THE VAAL RIVER MEANDER WINE ROUTE 2017
GAUTENG’S MOST POPULAR WINE ROUTE CELEBRATES ITS 14TH YEAR

Official Launch:
“Wine on the Vaal River Festival”
Sat 24th June 2017

Six-Week Vaal River Meander Wine Route
25th June to 30th July 2017

The Vaal River Meander Wine Route, starts off with the official launch on Saturday the 24^th June with The Vaal River Wine Festival at Stonehaven on Vaal. It will be a day filled with wine tasting - you will be treated to a choice of over 200 wines both on land and aboard luxury cruisers - all included in the R100 entry fee.  The cruisers will depart for 45-minute cruises at regular intervals from 12:00 – 20:00 on the 24th of June 2017. There will be lots of delectable, well-priced food options to indulge in as well as live entertainment.  The Vaal River Wine Festival has a limited number of tickets available – so book your tickets soon via Computicket HERE or email info@vaalwineroute.co.za for details of the venues selling them.

The first day of the 6-week Vaal River Meander Wine Route, starts on Sunday the 25^th June.  The Wine Route is then on every Saturday and Sunday at more than a dozen venues in the Vaal until Sunday the 30^th July. The 6-week Vaal River Meander Wine Route is a very well-priced wine treat to beat the winter blues.  Going on the route is a fun way to taste some great wines and explore the various venues that are participating.  Make sure you get your Vaal River Meander Wine Route Passport so you can see the selection of venues you can visit and which wines they will each be showcasing.

There will be a Wine Tasting Fee payable at each venue you visit, with a selection of different wine farms at each and every venue.  Each venue has at least 8 wines on offer.  Some venues have up to 16 wines. Wine Tasting fees during the 6-week Vaal River Meander Wine Route are:-

• R20 for 8 wines
• R30 for 12 wines
• R40 for 16 wines

The Wine Route is perfect for wine connoisseurs, however, it is also for those visitors who just want to appreciate the wonderful wines that South Arica boasts.  Enjoy a pleasant, well-priced outing, where one can learn in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Gauteng’s most popular Wine Route discerns itself  from all the other Wine Routes in South Africa, in that it has a record number of ways in which you can enjoy this winter wine feast. Be it by house boat, luxury cruiser, wine route taxi, speedboat, water-taxi, tour-bus or  your own car - the Vaal River Meander Wine Route has more ways to get there than any other Wine Route in South Africa.

The different venues, at which you can enjoy all these tastings, are so diverse and offer contrasting experiences.  The common thread is that each will be presenting great South African wines. You might select a venue where you can enjoy sipping wine at a classy hotel, in a cigar lounge or in front of a roaring fireplace in a cosy pub.  You may enjoy wine tasting whilst trying your hand at Lady Luck in a casino.  Or what about savouring wine as you cruise aboard a luxurious cruiser down Millionaire’s Mile, at sunset on a boathouse overlooking the Vaal, or in a character-filled wine cellar?
There are also optional extras to add to your experience, such as:

• Cruising Wine Tasting Luncheons aboard a luxurious cruiser
• Special Overnight Weekend Breaks at lodges and hotels along the Vaal
• Food and Wine pairing lunches
• Houseboat weekend stays (throw anchor and moor at the different venues along the Vaal River for wine tasting)
• Spa treatment packages

Click here to view the full list of specials and experiences offered by the venues this year.

This is also a great opportunity for companies to entertain their clients or staff to well-priced Wine Tasting experiences with or without food pairing – every experience with a distinctive edge.
If you want to organise a corporate or private group outing during these 6 weeks – there are a number of packages to choose from, and personalised packages can be put together for you too - tailored for your individual, corporate or private needs. For more information click here to contact each of the venues or email info@vaalwineroute.co.za to enquire about the various packages.

2017 Vaal Wine Route Passports can be found at all the participating venues containing a map of the Route, all the specials available at each venue and the wines that can be tasted. Visit 6 or more venues, get each of the venue’s Passport Pages stamped and you could stand a chance at winning the Grand Vaal Wine Route prize!

For more information contact us on info@vaalwineroute.co.za or connect with us on social media and get the latest updates on competitions, give-aways and promotions:

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Get updates on the latest Vaal Wine Route news, venue events and competitions HERE

2017 Participating Venues & contact numbers:

1. BON Hotel Riviera on Vaal - 016 420 1300
2. Breeze Restaurant - 016 982 8166
3. Liquid Lounge - 016 982 3411
4. Liquor City - 016 932 2158
5. Lord's Signature Hotel - 016 423 5453
6. Makro Vaal - 0860 303 999
7. Model Bottle Store - 016 363 1128
8. Riverside Sun Hotel - 016 982 7300
9. Shakespeare Inn - 016 933 4821
10. Stonehaven on Vaal - 016 982 2951/2
11. The Art Farm - 079 208 8716
12. The Merchant Hotel - 016 366 7878
13. The Shack - 082 443 2603
14. Turn ‘n Tender - 016 100 4261
15. Tuscany Restaurant & Bar - 016 427 1024
16. Waterfront Country Lodge - 016 987 3434
17. Zana's Artisan Bakery and Deli - 016 932 1300

2017 Wines and their host Venues:

1. Altydgedacht - Waterfront Country Lodge & Spa
2. Bayedei - Merchant Business Class Hotel
3. Bella Vino – Liquid Lounge
4. Blaauwklippen – Shakespeare Inn
5. Bon Courage - Emerald Resort & Casino
6. Bosman - Merchant Business Class Hotel
7. Darling Cellars - The Shack
8. Delaire Graff - Emerald Resort & Casino
9. Diemersfontein - Stonehaven on Vaal
10. Fat Bastard – Tuscany Restaurant & Pub
11. Flagstone - The Shack
12. Glen Carlou – Merchant Business Class Hotel
13. Glenelly – Waterfront Country Lodge & Spa
14. House of Mandela – The Art Farm
15. John B - Tuscany Restaurant & Pub
16. Kleine Zalze - Zana's Artisan Bakery and Deli
17. Krone – Zana's Artisan Bakery and Deli
18. Kumala – The Shack
19. L’ Avenir - Riverside Hotel
20. Landskroon - Emerald Resort & Casino
21. Le Pommier – BON Hotel Riviera on Vaal
22. Overgaauw - Waterfront Country Lodge & Spa
23. Pandora’s Box - Liquid Lounge
24. Papillion - Lord’s Signature Hotel
25. Porcupine Ridge – Stonehaven on Vaal
26. Protea Wines - BON Hotel Riviera on Vaal
27. Rhino Run - Lord’s Signature Hotel
28. Rietvallei – Shakespeare Inn
29. Robertson – Turn ‘n Tender
30. Spier - Stonehaven on Vaal
31. Strandveld - Stonehaven on Vaal
32. Van Loveren – Lord’s Signature Hotel
33. Vriesenhof – Waterfront Country Lodge & Spa
34. Warwick - Riverside Hotel
35. Wolftrap  - Shakespeare Inn
36. Zandvliet - Riverside Hotel