VIEW THE FULL LIST OF VENUES & SPECIALS HERE
VIEW THE VAAL WINE ROUTE  MAP HERE

THE VAAL RIVER MEANDER WINE ROUTE 2018
GAUTENG’S MOST POPULAR WINE ROUTE CELEBRATES ITS 15TH YEAR

Official Launch with the “Vaal River Wine Expo” on Sat 23th June 2018

Six-Week “Vaal River Meander Wine Route” 24th June – 5th Aug 2018

The annual Vaal River Meander Wine Route, starts off with the official one day launch on Saturday the 23rd June 2018 with The Vaal River Wine Expo hosted at Stonehaven on Vaal and Riverside Sun Hotel, all participating venues will be there on the day to give you a preview of the wines they will be featuring during the wine route.

The day starts at 12h00-midday and is filled with wine tasting, live entertainment, interesting stalls, lots of delectable well-priced food options to indulge in and an Art Exhibition featuring local artists. The R200 entrance ticket gives you access to a choice of over 200 Wines to taste, from over 50 different South African Wine Estates,

a complimentary wine tasting Cruise on the Vaal River as well as your very own wine tasting glass. Cruisers depart from both Stonehaven on Vaal and Riverside Sun Hotel for 30-minute cruises at 15-minute intervals from 12h00 till 17h00. Entry gates are located at Stonehaven on Vaal only and close at 16h00 so be sure to arrive in time.

On Sunday the 24th of June 2018 the official Vaal River Meander Wine Route begins and operates every weekend for 6 weeks on Saturdays and Sundays until the last day on the 5th August 2018.

The wine route is a great treat to beat the winter blues with a host of unique venues to visit, each offering wine tastings of at least 8 wines with some venues offering up to 16 wines to taste. It is a relaxed and pleasant, well-priced outing where one can learn to appreciate the wonderful wines South Africa boasts - all in a welcoming environment. Perfect for wine connoisseurs, but also for new visitors who are not familiar with all the different wines available.

There is no ticket purchase for wine tasting during the Vaal Meander Wine Route, you pay for your wine tasting at each venue you visit.  A wine route passport with information participating venues, wine farms, special offers and maps will be available at each venue.

Wine Tasting Costs are:

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

Operating times for the wine tastings are 12h00-midday to 18h00, however please note each venue has different operating times for meals, special offers etc. so please contact them directly to enquire. Most of the venues will be selling wines at cost plus 10%, so you can also capitalize on getting wines you really enjoy at very good prices.

There are limited tickets available for The Vaal River Wine Expo – book your tickets soon via Computicket or go to www.vaalwineroute.co.za for details of participating venues that will have tickets for sale.

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, and tour-bus or in your own car or by Helicopter - the Vaal River Meander Wine Route has more ways to enjoy it than any other Wine Route in South Africa. We proudly partner with Taljaard Taxi to encourage responsible wine tasting / safety and encourage you not to drink and drive!

The different venues where you can enjoy all these tastings are so diverse and offer contrasting experiences as do their wines, with the single common thread of each presentation being great South African wines. You might select a venue where you can enjoy eloquently sipping wine at a classy hotel, relax in a cigar lounge, warm up in front of a roaring fireplace in a cozy pub, or even wine tasting while trying your hand at Lady Luck. How about enjoying wine in a quirky Pub that oozes fun and character, sitting in a wine cellar or enjoy savoring wine as you cruise aboard a luxurious Cruiser down Millionaire’s Mile, or why not experience wine tasting at sunset on a Boathouse overlooking the Vaal? The options are all available for you.

There are optional extras to add to your experience, such as enjoying a Cruising Wine Tasting Luncheon aboard a luxurious Cruiser, Special Overnight Weekend Breaks, spend a weekend aboard a House Boat as you throw anchor and moor at the different venues along the Vaal River for wine tasting, spend the weekend at a Lodge or Hotel along the Vaal while you enjoy the wine and food pairing by water taxi or self-drive, enjoy special spa treatments and packages to celebrate this winter treat or combine the experience with a historical tour of Sharpeville.

Be sure to get your 2018 Vaal Wine Route Passport available at all participating Vaal River Meander Wine Route venues for the full list of venues, dining, accommodation, cruising and other experiences on offer as well as the wines they will each be showcasing. The 2018 Vaal Wine Route Passports contains 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!

This is 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. Should you be interested in organizing a corporate or private group outing during these 6 weeks we can offer a number of different packages and can even personalize a package tailored for individual, corporate or private events.

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

2018 Participating Venues & contact numbers:

1. Breeze Restaurant - 016 982 8166
2. Liquid Lounge - 016 982 3411
3. Liquor City - 016 932 2158
4. Lord's Signature Hotel - 016 423 5453
5. Makro Vaal - 0860 303 999
6. Model Bottle Store - 016 363 1128
7. Rapid Dawn - 082 090 6040
8. Riverside Sun Hotel - 016 982 7300
9. Rossi's Bar - 082 900 4528
10. Shakespeare Inn - 016 933 4821
11. Stonehaven on Vaal - 016 982 2951/2
12. The Dros Vanderbijlpark - 016 932 4888
13. The Merchant Business Class Hotel - 016 366 7878
14. The Shack - 082 443 2603
15. Waterfront Country Lodge - 016 987 3434

2018 Wines and their host Venues:

1. Aden's Star - Liquid Lounge
2. Bella Vino - Liquid Lounge
3. Beyerskloof - Riverside Sun Hotel
4. Bon Courage - Shakespeare Inn
5. D'Aria - Stonehaven on Vaal
6. De Krans- Merchant Business Class
7. Distell - Lords Signature Hotel
8. Doolhof - Waterfront Country Lodge
9. Doran - Rossis Bar
10. Edgebaston - Stonehaven on Vaal
11. Glen Carlou - Merchant Business Class
12. John B- Stonehaven on Vaal
13. Kleine Zalze - Waterfront Country Lodge
14. Krone - Riverside Sun Hotel
15. Meridian - Makro Vaal
16. Middelvlei - Waterfront Country Lodge
17. Painted Wolf- Stonehaven on Vaal
18. Pandoras Box - Liquid Lounge
19. Riebeek - The Shack
20. Simonsvlei - The Dros Vanderbijlpark
21. Spier - Rapid Dawn
22. Strandveld - Waterfront Country Lodge
23. Van Loveren - Model Bottle Store
24. Vinimark - Liquor City
25. Warwick - Riverside Sun Hotel
26. Waverley Hills - Shakespeare Inn