Gallery

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The organisers of the popular Knysna Wine Festival, which has been running for 15 years, decided to host a wine event in Mossel Bay.

It was held at the Diaz Hotel on Friday 15 July, during the Garden Route International Film Festival, which was also held at the hotel.

The Knysna Wine Fest is organised by Belinda Hobson and Bronwyn Lloyd.

Hobson said, "Different Garden Route towns want us to bring the set-up of the Knysna Wine Fest to their towns."

She and Lloyd decided to fulfil that request, starting with Mossel Bay, and this is how the first Garden Route Wine Festival took place on 15 July.

Hobson said that Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, is supporting the initiative and explained that the Garden Route Wine Festivals will be "gypsy events, which travel in alliance with elite events".

'Baby'

Hobson and Lloyd are pleased with how their "baby" - their first Garden Route Wine Festival in Mossel Bay - turned out. "We had 120 people and for our first event, we are pleased with the turnout."

Tickets for the event cost R150 and people could buy snack platters. Guests received a free wine tasting glass and unlimited tasting.

"We had 18 wine estates represented. Of these Bahia Bleu restaurant at the Diaz Hotel brought eight brands to the table. Wines from the whole of the Western Cape were available."

PHOTO GALLERY: Wine event in Mossel Bay

To top it all, the event raised R1 500 for the Seabird and Penguin Rehabilitation Centre (Saprec) at Mossdustria, outside Mossel Bay.

"We are all about supporting charities," Hobson said.

She said the next Garden Route Wine Fest will probably be in George on 17 December.

And after that, "We hope to be back in Mossel Bay even bigger and better," she said.

'We bring you the latest Garden Route news'