It’s harvest time in the Cape winelands – your perfect opportunity to celebrate South Africa’s wonderful wines with family and friends. Farms throughout the region make celebrating so easy with their harvest festivals, so get involved by picking grapes, stomping them, tasting first pressings and learning all about wine making. And don’t worry: everywhere you go in the winelands over harvest time will offer plenty of delicious country food to fuel you and live music to amuse you. (Visit our events page to learn more about each event.)

Môreson Blessing of the Harvest – 4 February 2012
Pick and press grapes, have lunch at Bread and Wine, and try your hand at wine label designing at the Môreson Blessing of the Harvest.

Feast of Cabernet Sauvignon at Holden Manz – 9 February 2012
A wine-pairing dinner with four boutique cellar winemakers is the focus of Holden Manz’s celebration of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Riesling Rocks Festival – 11 February 2012
All of the Cape’s finest Riesling makers will be available for tastings at Hartenberg’s Riesling Rocks Festival, as well as fine deli food and local musicians.

Crush on Constantia – 18 February 2012
Enjoy tastes of Constantia’s famous wines and delicious food at the False Bay Rugby Club.

Laborie Live Music at Harvest – 24 February 2012
Enjoy a glass of Laborie wine and perhaps something to eat from the restaurant while relaxing on the lawns and listening to local musicians.

Constantia Fresh – 24-25 February 2012
Partake in wine tasting of local and international reds, a walkabout tasting of Sauvignon Blancs and a garden braai, and a five-course fine dining and wine pairing experience at The Greenhouse.

Robertson Hands on Harvest – 24-26 February 2012
Pick, sort and stomp grapes; taste wine from a horse-drawn carriage; try your hand at blending brandy; and tour Robertson’s vineyards on a tractor.

Dusk Harvesting at Nederburg – 25 February 2012
Pick grapes at dusk, followed by a starlit picnic and concert on Nederburg’s lawns.

Grand Provence Harvest Festival – 25 February 2012
Grape picking, wine cellar tours, wine tasting, grape stomping, and a braai fest with musical entertainment all form part of the Grande Provence Harvest Festival.

Spier Harvest Festival – 25 February 2012
Start off at the Spier Harvest Festival with wine tasting and barrel spinning, and end off the day with the open-air concert starring local musicians.

Eikendal Weintaufe Harvest Celebration – 4 March 2012
Eikendal’s 31st annual harvest celebration will include wine tastings, live music, craft stalls, lucky draws, vineyard tractor rides, fly fishing, barrel stomping, pony rides and more.

Mischa Wine Festival – 17-18 March 2012
Open to the public only on this one occasion every year, Mischa Estate hosts wine tastings, delicious local food, live music, raffles, competitions and plenty of prizes.

Wellington Harvest Festival – 17-18 March 2012
Lazy lunches, potjiekos tastings, canapés at Diemersfontein, live music, wild boar on a spit, and two local markets all make up the Wellington Harvest Festival.

The Feast of the Grape – 21 March 2012
Durbanville’s harvest festival includes delicious food, wine tastings and live music.

Franschhoek Oesfees – 24 March 2012
With the focus on thanking and celebrating the winelands workers, this harvest festival at Solms-Delta includes local musical gems from the Boland and rustic local cuisine.

Image by Zest-pk