This year's series, at the Toyota SU Woordfees from Friday 6 March to Sunday 15 March 2020 in Stellenbosch, includes eight tasting sessions with renowned food and wine experts:
Friday 6 March (12:00): Taste Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge winners South Africa has more Chenin Blanc vineyards than any other country in the world. Taste some of the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge winners and find out why this versatile variety is gaining popularity worldwide.
Saturday 7 March (12:00): Konsortium Merino and Veritas wines – mouth watering! Few things are so inherent to our heritage as a sheep. Come taste juicy Konsortium Merino lamb braaied over the coals, served with double gold and gold Veritas award-winning red wines, presented by Cape Wine Master Bennie Howard. Experience the Konsortium team's passion for the sheep bred with dedication and pride in the wide, open plains of the Karoo.
Sunday 8 March (12:30): A celebration with SA's favourite sparkling wine, J.C. Le Roux
Behind every bottle of J.C. Le Roux is a story of innovation and passion – from the humble beginnings of a French Huguenot in the early 1700s to South Africa’s first and only dedicated sparkling wine cellar. Come enjoy J.C. Le Roux's wide variety of creatively-developed variants, from illustrious vintage reserves to everyday favourites; the delicately dry and the splendidly sweet!
Wednesday, 11 March (12:00): Fairview cheese and wine tasting with Charles Back
Charles Back, third-generation owner of the renowned wine and cheese estate, Fairview, is known for doing things differently, such as "importing" Mediterranean wine grape varieties to the Cape, and creating over 50 different cow and goat's milk artisanal cheeses. Join this informative tasting and discover the art of adding value to a wine range with quality agricultural products.
Thursday 12 March (12:00): The influence of terroir on pinotage
The "terroir" (soil, climate, location and topography) in which a wine is grown has a great influence on the ultimate wine. Come and hear what experts have to say about the key role of terroir and taste Cape Vintners Classification (CVC) accredited Pinotage wines from Durbanville, Stellenbosch and Botrivier.
Friday 13 March (12:00): Taste fruit flavours you have never heard of On 17 April 1662, the first apples were picked in the Company Garden at the Cape. And in 1892 the first South African peaches were sold at Covent Garden market in London. Learn more about the history of fruit and the science of fruit farming from apple experts, Buks Nel and Henk Griessel from Tru-Cape, and taste flavours you have never heard of.
Saturday, 14 March (13:15): Food with integrity What is food with integrity? A healthy plate of food is determined by several factors. Does the relationship between man and nature; man and animal; man and man influence the content of your plate? During this tasting session, GFASA (Grassfed Association of South Africa), in collaboration with Restory and Landbouweekblad, wants to motivate guests to ask, find and verify.
Sunday 15 March (12:00): Taste the excellent wines of Spier Spier was recently awarded nine double gold and seven gold Veritas medals – the best achievement by a contender since the Veritas awards’ inception. That is quite a feat with 1 491 medal contenders assessed by a panel of five leading international and 95 local specialists! Come and taste six of Spier's double gold and gold medal winning wines presented by cellar master Frans Smit.
All tasting sessions take place at Die Khaya in Ryneveld Street, Stellenbosch. Tickets range from R130 to R180. Only 70 tickets per tasting session are available at Computicket. Visit www.woordfees.co.za and www.agriexpo.co.za for more information.