Stanbic’s wine tasting festival resumes after two-year Covid-19-induced break

STANBIC Bank Zimbabwe’s exclusive annual Wine, Gin and Craft Beer Festival resumes this week after a two- year break caused by the Covi-19 pandemic.

The annual Wine Testing festival, which is sponsored by Stanbic Bank and its partners, kicked off in 2018 and was scheduled to enter its third year in 2020 before being postponed owing to restrictions on gatherings caused by Covid-19.

Exhibitors at the Wine Festival, which kicks off today and ends on Saturday, are drawn from South Africa.

The restriction on movement then made it impossible for them to come and display their products leading to its postponement over the last two years.

Stanbic Bank’s head of brand and marketing, Palmer Mugavha, expressed delight at hosting the event after a two-year break.

“The Festival was a permanent fixture on our calendar preCovid- 19 and being the biggest event of its kind in the country, it was a blow not having it over the last two years, but we understood perfectly that the Covid-19 protocols needed to be observed. We are now all set to host the Festival of all festivals as we make up for lost time,” said Mugavha.

Mugavha said Stanbic was determined to make up for lost time by hosting a memorable Festival that should thrill wine and beer enthusiasts who had hitherto been starved of such top line events.

This year hundreds of budding connoisseurs will come together over two days to sample the different wines, Gin and Craft Beer predominantly from Cape Town and Southern Africa.

He said the Wine Festival provided an opportunity for Stanbic Bank to entertain some of its customers and the general public who appreciate great wines through this unique event.

“We are well aware that due to the restrictions on travelling and gatherings our stakeholders have not yet had much fun in the last two years, so we are putting all stops to make sure this weekend’s event makes up for the two lost years as we seek to demonstrate our appreciation of our clients,” he said.

Wineries from Cape Town, Gin and Craft Beer producers from the region grace the event displaying their wide range of products.

In 2019, wine and beer enthusiasts were treated to top shelf hand crafted beers and wines produced by some of Southern Africa’s best vintners and sommeliers at the event’s usual Queen of Hearts venue.