Diemersfontein Pinotage on Tap review

This year is my second at Pinotage on Tap at the Diemersfontein estate. Once again it was a most enjoyable afternoon. Good food, good wine and surrounded by good friends in a beautiful setting is a quality way to spend a day.

It had been threatening rain all week. I don’t think anyone knew until that day whether it would be clear or not. It turned out to be a magnificent day, as I write this I am nursing a badly sunburnt head. One would think I would have learnt my lesson from last year, but no, again the three strands of hair on my head were left to defend my entire pate without assistance.

Thanks to some timely advice, however, I did wear hiking boots instead of my usual leather shoes. The place was a bit soggy from the rains and boots were a solid defence against the mud. There was no defence against the chocolate though. The restaurant (Seasons) was emptied except for one big table in the middle with a mountain of fresh strawberries, and next to that a chocolate fountain in which to dip the strawberries. The braver among us (or perhaps the chocoholics) tried to visit our wine glasses under the chocolate fountain, risking the wrath of the beady eyed ‘Protector of the Fountain’, she was having none of it. My shirt had a lot of it though.

Outside again and time was spent dodging 1700 (plus minus) people while trying to talk to the many familiar faces and simultaneously ensuring the snack platters did not manage to sneak past. Not even once. The snacks were really tasty. Not the usual chicken wings and mini pizzas one expects at big functions, but proper gourmet snacks. Think savoury eclairs with springbok pate or phyllo lamb samoosas or stuffed mushrooms. There was more food than you could eat (and none of those beetroot rice balls like last year, so I didn’t have to throw anything in the bushes).

Dotted around the area were 6 barrels filled with the famous chocolate/coffee pinotage. Just pointing your glass at one of them would result in it being filled up. Somebody was doing some calculations that there would have been about a litre of pinotage per person. I think I had my fair share. When not catching up with the familiar faces, we alternated between listening to the bands or just taking in the fantastic view.

As the afternoon turned into evening, the sunset was a sight to behold. There was a flurry of picture taking,  wine topping up, one last song and it was over. Time to head off. Until next year that is.