Jazz and cheese fondue at Delheim. Photo courtesy of the restaurant

No plans this weekend? Venture out to one of these exciting food, craft beer and wine festivals that are taking place over the next few days.

Johannesburg

Underground Dinner (Newton)
Join in for the final underground dinner of 2015 and celebrate delicious food and wine. The evening will include an innovative three-course menu paired with gorgeous wines at The Forum Turbine Hall. The theme is Phantom of the Opera and the entertainment will follow suit. Tickets are R595 per person and no tickets are available on the night; only pre-booked tables are available. To book your tickets, email Hazel on underground@theforum.co.za.

Cape Town

Big Bottle Festival (Cape Town Club, Gardens)
The fifth annual Big Bottle Festival will be held at the Cape Town Club in Queen Victoria Road this Saturday. Guests can expect an evening of opulence, celebration and extravagance. The festival brings together South Africa’s top winemakers and chefs in culinary pairings. All wines are poured from big bottles during the walkabout tasting, while guests sample canapés and small dishes.

The lineup of wines includes Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Raats Family, Boekenhoutskloof, Keermont and De Trafford. The team of chefs will include Rudi Liebenberg of Planet Restaurant, Shyam Longani of The Taj, Chris Harbeck of Raith Gourmet, Garth Almazan of Catharina’s, and Christina Semczyszyn of Tjing Tjing Torii.

Buy tickets from www.quicket.co.za for R450, which includes the tasting glass, wine, food and music.  The festival will be held at the Cape Town Club on Saturday 22 August from 3pm to 8pm.

The Big Bottle Festival. Photo courtesy of the event organisers.

Lakeside Beerworks Second Birthday Bash (Banana Jam, Kenilworth)
Head to Banana Jam for Lakeside Beerworks’s second birthday this weekend. The party will include snacks and, of course, plenty of craft beer. The event will take place in the newly renovated upstairs section of Banana Jam Café, where the brewery team will unveil some exciting new developments they’ve been working on. Celebrate between 6pm and 10.30pm on Saturday 22 August. For any queries, email admin@lsbw.co.za.

The bar at Banana Jam Café. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

We Love Wine Festival (Cape Gate, Brakenfell)
Capegate Shopping Centre’s popular wine festival returns on Friday 21 August and Saturday 22 August. For only R70, festivalgoers can taste and buy wine from 20 participating wineries in a selection that will suit every palate and wallet. The offerings will range from reds, whites, dry and sweet to ports, bubbly and pot-stilled brandies. Participating wine farms run from large producers with well-known brands to small, boutique and family-owned labels.

This year’s new addition is the Wine Theatre presented by The Cape Wine Academy, where tastings will be offered free of charge to those with a festival ticket. On the Friday there will be Delheim cupcakes and wine pairing, followed by a tasting of six top shirazes. On Saturday look forward a chenin blanc tasting and Lanzerac chocolate and wine pairing. To end off the programme, there will be a tasting of dessert wines and ports. Tickets can be purchased via Computicket or at the door. For more info on the programme of events, click here.

The Lanzerac chocolate pairing at the We Love Wine Festival. Photo courtesy of the event organisers.

Winelands

Delheim Cheese Fondue and Jazz Sunday (Stellenbosch)
Wind down your weekend at the Delheim Estate’s cheese fondue and jazz Sundays from 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Hosted in the toasty tasting cellar with its low ceilings and candlelit tables, the event marries good food, quality estate wines and jazzy jingles. Cheese fondues are prepared with emmenthal, gruyère and white wine and served with fresh baguette dippers and vegetable crudités. The cost is R200 per person, which includes a glass of glühwein on arrival. Bookings are essential. Contact Delheim on restaurant@delheim.com to secure your table.