The 9th Stellenbosch Wine Festival takes place a month earlier this year to allow 2010 FIFA World Cup visitors the opportunity to experience one of Cape Town’s premier wine fests.

Kick-about in the vineyard

A change in format will see 50 different wine farms hosting festival events with visitors having the option of leaving their cars at any of 6 Park and Ride stops in Stellenbosch and travelling via a shuttle service to farms. This is included in the price of the ticket. Socceroos will also have the chance to hop on board a shuttle in Cape Town for a ride to Stellenbosch. Or spoil yourself and take the Stellenbosch Wine Festival Heli-Hopper Extravaganza to visit Blaauwklippen, Skilpadvlei & Zorgvliet for tastings.

A host of fun and wine activities will be offered such as potjiekos at Middlevlei; a de-gorging and landrover 4 x 4 experience at Simonsig; a game drive at Villeria and even 5 a side football kick around in the vineyards at Idiom.

Children will be entertained at Bellevue Wine Estate, Middelvlei and Delvera with pantomime productions; cart rides; feeding farmyard animals; horse rides and lots more.

Tickets for the Stellenbosch Wine Festival are available on-line at R150 per person per day which includes free shuttle service and five vouchers to exchange for special activities at the wine farms.

The Golden Pass, R500 is  valid for the entire duration of the festival and includes free shuttle service and twenty vouchers.

Kids under the age of 18 go free accompanied by an adult. For more information on the Stellenbosch Wine Festival, contact 021 886 4310.

The Park and Ride site and shuttle stops are open from 0900 to 17h00 daily.

Shuttle Transfer from Cape Town - On each of the festival days there will be a shuttle transfer departing from and returning to the V & A Waterfront, Clock Tower Center, (where the tour buses make their stops). The departure times are 09h30 and 11h30 and the return times from Doornbosch, in the center of Stellenbosch are 15h00 and 17h00. The shuttle ticket costs R300.00 per person which includes your festival pass for that day. To book you need to contact Norman Stevens on 082 5698299.