandcooldrinksto thehungryplay-ersandsaysher turnoverhas tripledsince join-ing the Battle Bunker.Warren says you do not have to be a geek to

join in the games. “It might seem intimidatingat first, but stick it out and you will have loadsof fun.”To find out more about Battle Bunker, find

them on Facebook.

Warhammer figurineshand painted by War-ren MacNicol, ownerof the Battle Bunker.

Warren MacNicol, owner of the BattleBunker, displays some of his War-hammer figurines that are handpainted. PHOTOS: DALEEN FOUCHÉ

5HERMANUSHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCH Fab!FEBRUARY 2015

BotRiverBarrels&Beards2015–aharvest celebrationDelight in aweekend filledwithbold wines, raging beards andgenuine hospitality when thewine community of Bot Rivercelebrates their harvest with atrio of unique events, culminat-ing in their signature Barrels &Beards showdown on Saturday18 April.

Your expedition into the laagerof this winemaking clan kicks offwith a laid-back, sunset session onthe ‘stoep’ of the legendaryBotRiv-er Hotel on Friday evening, 17April.

One can ease into the weekendalaBotRiverstyleandminglewiththelocalsoverafewbeers,andthenamble over to the rustic Shuntin’Shed for wood-fired pizzas ‘on thetracks’. The winemakers will bethere in their bearded glory, so besure to grab a seat next to one tofindoutwhatmakesBotRiver tick.Saturday morning, 18 April,

tempts themore seriouswinos andcellar buffs to attend a Best of BotRiver Tasting at Luddite Wines,owned by affable winemakers Ni-elsandPennyVerburg.Duringthisenlightening tasting, a selection of

terroir-drivenBotRiverwineswillbe ‘blind tasted’ against interna-tional wines of the highest stan-dards ranging from rare Rhônevintages to New World gems.Your fun-filled weekend con-

cludes with the ever-popular BotRiver Barrels & Beards post-har-vest celebration when the wine-makers’ self-imposed shaving ban(which starts on 1 February andlasts throughout the entire har-vesting period) ends on a high andhairy note at the family-run Beau-mont Estate on Saturday evening,18April.At thisannualcelebration

ofgoodfood,wineandcompanythewinemakers flaunt their facial furand wacky whiskers during anamusing ‘beard parade’ when theboldest beard in Bot River iscrowned by esteemed judges –whotake their job very seriously.A new addition to this year’s

hairyhullabaloowill be the launchof an exclusive Bot River AuctionReserve 2013 wine, which will beauctioned off on the evening. Foronenight only, guestswill have theopportunity to get their hands onthispremiumredblend,madewithonly the finest grapes from the Bot

River area, with proceeds going to-wards paying for an extra teacherforBotRiverPrimarySchool.Only100magnumsand300750 mlbottleswill be produced to go under thehammer.Besides a chance to get your

piece of this Limited Release ac-tion, the Bot River Barrels &Beards 2015 party includes compli-mentary barrel tastings of the lat-est wines, a hearty farm-to-forkdinner and music entertainmentled by amarimba band.Wines willbe on sale on the evening.

Cellars to take part in the Bot River weekend include the likes of Barton, Beaumont Wines, Benguela Cove, Eerstehoop, Feiteiras, Gabriëlskloof, Genevieve MCC, Goedvertrouw, Luddite,Maremanna, Rivendell and Wildekrans. Above is the crew.

Stellenbosch to showcase at ITB BerlinThebeautyandnumerouslifestyle offerings of Stel-lenbosch, one of the coun-try’s most popular townsand tourist destinations,will again be showcasedon the international stagenext month.Dubbed the food and

winecapitalofSouthAfri-ca, Stellenbosch offers lo-cals and visitors an arrayof experiences – things todo and places to see.The town’s destination

marketing campaign,Stellenbosch Experience,will showcase its offer-ings and mingle withsomeof theworld’s topcit-ies and towns at the ITBBerlin in Germany fromWednesday 4 to Sunday 8 March.As the world’s largest tourism

convention, ITB Berlin offers theperfect international platform forthe sharing of top internationaltrade.Launched by Stellenbosch Wine

Routes and the town’s tourismwing,Stellenbosch360, lastyear, themarketingcampaignmade its inter-national debut at ITB Berlin 2014.Itwas launched to promote the re-

gion as a benchmark for excellencein the field of wine tourism and en-couragesthegrowingnumberofvis-itors to appreciate Stellenbosch asa multifaceted destination, whichoffers more than just wine tastingtours.“We are excited to return to ITB;

tofollowupandengagewiththecon-tacts we made last year, while alsoattracting even more travellers toour beautiful region during win-ter,” says Stellenbosch WineRoute’s CEO, Annareth Bolton.“With the world becoming more

aware of Stellenbosch’s engagingassets and creative urban culture,and with our enhanced digital pres-ence across all social media net-works, our global audience is grow-ing exponentially.Stellenbosch is imbued with near

limitless potential and our winetourism can only grow fromstrength to strength in 2015.”Besides its five esteemed sub-

wine routes producing world-ac-claimed wines, Stellenbosch is also

synonymous with award-winning restaurants,beautiful scenery, richCape Dutch heritage, acultural mix, modern ar-chitecture and outdooractivities.The conventionwill see

the international launchof the town’s winter pro-gramme, which encour-ages enthusiasts to swaptheir winter hibernationfor an extended stay inStellenbosch and to im-merse themselves inbucket-list encounters onoffer.“ITB is an opportune

platform for Stellenboschto market itself as themost inspiring and inno-

vative town all year round,” saysAnnemarie Ferns, Stellenbosch 360CEO.“Ourbiggest treasureis therichly

diverse cultural heritage of our peo-ple and we invite visitors to comeanddinewith the locals, enjoyhomemade cuisine, savour stories of yes-teryear and share in the relaxedlifestyle that a Mediterranean cli-mate and scenic beauty rouses.”Formore information on the Stel-

lenboschExperience initiativevisitStellenBlog at http://blog.wine-route.co.za or email Mariette duToit-Helmbold at info@desti-nate.co.za.Alternatively visit www.wine-

route.co.za or www.stellen-bosch.travel.

Stellenbosch is renowned for its wine and food, andvisitors and locals embraced the street restaurant cul-ture of the town.

Wine and food feast this SundayIt’s that time of the yearwhenEi-kendal Cellar and Lodge opensits gates for its annualWeintaufeHarvest Celebration.The event, which promises to

be a celebration of superbwines,good food and family fun, will beheld on Sunday 1 March.This year will see the estate,

situatedontheR44betweenSom-erset West and Stellenbosch, cel-ebrate 34 years of winemaking.At theWeintaufe, the spotlight

will fallonthecellars, its flagshipChardonnay 2015 as the firstwine of the harvest.After the baptism of wine,

guests may also sample it fromthebarrelunderthewatchfuleyeof winemaker Nico Grobler.A new attrac-

tion at thisyear’s winechristeningwill be the fa-mous Cucina diGiovanni res-taurant, whichwill lendmouthwateringmarket stylefare to theevent, rangingfrom gourmetpizzas todreamy des-serts.The cellar’s

entire wine col-lection will alsobe on sale.

Other attractions include livemusic, tractor rides, golfing,cheetah viewing and luckydraws.There will also be entertain-

ment for the little ones with ajumping castle, jungle gym andface painting.Tickets, at R40, will be availa-

ble at the gate and will includea free glass and tasting from thebarrel. Children under 12 enterfree.The gates will be open from

10:00 until 17:00; the official bap-tism and tasting of the new char-donnay will take place at 12:00.Formore information, contact

the estate on 021 855 1422 or in-fo@eikendal.co.za.

The annual Weintaufe Harvest Celebration will beheld at Eikendal Cellar and Lodge on Sunday 1March. PHOTO: SAMPIXIE

6 HERMANUSHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCHFab! FEBRUARY 2015

Play in this MarchPaarlPAARL is celebrating the 2015 harvest in spectacular style with the pairings, footlong cheese grillers, sosaties, toasted sandwiches,OmmiBerg 'Round the Rock' festival on Saturday, 7 March. gourmet fast food, cheese and meat platters, a la carte menus atParticipating members of the Paarl Wine Route will be hosting a participating restaurants as well as harvest food stalls and delijam-packed programme featuring young wine tastings, harvest stands.activities, special entertainment for kids and wine promotions.

WINE SPECIALS GALORE: For one day only, wineries will beUNIQUE TASTINGS: Wine lovers can revel in the opportunity to be offering special wine promotions and visitors can get hold ofamongst the first to taste the young, unfiltered wines from the great wines at incredible prices.2015 harvest. These wines can only be tasted in Paarl and if the

region's past performances at the South African Young Wine Show MUSICAL VARIETY: The different farms are offering a musicalare anything to go by visitors will be in for a rare treat. medley and guests can enjoy a glass of wine, laze on the lawns

and listen to the soothing sounds of performers such asHARVEST FUN: Harvest season is a special time in this award- Newton, Andriette Norman, Idols contestant Lize Mynhardt,winning wine region and each farm will host special harvest Nic Stephens, Viljoen Retief, Slow Jack, saxophonist Marioactivities to give visitors a glimpse into the magic of winemaking. Arnolds, 5th Avenue and Mark Haze.There are fun activities for the whole family ranging from Grape

Games, tractor and trailer rides through the vines, grape stomping, BOOK NOW! Early bird tickets for over 18s are priced atguided cellar tours and barrel tastings to making harvest focaccia, R100 from www.webtickets.co.za or R120 on the day atblending competitions, wine making exhibitions with grape participating estates, while accompanied children youngeridentification competitions, cork spitting, wine barrel golf than 18 enter for free. The ticket price include access tochallenge, games of boules, jenga or croquet as well as vineyard over 13 participating wineries, tasting of unfiltered wine,horse rides and quad bike trails. live music and selected events. Guests are advised to

pre-book sit-down meals and special activities as theseCOOL KIDS STUFF: To ensure that the whole family can participate are payable separately.in this fabulous outing, each farm has organised specific child-

friendly activities. Kids can take their pick from petting zoos, Junior The Paarl Wine Route is divided into five regions,Cheese Master classes, traditional kids games such as egg & spoon, namely the Voor-Paardeberg, Klein Drakenstein, Suid-sakresies, apple bobbing and wheelbarrow races to jumping Agter Paarl, Paarl and Simonsberg. Some of thecastles, water slides, pony rides as well as face painting, temporary participating wineries include Boland Cellar, Druk-My-tattoos, gaming stations for teens and creative corners for the arty Niet, Fairview Wines, KWV, Laborie, Landskroon,ones. Mellasat, Nederburg Wines, Olsen Private Vineyards,

Perdeberg Cellar, Rhebokskloof Wine Estate, SpiceGOURMET DELIGHTS: Bring along an appetite and savour the Route and Windmeul Cellar.gourmet offerings starting from harvest breakfasts to German

specialities like flamkuchen and pig on the spit, cheese tastings, For a detailed programme on this fun-filled vineyardbread and sorbet stands, special lunch offers, tapas and wine to cellar festival, visit www.ommiberg.co.za.

For a detailed programme on this fun-filled vineyard to cellar festival, visit www.ommiberg.co.za.

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7HERMANUS PAARLHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCH Fab!FEBRUARY 2015

All youneed toknowaboutwhere towatch theEpicAdrenaline and excitement are aheadwith the Absa Cape Epic coming to the Bo-land towns of Worcester and Wellington.Several spectator points will let you get inon the action:

Stage 3 – Oak Valley to Worcester onWednesday 18 March

) Eagle’sCliffWineEstatenearWorcester.Apart from a good dose of riding action, visi-tors can enjoywine tasting and other eats anddrinks when riders pass through Eagle’s Cliff(yes, the cellar itself!). The leading riders areexpected from 09:48 and the back of the packat 13:07.

) HTS Drostdy. Riders are expected tocross the finish line at the race village be-tween 11:40 and 16:51.

Stage 4 – Worcester to Worcester onThursday 19 March

) HTS Drostdy. Starting time is 07:00. Thefinish is between 11:40 and 16:21.

) Fairy Glen Game Reserve. Here specta-tors can arrange a game drive after the ridershave gone, or enjoy a cupof coffee or teawhilethe riders pass through. The lead is expectedat 08:02 and the back at 10:04.

) Glen Heatlie farm, in the direction of DeDoorns. Visitors will have to follow the N1past De Wet Cellar, cross the railway bridgeand turn right just before entering the cuttingto the Hex River Valley. Here spectators canlay their hands on some refreshments whileriders pass through between 08:39 and 11:19.

) Karoo National Botanical Gardens. No

introduction is necessary to this iconic Worc-ester asset. Riders are expected between 10:27and 14:54.

Stage5–Worcester toWellingtononFri-day 20 March

) The start at HTS Drostdy will once againbe at 07:00.

) The only spectator point along the routeis on an unnamed farm on the Wolseley road(R43), in the Botha area. It is expected to “de-light spectators with its views of the ridersdescending into the Wolseley valley”. Specta-tors will have to follow the Wolseley road offtheN1 for 15,8 kmand turn right onto a gravelroad marked Botha Muurbalklub. After1,6 km, turn left onto a gravel road, then rightafter another 250 m.Anopen field on the rightwill be reached after 200 m more. Riders areexpected between 08:29 and 10:28.

) CPUT campus in Wellington. The firstriders are expected at the race village from11:32 and the last ones at 16:35.

Stage 6 – Wellington to Wellington onSaturday 21 March.

) The start at CPUT is at 07:00 with ridersexpected back between 10:30 and 14:36.

) Welbedaght Wine Farm. Here race fanscan start their day with a hearty breakfast.The leading riders will arrive from 07:15 withthe back of the pack expected at 09:15.

) Linton Park Wines on the Slangrivierroad. It promises to combine race excitementwith old-world ambience when riders passthrough between 07:45 and 10:00.

) Bosman Family Vineyards: Lelienfon-

tein farm on the Hex road from CPUT, is an-other spectator point for the day. Rider actioncan be seen between 08:05 and 10:40.

) And another Wellington spectator spot isthe picturesque Doolhof Wine Estate. Thefirst riders are expected from 09:03 and thelast at 12:37.

Stage 7 – Wellington to Meerendal onSunday 22 March

) Riders will leave CPUT at 08:00 for the fi-nal stage of the race.

) The only spectator point along the routeis at Vondeling Wines, where riders can beseen in action between 08:46 and 10:17.

Kids cheer on riders during stage 4 of the 2013 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage racefrom Saronsberg Wine Estate in Tulbagh to Wellington.

PHOTO: SAM CLARK/CAPE EPIC/SPORTZPICS

WORLD CLASS CYCLE RACE: Cycling enthusiasts can look forward to such scenesin Wellington and Worcester, when the Absa Cape Epic takes place.PHOTO: KELVINTRAUTMAN/CAPE EPIC/SPORTZPICS

WINE & OLIVE ROUTE

...for the wine lover

...food connoisseur

...and the adventurous

Welcome to our valley!Hope you enjoy your visit and make use of theopportunity to visit our wine cellars and olive farms.

Various tour packages available

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8 HERMANUSHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCHPAARLFab! FEBRUARY 2015

SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2015Spectator andwater point open for the

public from 08:30.

FREE ENTRY!

Fine wines for tasting

Music

Slushpuppies

Coffee

SPECIAL EPIC

BURGER AND

WINE GIVE

AWAYS

Formore

information contact:

021 873 6911X1PRFV7R-FE260215

PRIMESPECTATOR SEATS

500m from finish line @ R100pp

20 March 2015 - Stage 521 March 2015 - Stage 6

Secure parking @ R100 per car

GOURMET LUNCH&WINE

Book: reception@audehex.co.zaor 021 864 3074 | www.audehex.co.za

Boutique HotelWELLINGTON

AAuu’’ddee HHeexxAu’de Hex

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Wellington Droëvrugte, Neute en Souse WinkelPRODUCT RANGE OF WELL KNOWN, TRADITIONAL BRAND NAMES

Dieoorspronklike,

nou groter, betermet groter

verskeidenheiden persoonlike

diens.

Hoofweg 23, Wellington (langs ou SAD gebou en Build-It)Tel: 021 864 8690 jviljoen55@telkomsa.net

• Vir 1ste keer onder privaat bestuur metuiters kompeterende pryse (Geenfranchise kostes)

• Occasional ex-factory and odd binspecials

• Produkte vervaardig onder strengstevoedselveiligheidstandaarde in HACCP enISO 9000 geakkrediteerde fabrieke

X1PREPKW-FE260215

Bovlei Road • Wellington • 021 873 1256stay@vdcwines.com • www.vdcwines.com

We are offering anEPIC BUFFETBREAKFAST21 March 2015

Continental and full English withtea/coffee and/or juice forfrom on the lawns.

Ring side seats as the bikes go straightpast. Best views ever!Bookings advisable!

R85 a head07:30 am - 10:00 am

X1PREXHR-FE260215

Watch the Epic cyclistswhile sippingwine in styleLISE BEYERS

It’s Cape Epic time in Welling-ton and the town is going to bein a hustle and bustle duringthe weekend of 20-21 March.

On 20 March a huge proces-sion is being organised in Wel-lington, starting at the Welge-leëPlein,allthewayupChurchStreet and returning to theshopping centre. The Welling-ton Klopse, drum majorettes,the horse brigade from theSAPS and locals on decoratedbicycles, dressed in green andwhite costumes, will all wel-come the riders. This is takingplace around lunch time, justprior to the cyclists’ arrival –scheduled around 14:00.

Green and white will be theofficial Wellington Town col-ours for the Epic. The entiretown will be decorated withgreen and white pom-poms,which are being made by localschool children, students andother organisations. Bicyclemotifs will be stencilled on theprocession route, on the pave-ments in the town.

Bosman Family Vineyardswill be hosting a Bubbles andBreakfast on 21 March be-tween 07:30 and 12:00 in cele-bration of this great sportingevent.

Comeandenjoythemorningon this beautiful historical es-tate and get a closer look at thecyclists, as Bosman FamilyVineyards is one of the Wel-lington watering points.

Breakfasts will be available(R100-R120) which include cof-fee,bubblyandacomplimenta-ry wine tasting.

Welbedacht’s No.6 Restau-rant will also be open for a spe-cial Epic breakfasts through-out the weekend. The restau-rantwillalsobeprovidingEpicSpecials for the full duration ofthe ABSA Cape Epic.

Linton Park is offering aburger breakfast, MCC and or-ange juice with wine tastingsstarting at 09:00. They will alsobe creating a welcome fly-overfor all to see and enjoy.

Doolhof will also be organis-ing a special breakfast, winetasting and a fly-over.

Val du Charron welcomesthe Cape Epic once again to thebeautiful Bovlei, just outsideWellington.Theraceispassingdirectly through the workingfarm and we welcome visitorsfor breakfast with the bestviews!

Wine tasting will be freelyavailable, but this March tast-ings are particularly special atVal du Charron. This is be-cause March sees Val du Char-ron crowned as the winner ofthe Most Innovative WineTasting Experience in theworld, as judged by Drinks In-ternational Magazine for theirTheatre of Wine.

The picturesque Aux de HexBoutique Hotel, which offersspectacular views of The Haw-ekwa Mountains, will also behosting breakfasts.

Wellington is gearing up to welcome Absa Cape Epic Moun-tain Bike riders and supporters in style when the race passesthrough this town. The festivities take place on the weekendof 20 and 21 March.

PHOTO: KELVIN TRAUTMAN/CAPE EPIC/SPORTZPICS

Gotabike?Comeexplore theEpicFRANS LE ROUX

It’s almost that time of year again;the gruelling Cape Epic, greatestmountainbikespectacleontheplan-et, is just around the corner.

With this in mind, and being an avidmountain biker myself, I want to givereaders a short personal preview of theevent:

In less thanamonth,hundredsofpro-fessional riders from across the world,willbringtheirskills – andtheirexpen-sivebikes– toPaarlandWellingtonandtreat Drakensteiners to lots of excitingclose-up cycling action.

Herearethreeofmyfavouriteroutes.They vary in levels of difficulty, but allhave one thing in common: breathtak-ing views over the beautiful Draken-stein valley.

) Number 1This one is easiest of the three routes,

so if you find yourself in Paarl, withmountain bike, helmet and water bot-tle, start with this one.

The route begins with a seeminglyendless yet rewarding climb. Ride upthe famous Jan Phillips gravel road to-wards the entrance of the gated PaarlMountain Reserve. After some 10 kilo-metres, you reach a security boomwhich can be lifted.

Keep to the left, as you now head to-wards the world-renowned Paarl Rock.A short, but intense climb to get to the

top is well worth it when you see theastonishing views from there.

Just remember: the route caters forall experience levels and runs on a pub-lic gravel road all the way, so bewareof other cyclists and motorists. To getup and down shouldn't take longer thantwo hours.

) Number 2Possibly some of the best tracks can

be found in the Hawekwa plantation.Your starting point can be anywhere inPaarl, or you can drive up to the startofthetrailsbyusingSonstraalRoadandtaking the Hawekwa exit.

Once on the gravel road, a rutteddrive of about four km greets you. Youcycle past somehouses on yourleft and the realfun starts: endlessjeep-tracks, shortand intense singletracks and beauti-ful forest views,will be part of ev-ery metre youride.

Be warned,Hawekwa is bigand novices caneasily get lost.

Take someonealong who knowsthe area and sur-roundings well.You can spend

anythingfrom1-4hoursintheseforests.) Number 3The latest addition to Paarl’s already

splendid single-track routes are theslopes of Rhebokskloof Wine Estate.

Major construction work, manyman-hoursandloadsofefforthavegoneinto designing some of the best mani-cured single-tracks around.

Take the 20 km loop. With most of itbeing single track, you could be keptbusy for hours.

It is not the easiest of routes, so if youare a novice, rather try something elsefirst.Youalsoneedadayoryearpermit.For more info, visitwww.paarlmtb.com/rhebokskloof

Rhebokskloof offers some truly breathtaking views. If youhave the time, make sure to try the splendid new single-tracks. PHOTO: FRANS LE ROUX

9HERMANUS PAARLHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCH Fab!FEBRUARY 2015

Top cyclistsprepare forannual TourdeBolandThe stage is set for a road cy-cling battle when South Afri-ca’s top professional teamsgather for the five-dayBestmedTour de Boland fromMonday 2to Friday 6 March.

Fielding a full complement ofsix riders each, the squadswill en-liven the 465 km Pro-Am racethrough the Cape winelands asthey jostle for position in the pelo-ton.Aside from familiar foes, the lo-

cal teams will also face stiff com-petition from Australian Pro-Continental teamDrapac, headedby South African export DylanGirdlestone.Race director Carinus Lemmer

says thisyear’s edition,presentedby Pinarello, promises to be themost closely contested tour todate.“In the wake of the recent na-

tional andcontinental road cham-pionships, we’re expecting all theriders to be on top form and readyto deliver some of the best per-formances of their careers.”TheMTN-Qhubeka feeder team

will be without the services oftwo-time champion Nic Dougall,who was promoted to their Pro-Conti outfit this season.However, Eritrean Meron Tes-

home, who won last year’s penul-timate stage to Riebeek-Kasteel,will be back to put his climbingskills to work for the team along-side the likes of national under-23road champion, Jayde Julius.Franschhoek-born sprinter No-

lan Hoffman will delight localfans as he spearheads the Abantuattack in preparation for his CapeTown Cycle Tour title defence.Hoffman and teammates Rey-

nard Butler and HB Kruger arecurrently honing their form rep-resentingSAat theTourofGabon.

Also at that tour is Willie Smit,whowill join his fellowEuropcar-SA riders at the Boland event.Bonitas, led by Luthando Kaka,

should bring a competitive at-tack, which includes HermanFouché and JC Nel.Not to be discounted is the Gi-

ant team which features stagerace specialist and 2009 Tour deBoland winner Johann Rabie,alongside Carl Pasio and MartinWesemann.Putting his home ground

knowledge to work for his LightsbyLinea teammateswill beStefan

Ihlenfeldt, who won this year’sTour de Stellenbosch.While the bigger teams are ex-

pected to dominate the tactics,one or two pairings could throwthe cat among the pigeons.Cannondale-Blend’s seasoned

climberDarrenLill,whopoweredup Franschhoek Pass to scoop thefinal stage win last year, is onesuch rider.Teammate and former Tour of

Egypt winner Waylon Woolcock,who took a solo win into Tulbaghon stage two last year, could helpLill to shake things up.Switzerland’s multiple Cape

Epic champion Christoph Sauserand Tankwa Trek winner ErikKleinhans will pair up in the col-ours of Aramex to drive the paceon their local training routes.The tour starts inPaarl onMon-

day 2 March and finishes at theTaal Monument above the townon Friday 6 March.The stages of the rave are as fol-

lows:) Stage 1: Paarl to Worcester

via Franschhoek – 114 km) Stage 2:Worcester to Op-die-

Berg via Ceres – 111 km) Stage 3: Ceres to Tulbagh –

30 km individual time-trial) Stage 4: Tulbagh to Riebeek-

Kasteel via Piketberg – 138 km) Stage 5: Riebeek-Kasteel to

Paarl via Wellington – 74 kmFor more information, visit

www.tourdeboland.co.za. Alsofollow the action on Facebook orfollow @TourdeBoland on Twit-ter.

South Africa’s top pro teams will come up against international competition at the Bestmed Tour de Boland,presented by Pinarello, from Monday 2 until Friday 6 March. PHOTO: CAPCHA

10 HERMANUSHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCHPAARLFab!FEBRUARY 2015

11HERMANUS PAARLHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCH Fab!FEBRUARY 2015