Full Pinotage On Tap gallery on our Facebook Page.
-Ed
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As Ra defeats the embodiment of chaos aboard Mesektet yet again, the sun rising in all its glory sees grit and pebbles give way to a number of barrels merrily bumping and bopping along the grounds of Oakfield Farm - barrels destined for a varietal unique to that little piece of pointy land at the Southern tip of Africa. The friendly folk from Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate have once more taken it upon themselves to bring the joy that is Pinotage On Tap all the way from the tranquillity of the Cape Winelands to our very own City of Gold: Johannesburg.
Spring being in full swing, guests were welcomed to a stunning venue in coalescence with the day being referred to as "just lovely" and other such things weather-wise. The new locale was noted as a considerable improvement over the somewhat remote scene playing host to prior years' events, a sentiment shared by many fellow wine aficionados - although the farm is still far away enough from residential areas so as to not attract "undue authoritative attention" when the jovial get jolly, it's not necessarily hidden away from all forms of society (i.e. read "a number of taxi services are still willing to collect you from the venue without charging an arm and a leg"). Logistics and other practical arrangements, such as walking distance from your transport to the wine, were accommodated with efficiency in mind and ample parking space was made available to all those attending.
Chilled-out tunes from Natasha Meister were enjoyed as everyone sipped away at the master-work of Francois Roode, said Diemersfontein wine-maker gracing guests with his presence on the day itself in order to make sure the signature Pinotage On Tap barrels don't run dry. As Ms Meister took breaks here and there, a Jockey of Discs made sure good music kept on flowing with the wine. Hints of the signature mocha and chocolate flavours abound, the wine was further accompanied by a selection of foods prepared by the Oakfield Farm culinary team - everything from chicken, pasta and an assortment of vegetable dishes to ribs and fillet.
David Sonnenberg, owner of Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate, also made an appearance in welcoming guests later that afternoon and introduced the crowd to Newton's 2nd Law (the band - 'cause wine is always better with good music!). As Ra pulled Mesektet out of the boathouse again (the sun setting, for those of you who are still lost on ancient Egyptian references), the Pinotage Party Plurality were on their feet and jiving away to the band (quite ironically) named after the physical law derived from bodies accelerating. Yes, ladies and gentlemen: there was even a mechanical bull involved (and no, I'm not willing to further disclose any additional information).
All-in-all, and to coin a phrase not nearly easy enough to express literally these days: I tip my hat to you, Diemersfontein, on yet another job well done! I sincerely look forward to joining the crew again for the Cape Town event with my fellow Real Time Wine fans... until then, *ching-ching* and all that rot.
