Wacky Wine Weekend (WWW)
From HIKING IN SOUTH AFRICA in Robertson, South Africa on May 31 '07
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Wacky Wine Weekend (WWW) means wine for breakfast, wine for lunch and wine for dinner, followed by a dreadful hangover next morning.
WWW is regarded as South Africa’s finest wine tourism event with more than 45 wineries across the beautiful Robertson Valley participating in the weekend event. There is also a host of other activities in addition to wine tasting, such as boat cruises, live music, a half-marathon, mountain bike race, helicopter trips, cheese and olive tasting, art and archery.
Wine for breakfast, lunch and supper
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WWW also means walking around with a bib for the weekend, like one of those unaccompanied kids taking a flight. When you enter the Robertson area the first thing you do is stop at a wine farm and pay R30 which entitles you to a ginormous wine glass engraved with the Robertson Wine route logo – it’s a challenge not to break it during the weekend. You are also supplied with a passport – basically a small PVC pouch which allows you the pleasure of gorging on as much wine as you can tolerate over the weekend, and the best way not to lose it during this debauchery is to hang it round your neck.
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We met the rest of our 10-member party at Arabella Wine Estate, off Route 62, just in time to watch the moon rise over distant mountains above Ashton. Advertised as “Woodstock – join us on the lawn with live music and breathtaking views over our paddocks – incl glass of wine” all for R50. We danced, we ate, we drank - in fact we had so much fun that we returned next evening.
On Saturday our first stop was Van Loveren where, for R20, we planned to hike the 8.5-km Fish Eagle Hiking Trail. After stuffing ourselves with warm sweetcorn fritters we started on the hike, crunching through vineyards on a roadway surfaced with seed kernels before reaching the Breede River.
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Walking along the riverbank with cliffs decorated with aloes and lichen, the air filled with the scent of Eucalypts and birds, we searched in vain for fish eagles.
Passing through vineyards the route climbs to Rooikrans, a much higher peak than expected and certainly not worthy of some members who wore takkies and had no water. The descent was painfully steep on loose rocky roads, a challenge for any 4x4 hiker. At last the wine farm and a band playing indigenous music but we are too tired to enjoy it.
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Some of the group wanted to watch the rugby while others planned to be silly and swim in 10 000 litres of Cabernet Sauvignon to hunt for treasure in the depths. Next day the idea was to swim in sparkling wine - well you have to try everything once and with a bottle of wine and a T-shirt included in the R70 fee I was game to try it once.
I’d envisioned trees, grass, and people picnicking and tasting wine while we sillies jumped and dived in and out of a semi-sunken swimming pool. But with a porta-pool located in a concrete parking area and against a white wall, the ambience was somewhat lacking and it wasn’t surprising that none of us participated.
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After this we ended up driving around aimlessly from so-called craft market to a farm which wasn’t clearly marked, tucked away in a kloof against the Langeberg mountains and quite a find in the end because we asked for a cup of tea and they obliged. They probably wondered at our sanity – tea on the WWW!
The farm only produces one wine, Sweet Dreams, a red, inspired by a child:
This wine is the realisation of a child’s dream. It was made with passion for everybody who loves wine and children. Dedicated to the children who dream of becoming winemakers, well-balanced with ripe youngberry on the nose and lots of fruit on the palate, a wine to enjoy with family and friends.
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After numerous phone calls to the rugby addicts, spoiling our tea, we met up with them at a farm filled with rowdy, alcohol-swilling smokers.
After a wasted visit to a place where we thought we’d find food, we ended up driving to Bonnievale with the promise of dancing and food at Chris van Zyl Hall. There were about six people in the hall – shame!
A long drive back the way we came and then on to Arabella, this time with double the people of the previous night.
Sunday was fabulous with a drive to MacGregor where we were transported on a truck from CNC, Vrolijkeid to Valkenberg from Lord’s Winery. Most of us were feeling hungry because we hadn’t had a real breakfast, what a surprise to be offered lunch-on-a-bed – the camp bed had been mistaken for a table – on top of the world, well, on top of MacGregor and Greyton.
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What a treat to look down upon the Greyton-MacGregor hiking trail with its swimming pools and waterfalls, looking so insignificant from this height.
Back at Lord’s Wine Estate more wine-tasting, but with a difference, directly from the barrel with the aid of a plastic tube. Some people have already seen the virtue of this and have purchased whole barrels of wine – a years’ worth of bottles.
We moved on, hoping to purchase olives or cheese, but too late and we get an sms that they are closed already. We enjoy coffee and tea in MacGregor and purchase our olives and olive oil from this quaint village with its quaint shops. Strange that the staff panic at so many people (five of us asking for coffee), we decide that we must return.
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The last boat trip on the Breede was at 4pm so we made haste and arrived with enough time to spare to taste the wines. Some of us wondered at the waterworks and had to brave the gents because the ladies lou was overworked.
We booked our ticket and taste, listen to the band, enjoying why we are here, to taste wine - god’s gift.
The boat trip was popular and we wanted the view from the upper deck and so did others, particularly a rather large overpowering Afrikaanse lady, but we avoided her and enjoyed the scenery with others who had the good things in life – food and wine.
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As we left the banks we noticed a hippo poking its head out of the water. Later a notice on the bulkhead warns: Legend would have us believe that at least one hippo escaped from the hunter’s.
The clouds roll in and we negotiated a thunderstorm on the way home, lightening and thunder, but before that we enjoyed wine and a fantastic sunset over the Robertson Valley.
Check www.wackywineweekend.com or contact Robertson Tourism on info@robertson.org.za or 023 626 4437.
Did you know;
· One barrel of wine equals 1 800 glasses of wine
· A ton of grapes makes about 720 bottles of wine
· One wine produces between 24 and 36 glasses of wine
· Each bottle of wine contains about 1,5kg of grapes
· There are between 35 and 60 clusters of grapes per vine
· One hectare of land is home to between 3 000 and 6 000 vines and sometimes even up to 10 000.
Some tips;
If you find a wine that you like, buy a few bottles immediately. Don’t wait because they may not be open later or you may be too pissed to remember which farm you visited.
Book early and stay in Robertson. The less distance you have to travel the more wines you can taste.
Take snacks with you, drinking on an empty stomach is not good and also you will avoid queuing.
Take good headache pills – you’re bound to need them and the shops will likely be sold out.
Plan your weekend otherwise you’ll find that places are closed, especially on Sunday, or you’ll end up driving backwards and forwards.
Robertson wine of the river – 19 -21 October
Taking place on the banks of the Breede River, the Robertson Wine on the River replaces the popular Robertson Food & Wine Festival. Taste the best wines, listen to live music, browse through the arts & crafts lane, enjoy lunch or sample the local produce.
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