January marks a shift in the Cape Winelands. The vineyards come alive as the 2026 harvest gets underway, and the air is thick with the scent of ripening fruit. It's a time of frantic activity and early morning picks, as months of careful farming finally result in the first grapes arriving at the cellar.
At wine.co.za, this is arguably our favourite time of year. It’s a rare chance to see the grit behind the glass and celebrate the raw potential of the new vintage.
Rather than watching from the sidelines, you can swap your city shoes for vellies and jump right into the thick of it. Across the winelands, farms are hosting harvest days and festivals that offer a proper farm-to-bottle experience. Whether you want to try your hand at old-school grape stomping, join a tractor ride through the vineyards, or simply enjoy a long, lazy harvest-style lunch or dinner, there’s an event for you.
If you’re ready to get your hands purple, here is our list of the best hands-on harvest festivals in the South African Winelands this season.
La Motte Harvest Experience
The 2026 La Motte Harvest Experience shares the blessing of the harvest with an invitation into the vineyards and cellar on La Motte. The experience includes a vineyard and cellar tour as well a tasting of four wines from the Reserve Collection, with the famous La Motte mosbolletjie as part of the tasting. The harvest plate by chef Stephan Moolman of L'Ami Family Brasserie is an optional extra at R70, and consists of fire-roasted grapes, Parma ham, hangop kaas, pickled red onions, fynbos vinegar and charred vine leaves.
- Where: La Motte, Franschhoek
- When: Mon to Sat, from 23 January to the end of harvest (mid-March)
- Time: 10h00 & 15h00
- Cost: R300 per person
Click HERE to book.
Delheim Harvest Festival
To kick off the 2026 wine harvest festivities, Delheim is hosting a weekend of diverse events appealing to a wide range of wine and food lovers. On Friday evening, join the Delheim family for the Sunset Harvest Table, an al fresco feast of food, wine and live music among the farm’s scenic vineyards. Saturday’s Harvest Market Day is a chance to experience harvest season on a working wine farm. Enjoy the day among the farm’s vineyards, picking grapes, stomping the bunches in barrels, and more. The market will offer Delheim wines, roosterkoek, and a selection of homemade food products, all made to nourish the body and soul.
- Where: Delheim Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
- When: 30-31 January 2026
- Time: Harvest Table: 18h00 | Harvest Market Day: 10h00 - 13h00
- Cost: Harvest Table: R950 pp | Harvest Market Day: R200 pp
Click HERE to book.
Stellenbosch Harvest Parade
Stellenbosch is coming alive with colour, music and grape-filled joy as the iconic Stellenbosch Harvest Parade returns! The event isn't only a way of honouring the start of a new harvest season, but also a show of thanks to the wine farmers and workers – most of whom are among the parade's participants. Local entertainment ensembles and brass musicians join in to add to the gees. Expect vibrant floats, smiling faces, rhythmic sounds and a joyful procession. The parade sets off from the Toy and Miniature Museum, making its way to the Stellenbosch Town Hall, where a special ceremony takes place.
- Where: Toy and Miniature Museum, Stellenbosch
- When: Saturday, 31 January 2026
- Time: 09h00
- Cost: Free
Click HERE to find out more.
Stomp the Harvest at Soetmelksvlei
Step back in time and experience winemaking as it was practised before the turn of the 19th century at Soetmelksvlei, Babylonstoren. This hands-on harvest activity invites guests to feel and stomp grapes by hand, celebrating age-old traditions in a playful and sensory way. After the stomping, enjoy a traditional mosbolletjie paired with a refreshing glass of grape juice.
- Where: Soetmelksvlei, Babylonstoren, Franschhoek
- When: 4-22 February 2026 (excluding Mondays and Tuesdays)
- Time: 11h00 - 15h00
- Cost: R550 per person
Click HERE to book.
Muratie Harvest Dinner
On the eve of their famous annual harvest festival, join Muratie for a celebratory harvest dinner on their terrace lawn. As the sun sets over the valley, mark the start of the harvest season with an evening of fine food, exceptional wine, and warm company! Guests will be welcomed with canapés and a glass of Cap Classique on arrival, followed by a series of small plates thoughtfully paired with wines. Adding to the magic of the evening, enjoy live music from talented local duo Kruger & Tutu as you wine and dine beneath the open sky.
- Where: Muratie Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
- When: Friday, 6 February 2026
- Time: 18h30
- Cost: R950 per person
Click HERE to book.
Lomond's Blessing of the Harvest
Join Lomond as they raise a glass to the season ahead and bless the upcoming 2026 harvest with a special wine tasting and harvest lunch. Sip through a curated selection of Lomond and Lost Boy wines that reflect the journey from vine to bottle, presented by cellarmaster Anné van Heerden and Trevor DeRuisé will present the tasting. Then, you'll have a harvest table-style lunch set out next to the dam in true Cape Agulhas style.
- Where: Lomond Wine Estate, Gansbaai
- When: Saturday, 7 February 2026
- Time: 11h30 - 15h00
- Cost: R500 per person
Click HERE to book.
Muratie Harvest Festival
Mark your calendars and join us for a memorable weekend celebrating the spirit of the harvest! This special weekend promises fun, flavours, and festivities for all. Savour award-winning wines steeped in history, cheese platters, and seasonal dishes from our kitchen. Enjoy unique experiences like grape stomping, tractor rides, vineyard walks, and live music by the Kitchen Jammin' Blues Band. Relax with lawn games or indulge in curated wine tastings – all set against the stunning landscape of Muratie Wine Estate.
- Where: Muratie Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
- When: 7-8 February 2026
- Time: 10h00 - 16h00
- Cost: R300 per person | R100 per child
Click HERE to book.
Diemersfontein Harvest Experience
Join the team at Diemersfontein for their 2026 Harvest Experience; a glimpse into what their vineyard and winemaking teams get up to this time of year. Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival, before embarking on a tour of the heart of the harvest operation, the wine cellar. Thereafter, you'll take a short tractor ride to enjoy a wine tasting in the vineyards. The evening will conclude with a two-course long table-style dinner at SMUL Restaurant.
- Where: Diemersfontein Wine Estate, Wellington
- When: 7 Feb, 21 Feb, 28 Feb & 7 Mar 2026
- Time: 18h00 for 18h30
- Cost: R395 pp
Click HERE to book.
Harvest Stomp at Ken Forrester Wines
Stomp your own grapes and experience the thrill of old-school winemaking at Ken Forrester Wines' annual Harvest Stomp. Upon arrival, you'll receive Ken Forrester signature Cheninita cocktail as a welcome drink. The rest of the day will be filled with grape-stomping fun, live music, and plenty of wine. As for lunch, a harvest-style feast awaits.
- Where: Ken Forrester Vineyards, Somerset West
- When: Saturday, 14 February 2026
- Time: 10h30 - 16h00
- Cost: R695 per adult | R200 per child
Click HERE to book.
Durbanville Hills Harvest Tour
Guests are invited to gather at Durbanville Hills for their harvest tour, welcomed with a glass of sparkling wine. The event starts with a cellar tour that includes a grape must tasting. As the experience unfolds, guests gather around to blend their own wine, adjusting, tasting and refining until you create a wine blend that is just right. The experience draws to a close at The Tangram, where a beautifully prepared two-course menu awaits. With wine perfectly paired to each dish. The meal brings everything together in a way that is warm, comforting, and memorable.
- Where: Durbanville Hills Winery, Durbanville
- When: 18 February - 14 March 2026
- Time: Morning session: 10h00 | Evening session: 17h30
- Cost: R550 per person
Click HERE to book.
Harvest Sunset Workshop at Perdeberg
Celebrate harvest with a golden-hour workshop at Perdeberg Cellar, hosted at STEEN Restaurant as the sun sets over the farm. Guests are invited to learn how to make traditional mosbolletjie and moskonfyt using fresh harvest mos, while enjoying a glass of Perdeberg’s Dry Land Collection Rossouw’s Heritage and harvest-style snacks. It’s a relaxed, hands-on way to mark the season and soak up the atmosphere of harvest time.
- Where: Perdeberg, Paarl
- When: Thursday, 19 February 2026
- Time: 18h00
- Cost: R395 per person
Click HERE to book.
Grande Provence Harvest Festival
This year sees the return of a much-loved celebration at Grande Provence. For the first time since 2019, the estate will host its Harvest Festival, an intimate, hands-on experience that invites guests to step into the rhythm of harvest and be part of the story behind the vintage. From mid-morning, a limited group will enjoy grape picking and stomping, guided wine tasting and blending, and the joyful energy of harvest in the vineyards. The experience concludes with a generous harvest table lunch, designed to be shared, savoured and enjoyed in good company.
- Where: Grande Provence, Franschhoek
- When: Saturday, 21 February 2026
- Time: 10h00
- Cost: R1 500 per person
Click HERE to book.
Harvest at Dusk at Nederburg
This February, join Nederburg's immersive harvest celebration. Sip freshly fermenting 2026 grape must with the winemakers, enjoy canapés, ride by tractor into the vineyards to pick grapes, and stomp grapes on the lawns of the historic Manor House. As dusk falls, indulge in a fire-inspired three-course dinner before kicking off your shoes and dancing under the stars. This evening promises a hands-on look at the harvest.
- Where: Nederburg, Paarl
- When: Saturday, 28 February 2026
- Time: 17h00
- Cost: R1 495 per person
Click HERE to book.
Simonsig Harvest Experience
Join Simonsig for an intimate, hands-on harvest experience. Step behind the scenes to experience harvest as the team on the farm does: boots on the ground, grapes in hand, and conversations with the people behind the wines. Your morning begins in the vineyards with a sabrage moment and light breakfast, followed by stories and perspectives from cellarmaster Michael Malan and viticulturist Nicole. From there, it’s time to roll up your sleeves – grape picking, traditional foot stomping, and just soaking up the energy of harvest. The day draws to a close with a relaxed, harvest-style long-table lunch.
- Where: Simonsig Family Vineyards, Stellenbosch
- When: Saturday, 28 February 2026
- Time: 08h00 - 13h00
- Cost: R1 250 per person
Click HERE to book.
Darling Cellars Crush Day
Get stomping at Darling Cellars on the West Coast! The winery is hosting their annual Crush Day in March – a fun-filled, family-friendly celebration of harvest time in Darling. Expect a full day of vineyard magic with tractor rides, grape picking and stomping, kids’ entertainment, live music, delicious food, and, of course, award-winning wines. Your ticket includes breakfast and grape must on arrival, access to all activities, lunch, and a bottle of wine to take home.
- Where: Darling Cellars, Darling
- When: Saturday, 7 March 2026
- Time: 07h45
- Cost: R400 per adult | R300 per teen | R200 per child
Click HERE to book.
Quoin Rock Harvest Celebration
Dreaming of a dolce vita long table experience in the vineyards? Join the Harvest Celebration at Quoin Rock, where wine, flame and harvest spirit come together. Long communal tables stretch through the vines as seasonal gourmet dishes are prepared over open flames. Each course is thoughtfully designed around the wines and the land from which they come. With exceptional wines, live music and sweeping views of the Simonsberg, this is a celebration of abundance, togetherness and the art of living well.
- Where: Quoin Rock, Stellenbosch
- When: Thursday, 26 March 2026
- Time: 17h30 - 22h00
- Cost: R4 000 per person
- Dress code: All white
Click HERE to book.
BotFest
The free-spirited winemaking folk of Botriver invite friends and family (and fans) to join them in celebrating the 2026 harvest with a festival at Gabriëlskloof. BotFest 2026 showcases 20+ local wine producers with walkabout tastings, gourmet food, intimate satellite sessions exploring terroir and older vintages, and live music by Sons of Selassi. It's a celebration of good people and unforgettable wines!
- Where: Gabriëlskloof, Bot River
- When: Saturday, 28 March 2026
- Time: 12h30 - 21h00
- Cost: R800 per person
Click HERE to book.
Agulhas Wine Triangle Harvest Festival
The 11th annual Agulhas Wine Triangle Harvest Festival takes place end-April. Discover the unique, cool-climate wines of Africa's southernmost vineyards as the region's top producers come together to showcase their work and tell their stories. Participating wineries include Black Oystercatcher, Fortes Family Wines, Ghost Corner Wines, Land's End, Lomond, Lost Boy Wines, Raka, Skipskop Wines, Sijnn, Strandveld Vineyards, The Berrio, The Drift Estate, The Giant Periwinkle, and Zoetendal Vineyards.
- Where: Lomond Wine Estate, Gansbaai
- When: Saturday, 25 April 2026
- Time: 11h30 - 15h00
- Cost: Early Bird pricing (until 31 March): R250 pp | Thereafter: R300 pp
Click HERE to book.
