Bitou Mayor, Peter Lobese, opened the 2016 Sasfin Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival with a crowd-pleasing “sabrage” alongside Plett Cellar Master Anton Smal. Bubbly of choice was a signature Newstead Vineyards MCC.
Event organizer Plett Tourism announced an estimate of more than 1 500 attendees who celebrated the Plett Winelands at this year’s festival. This was almost double to the 2015 figures. 10 wine farms showcased their wines, with more than 30 varieties to be sampled. There was even a new addition from That Place Vineyard. With only 560 bottles of Pinot Noir in production for 2015, they joined forces with neighbor Bramon to allow festival-goers an opportunity to sample the fruits of their labour.
Other wine highlights from this year’s festival included the official launch of Lodestone Wine & Olives’ Méthode Cap Classique Rosé, “Stonechat” (named after the stonechat bird that sits on the vines), and Bitou Vineyards’ 2015 and 2016 Sauvignon Blanc. Both wines were extremely well-received by invited media guests and wine aficionados who were in attendance. This year also saw the introduction of the Wine Legends Theatre, with presentations by well-known wine columnist PeeBee Bishop and local Cellar Master Anton Smal.
See you next October for the fourth Sasfin Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival!
ABOUT THE SASFIN PLETT WINE & BUBBLY FESTIVAL:
Held early October, this annual event is a highlight on the Plett Calendar. The festival is dedicated to wine, bubbles and the finer things in life. You can expect to enjoy a selection of more than 30 wines from local producers and enjoy with artisan cheeses, charcuterie, sushi and beautiful cultivated oysters and a line-up of incredible local and national music talent including Arno Carstens, Ben Dey and the Concrete Lions, Albert Frost and Jack Mantis.