| Does the Robertson Food & Wine Festival still exist? |
| NO – the Robertson Wine on the River replaced it in 2006 and is the only festival of the Robertson Wine Valley where you can taste all the wine of the valley in a central area. |
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| Why have you changed it? |
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The Wine on the River festival is much more in line with our wine route strategy, utilising one of our biggest assets: Mother Nature: the river, the vineyards, the mountains. It sends a far stronger message of what the Robertson Wine Valley is about than having a festival in a hall. We believe that it promotes wine as a lifestyle choice, that the beauty and ambiance is unbeatable and that the venue gives the festival a certain kind of uniqueness. Logistically it is a big challenge as everything needs to be “brought in” but we are very confident that whatever hiccups there were last year, will be addressed this year. |
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| What else has changed? |
| The festival has a much bigger lifestyle focus. We’ve brought in some great food-options suited to the new format such as a Mediterranean Kitchen, Basket Food (picnics) and fresh oysters, carpaccio, while favourite food from yesterday still remain – Tripe and Waterblommetjie Stew. The Robertson Farmers’ Market will showcase their products, there will be some arts & crafts and some great live music. Tutored tastings on coffee, chocolate, cheese and olives will also give visitors a chance to learn more on these topics. 2 Specialised tutored wine tastings will also take place – “The Diversity of Chardonnay” and “From Base to Bubbly” |
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How about food tasting?
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| The festival is mostly a wine festival and as such, focuses on wine tasting. There will be some tasting of cheese, olives and chocolate, but it is important to keep in mind that this is not the focus of the festival. |
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| Will we be able to swim in the river? |
| Due to the safety risks, swimming is strictly forbidden at the festival |
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| How far are the sites from each other? |
| 800m |
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| Will I be able to walk? |
| You can walk the distance on the connecting tar road, although we’d rather you make use of the shuttle/ferry, due to the traffic risks. |
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| Where can I park? |
| Visitors can park opposite the Spes Bona entrance at the Goudmyn school and will be shuttled to the festival grounds. |
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| Will there be credit card facilities? |
| Unfortunately no credit card facilities are available on-site and it is advisable to bribg enough cash. Note that credit card facilities are available at the off-consumption wine sales area at the Goudmyn School. |
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| Can I buy wine at the festival? |
| Yes! Bottle-sales for on-site consumption will take place at the festival sites, while wine for off-site consumption can be bought at the Goudmyn School where you have parked. Credit Card facilities are available at the Goudmyn School although we do advise you bring some cash as the telephone lines are notoriously slow. All the wine sold at the festival is done by the local LIONS International branch who uses the festival as a fund-raising effort. |
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| I heard something about a shuttle-service from the towns? |
| A shuttle service runs between Bonnievale, Montagu and Robertson and the festival sites and are available free of charge to festival goers. Please click here for the complete schedule. |
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| What happens on Sunday? |
| Due to popular demand, we’ve extended the festival to continue on the riverbanks on Sunday. |
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