Specials in October

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 03 October 2017 5:45 AM CAT

Here is our round-up of special offerings to drink, do, eat and see in Paarl during October month.

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Pinotage Day Celebrations in Paarl

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 03 October 2017 5:35 AM CAT

Pinotage Day Celebrations in Paarl

Pinotage is a grape variety that was created in South Africa in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University.

Perold was attempting to combine the best qualities of the robust Hermitage with Pinot noir, a grape that makes great wine but can be difficult to grow.

Perold planted the four seeds from his cross in the garden of his official residence at Welgevallen Experimental Farm and then apparently forgot about them. In 1927 he left the university to take up a job with KWV co-operative and the garden became overgrown. The university sent in a team to tidy it up, just as Charlie Niehaus happened to pass by. He was a young lecturer who knew about the seedlings, and rescued them from the clean-up team.

The young plants were moved to Elsenburg Agricultural College, grafted onto newly established rootstock and the one that was doing best was selected for propagation and was christened Pinotage.

The first wine was made in 1941 at Elsenburg.

14 October is International Pinotage Day and Paarl Wine Route producers will be celebrating this special grape.

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Paarl’s Active Diary in September

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 07 September 2017 7:00 AM CAT

Spring is in the air and Paarl is blooming away! Have a look at our great active events happening during the month of September and diarise them immediately. You are certainly spoilt for choice!

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Entertainment and Events in September

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 05 September 2017 9:55 AM CAT

Spring is in the air and Paarl is blooming away! Have a look at our great entertainment and event happenings during the month of September. You are certainly spoilt for choice!

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FESTIVAL SHOWCASES INDIGENOUS DELICACY (Issued by PERIDOT)

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 23 August 2017 8:55 AM CAT

The annual Waterblommetjie Festival in Paarl is back on Saturday, 2 September, and visitors can expect a jam-packed day filled with fabulous wines, live entertainment and obviously this amazing local gourmet treat.

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Women’s Day with Metrorail and Drakenstein Municipality (by Anna Christiane on 16.08.2017)

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 23 August 2017 8:45 AM CAT

National Women’s Day is celebrated annually on 9 August and is a South African public holiday. In line with the above event I did some research and found out that more than 20 000 South African women of all races attended a march on the Union Buildings in protest against the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act of 1950, commonly referred to as the “pass laws” in 1956. They protested against the country’s pass laws that required South Africans defined as “black” under The Population Registration Act to carry an internal passport that would limit their rights during apartheid. The women stood silently for 30 minutes and then started singing a protest song that was composed in honour of the occasion: Wathint’Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo! (“Now you have touched the women, you have struck a rock” or its latest incarnation: “you strike a woman, you strike a rock”). This song has come to represent women’s courage and strength in South Africa and was followed by 14 000 petitions that were left at the door step of the prime minister at the time.

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Grande Roche Hotel – The Ultimate Luxury Hotel in Paarl South Africa (As written by Daryl & Mindi Hirsch – 2FoodTrippers on 3rd August 2017)

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 14 August 2017 4:45 AM CAT

See what it’s like to step back in time at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl South Africa where history and modernity collide in the best of ways.

“Nobody does luxury better than Africa.”

Friends confided this opinion to us during our month in Cape Town. Seriously? Better than Europe? We had our doubts that luxury hotels in Africa were actually better than the rest of the world.

Within moments of arriving at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl, we knew that our friends had spoken the truth.

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Wine Pairings & Tastings

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 05 July 2017 4:10 AM CAT

Escape the winter blues this season and head for the beautiful Paarl region in Drakenstein.

Fabulous food, fine wines and warm hospitality await visitors for a perfect winter breakaway.

Have a look at the fantastic wine pairing and tastings that we have to offer!

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Things to do in Paarl during the school holidays

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 04 July 2017 9:30 AM CAT

When the school holidays arrive the kids are overjoyed! The parents, however, not always.

 Keeping the children amused for three weeks can be a daunting idea.

Parents, don’t despair, we will show you that the school holidays are a breeze in Paarl.

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Drakenstein Shines at Tourism Awards: Posted by Ronelda Visser on Tourism Tattler

Posted by Lorenzo Samuels on 06 April 2017 2:30 AM CAT

Members of the Drakenstein Local Tourism Association(Paarl & Wellington) walked away with several accolades during the recently held Cape Winelands District Municipality Tourism Awards hosted in Wellington.  This was the fifth edition of the awards, which recognise exceptional performance within the Cape Winelands tourism industry and showcase the best tourism entities, products, service excellence and the people behind it.

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