One ton of Pinotage grapes are being supplied by Meerendal Estate in DURBANVILLE in the Western Cape for the event. The grapes were picked on 16 February on the Estate and will be kept under cold storage until the 1st of April. During the day long event, 10 teams consisting of 10 members each, will be ridding themselves of their shoes and climbing into half-barrels to convert the grapes into 500 litres of the finest Pinotage, which will then be stored in two 225 litre French oak barrels for nine months. Co-owner of The Pinotage Restaurant and Wine Cellar, Hennie Carstens, says that response to the event has been very enthusiastic and that only a limited number of tickets for participation are still available. “The day,” says Carstens, “starts with a champagne breakfast at which well known wine industry fundi and Meerendal’s marketing manager, Bennie Howard, will outline the rules and regulations of the event. Participants will also be given the opportunity to design a label for the “special” vintage, and the winning entry will be borne on each of the estimated 700 bottles that will be produced. The smaller label on the back of the bottles will contain the names of all the participants in the event”. “The event which will last the whole day and includes a three course gourmet lunch, with Meerendal wines, features a number of related activity prizes for the novice wine makers. Set in the beautiful gardens of The Pinotage Restaurant and Wine Cellar, the event will also feature a Meerendal wine tasting throughout the day, with a local jazz band providing background music,” he says. The event will take place under the watchful eye of Meerendal’s Cellar master, Karl Lambour, and ends with the decanting of freshly pressed juice into special open fermenters. After fermentation the young wine will be matured in one French oak barrel and one American oak barrel supplied by Radoux Cooperage which will then be kept at the Pinotage in the glass fronted cellar, for nine months. At the end of this period, The Restaurant will stage another event at which each of the participants will receive a bottle of the wine. The Pinotage Restaurant Wine Pressing Festival promises to be a lot of fun while giving wine lovers a special insight into the traditions of wine making and the fine properties of the Pinotage cultivar. It costs R 1 000 per person to participate and a limited number of tickets are still available from Liza Niewoudt at tel. 012 665 0658 or e-mail info@thepinotage.co.za. Meerendal Estate Tel: +27 21 975-1655 Fax: +27 21 975-1657 E-mail: info@meerendal.co.za Website: www.meerendal.co.za