Join myself and these 15 these bearded winemakers as they offer up a taste of their barrels, weekends away and of course a chance to bid on some rare Bot River blends.
Producers taking part in the 2017 Barrels & Beards celebration are Anysbos, Barton, Beaumont Family Wines, Eerste Hoop, Gabriëlskloof, Genevieve MCC, Goedvertrouw Wine Estate, Luddite Wines, Maremmana Estate, Momento Wines, Paardenkloof Estate, Rivendell Estate, Thorne & Daughters, Villion Family Wines and Wildekrans Boutique Wine Estate.
The 2017 Bot River Barrels & Beards showcase will take place on Saturday,
22 April 2017 at 5pm at R450 per adult.
Below are a list of a few of the reasons I’m excited about a weekend in the Bot River valley and some of the lots that will be on auction.
Beautifully Bearded Winemakers:
It’s no secret that many men are useless at multitasking, so it should come as no surprise that in the midst of harvest winemakers(hopefully just the men) forgo the activity of shaving.
A ball-ache on
the best of days let alone when your cellar calls at 5am for pressing and tank swaps.
Thanks to the laziness of these wine makers, always finding the silver lining, this exuberant Barrel and Beards festival began.
Luddite winemaker Niels Verburg first declared the challenge never before heard in these parts.
He cast a steely eye at his colleagues across the valley and dared them to a grand and glorious Bot River clash of beards. The challenge has stuck.
So much so that there is a Beard Parade where after judges pluck and pull, stroke and measure a Winelands Hipster is donned the title of Best Bot Beard.
Six Vintages of Beaumont:
- 2 x 6 cases – Hope Marguerite – 6 different vintages (vertical) the 5 that received 5 star platter ratings and one more
A weekend away with Gabrielskloof:
- An all inclusive “Gabriëlskloof Weekend” for two people, includes the following:
- 1 x breakfast for two and
- 1 x lunch for 2 in our restaurant
- braai with winemaker
- Accommodation in our farm cottage for two nights
- Two cases of wine from our vinotheque
- Farm and cellar tour
Handcrafted Wines || Goedvertrouw Pinot Noir
- 3 x 750 ml Goedvertrouwd 2014 Pinot Noir.
Wine Weekend || Barton Villas
- 2 night stay in one of the Villas
- Wine tasting & Cellar tour with the winemaker
- Mixed case of wine (6 bottles)
Magnums & More || Wildekrans
- 1 x 1,5L CabfrancMerlot in a wooden box
- Weekend stay for 2 people at Endless Vineyards Lodge on the Wildekrans Wine Estate on a bed and breakfast basis.
- Complimentary Honey and Wine Tasting
- 3 course lunch for 2 people at Forage Restaurant (excluding beverages).
Romantic Dining || Rivendell:
- Three course meal at RiVENDELi for two people,
Including a three vintage vertical selection of Rivendell Shiraz and Rivendell Sauvignon Blanc.
Feasts for the family || Villion Family Wines:
- Overberg whole lamb from Western Cape Farmer of the year 2016, Josias le Roux and
- 5 bottles of Villion wines, signed by the winemaker Kobie Viljoen.
(Chardonnay 2016, Chenin Blanc 2016, Blanc de l’Atlantique 2016, Syrah 2012 and Pinot Noir 2015
Thorne & Daughters:
- A case of 12 including all wines and vintages produced by us to date
- A two night stay for two at Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse including dinner, bed and breakfast in the breathtaking Drakensberg Mountains.
Bot(lles) of Bubbly || Luddite and Genevieve MCC:
375ml Luddite, 750ml Luddite, 1.5L Genevieve MCC & 3L Luddite
Ecology Edutainment & Tasting || Paardenkloof:
A full day excursion for four people which includes a specially prepared lunch at the Ecology Lifestyle Farm with the owners of PaardenKloof Estate Premium Wines.
The meal includes generous Gourmet servings of amazing food at the Ecology Garden Restaurant, enjoyed with the full range of PaardenKloof Estate’s wines.
The wine tastings will feature 8 years of vertical tastings of Paardenkloof’s Shiraz from 2008 to 2017 and the well known PaardenKloof Cabernet Sauvignon from 2009 to 2017.
The prize includes an exclusive walk amongst PaardenKloof’s Stud Indigenous Nguni Cattle Herd; a Fynbos experience; and the experience of making your own bunch of Fynbos flowers at Protea Decor for you to take home. The prize is topped with a never before preview tasting of PaardenKloof’s soon to be simultaneously released Pinot Noir 2013 and Pinot Noir 2014.
Get your tickets at www.quicket.co.za before it is too late! For enquiries and pre-bookings contact Wilmari Geyer, email: info@bartonvineyards.co.za and mobile: 084 231 8930.
