Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Beards, barrels and bonhomie
BIANCA COLEMAN
LOVE them or hate them, beards are here to stay – some thankfully less than others.
The seventh annual Barrels & Beards festival takes place in the Bot River wine region next Saturday, all in the name of a worthy cause.
What has become tradition, began by accident. The grape harvest waits for no-one – when the fruit is ripe, it must be picked and taken to the cellar. It’s a few months of hard work in the vineyards, little sleep, and even less time for tedious daily grooming like shaving; a few more minutes in bed is better than having a smooth chin so it’s not unusual to find luxurious beards sprouting during harvest.
The winemakers of this closeknit wine region decided to deliberately undertake a self-imposed shaving ban during harvest period when Luddite winemaker Niels Verburg first declared the challenge in 2010, daring his colleagues across the valley to a grand and glorious Bot River clash of beards. The challenge stuck and here we are.
Once the grapes are in – and to the delight of every partner, no doubt – the shaving ban ends. But not before the barrels are rolled out for a homegrown harvest party and the shaggy growth goes on display. Which brings us to Saturday’s festival, where not only is there a sumptuous dinner spread and wine tasting of the latest vintage straight from the barrel during the festivity hosted on the hillside grounds of Barton Vineyards, but the Best Bot Beard will be judged in the Beard Parade.
On a more serious note, the Best Of Bot wine auction of rare and special vintages benefits the children of Bot River through various school-level educational projects in the region.
Producers taking part in the 2017 Barrels & Beards celebration are Anysbos, Barton, Beaumont Family Wines, Eerste Hoop, Gabriëlskloof, Genevieve MCC, Goedvertrouw Wine Estate, Luddite Wines, Maremmana Estate, Momento Wines, Paardenkloof Estate, Rivendell Estate, Thorne & Daughters, Villion Family Wines and Wildekrans Boutique Wine Estate.
“The evening is about feeling right at home,” says Bot River Wine Route co-ordinator and the bubbly personality behind Genevieve MCC, Melissa Nelsen.
With the event returning to Barton Vineyards, event organiser Wilmari Geyer, who is married to Barton winemaker PJ, says the they are delighted to host the festival again. “After last year’s phenomenal success, we cannot wait to welcome back our friends and see what the beardy winemakers have up their sleeves to entertain everyone. Along with the dinner and show, we are also excited to treat a cool crowd to a barrel tasting of our young and old wines to get a true taste of us Botriverians from vineyard to glass.”
Bot River is an hour’s drive on the N2 highway from Cape Town. There are 13 wine farms, most of them family-owned and run, producing world class wines.
“Bot River is not just a one-night stand dorpie so why not make a weekend of it and come on over on Friday already to join us locals for a few cold ones on the stoep,” quips Kobie Viljoen, chairperson of the Bot River Vineyards Association.
The 2017 Bot River Barrels & Beards showcase is on Saturday, April 22 at 5pm, at R450 per adult, through Quicket. For enquiries and pre-bookings contact Wilmari Geyer on 084 231 8930 or email info@bartonvineyards.co.za.