Bot River Spring Festival Features First-Ever Bull Run Adventure

Plus: Get a taste in Cape Town this Thursday. Bring the whole family for the best in wine, waterblommetjies and a scavenger hunt for the grown-ups

A first-of-its-kind wine-themed Bull Run scavenger hunt (win a case of wines, every month for six months), champagne riddling, loads of good food and wine, plus: horse rides, jumping castles and face painting in the vineyards for the little ones. You’re going to want to load the kids, grandma and the whole family in the car and head over to the Overberg for the Bot River Spring Weekend (1–2 September).

SOMETHING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

The Bot River Spring Weekend is back and hitting the bullseye when it comes to fully- loaded fun and ringing in the warmer part of the year the right way. Taste the wines of the Bot River region (the festival gives you access to nine top wine farms in the region) and take part in awesomely unique games (a scavenger hunt for grown-ups?), while the kids are entertained on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September 2018.

The festive spring event offers something for the whole family. Horse rides, drawing competitions and stone painting will keep the kids busy for hours, while parents get to taste some of the best-loved wines in the Bot River region directly from the winemakers themselves.    

EAT AND DRINK

Tuck into salt and pepper calamari or steamed pork buns at  Gabriëlskloof, Friday night steak night or curry on Saturday night at Wildekrans, as well as an ox braai with traditional sides like curried boontjies and phutu pap.

Chef Matt Manning, who perfected his trade in London’s finest Michelin-starred restaurants serves you at Luddite, while there are awesome sushi and oysters at Genevieve MCC, an exclusive three-course dinner in the Barton Cellar at Villion Family Wines (with an Oxtail potjie as the main dish), plus snack boxes at Arcangeli and much more throughout the weekend across the various wine farms.

PARTICIPATING WINE FARMS

• Arcangeli
• Beaumont Family Wines
• Gabriëlskloof
• Genevieve MCC
• Goedvertrouw
• Luddite Wines
• PaardenKloof Ecology Lifestyle Estate
• Villion Family Wines at Barton Vineyards
• Wildekrans Wine Estate

ANIMAL FARM FUN

There’ll be a bunch of fun for animal lovers and the kids too. You’ll be able to interact with farmyard animals, let the children ride ponies and even buy Nguni skins and horns at the PaardenKloof Ecology Lifestyle Estate, one of the first farms in the Western Cape to re-introduce the Nguni cattle to the region. Goedvertrouw will also have a little farm market with farm animals grazing around to see.

COOL EXTRAS

Goedvertrouw has yoga lined up in the vineyards, with a vino twist. PaardenKloof Lifestyle Estate will also have a fresh farmers market where you’ll be able to shop for local produce, Protea flowers and nursery plants. There’ll be a Wine Bar at Villion Family Wines at the three-course dinner in the Barton Cellar too.

Plus: Be a part of the launch of their new Gabriëlskloof ROSEbud wine at their Little Spring Market.

INTRODUCING THE BOT RIVER BULL RUN

Wine tasting and family fun aside, the weekend will also see one of the quirkiest, most interesting and completely exciting games take place for the first time in a wine region.

The Gallivanting Goose is bringing The Bull Run to this year’s spring weekend. The Bull Run is a game best described as a “grown-up scavenger hunt”, named for the wine valley’s logo featuring a bull (plus this being the year of the bull, according to the Chinese zodiac). Contestants depart from the Bot River Hotel in town and take part in a race filled with waterblommetjies from Wildekrans, champagne riddling with Genevieve MCC and a few other surprises along the way.

WIN A CASE OF WINE, MONTHLY, FOR SIX MONTHS

Winners of The Bull Run will receive a case of wines every month for six months, and as part of the entry to the game, a festival ticket and tasting glass is included.  

GET A TASTE IN CAPE TOWN THIS THURSDAY

If you want to get a taste of the wines and vibe that will be on offer, the best of Bot River will be at La Tete on 30 August 2018 for a wine and food pairing experience with winemakers. It’s R200pp and the coolest way to get yourself in the Bull Run spirit before heading out to the festival this weekend.

TICKETS GET YOU ENTRY TO NINE BOT RIVER WINE FARMS

Tickets to the festival can be purchased through Quicket and cost R150pp for the entire weekend. Single day tickets cost R100pp. Temporary Quicket stations will be at Gabriëlskloof and Wildekrans, and the Main Quicket Station will be located at the Fiore Nursery in the Bot River Town Square.

Tickets to certain activities happening on various wine farms can be found on the Bot River Wines website.

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Celebrate sunshine, fresh air and great food at the Gabrielskloof Little Spring Market.
Sip the Cape’s best vinos at these top wine tastings in and around Cape Town.
See what to get up to with the kids this spring with our list of 52 kickass activities for the kids.
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