BOSMAN SUNSET SOIRÉE
If you’re looking for a sunset event near Cape Town, then put the annual Bosman Family Vineyards Sunset Soirée in your calendar. Held in early March each year, the Bosman farm near Wellington, only an hour’s drive from Cape Town, hosts an exclusive wine event on the lawns in front of the manor house.
As far as wine farm events go, the Bosman Sunet Soirée is top class. Guests are welcomed at the gates with a glass of bubbly and can then wander around the ‘werf’ and taste a curated selection of Bosman wines, including older vintages from our Vinotèque. There are various tasting stations offering different wines in their range including: Adama Red and White blends, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde wines from their farm near Hermanus, the Bosman single site vines Twyfeling Cinsaut and Optenhorst Chenin Blanc, our famous Cabernet Sauvignon and our flagship blend, Erfenis.
Our Vinotèque stocks every vintage of every wine made on this farm since it first made wine under the Bosman Family Vineyards label in 2007. Every year, winemaker Corlea Fourie tastes through these wines and picks those vintages that are showing their best to offer guests who can both taste and buy these wines. Some of the standout wines so far have been the Optenhorst Chenin Blanc 2013 and the Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. These are unfortunately sold out, but as the years tick by, other vintages come to the fore, so every year you are guaranteed of some treasures for your cellar.
Getting back the wine event, we like to keep the evening interactive and relaxed, so in typical friendly Wellington style, the fires are lit early, and guests can snack on traditional ‘braaibroodjies’ while tasting various wines. The evening is curated around food and wine, so the food offering is always spectacular. Wine influencers and media personalities have got to here of this event, so there’s always someone well-known to spot or ask for a quick selfie. The dress code is not formal, but people do look elegant. Don’t wear stilettos or you’ll since away in the lush lawns, bring a hat if it’s sunny at the start but also back in a warm wrap as once the sun goes down, it can get quite cool.
After tasting, guests sit down at beautifully set tables under the oak trees and enjoy a delicious three-course meal made with locally sourced artisanal fare, with the full range of wines available from the bar. Lights are strung up in the trees, music plays softly in the background, and everyone relaxes as the moon rises over the Groenberg and stars twinkle in the velvet night sky. Smartly dressed waitrons serve the food so there’s no need to queue at all, every consideration has been made to ensure a relaxed evening where you can just enjoy the food and wines with your friends. As the evening draws to a close, guests wander back to their cars, buying a quick coffee from the wagon at the gate before they head home.
At this sunset event, the Bosmans offer a once-off discount so guests can stock up. Wine orders are taken and delivered straight to your car. But if you’ve come by shuttle and you’ve ordered a minimum of 12 bottles, your wine will simply get delivered to your office or home in the following week.
It’s a great idea to attend the Bosman Sunset Soirée with friends. In fact, why not book a weekend away in Wellington, an often-overlooked destination in the Cape Winelands. There are several luxury guest houses in the area as well as quaint farm cottages for those seeking the self-catering option. The Vineyard Cottage on the farm is a pretty little cottage high up on the hill overlooking the farm. This beautifully furnished, well-appointed cottage offers spectacular views of the valley but also a quiet place to retreat with a book, cooling off in the stream-fed jacuzzi in the enclosed back garden.
This quaint, historic valley was once the last outpost of the Cape Colony, hence the name of the mountain range surrounding the village is called the Limietberge, or Limit mountains. The first farms were granted to Dutch and French settlers in the late 17th century and after several generations of toil, the farms flourished and beautiful Cape Dutch manor houses sprung up around the Wellington area, still visible today amongst the vineyards with the beautiful mountains as backdrop. The village itself is also pretty with oak-lined streets shading beautiful old houses, the statue of pastor, missionary and teacher Andrew Murray gazing off down Church Street.
The valley was originally referred to as Wamakersvallei or Wagonmakers’ Valley because wagon building and repairs was the dominant industry here. Settlers on their way to the hinterland would stop over to buy a wagon or fix their own before heading over Bainskloof into the Karoo and further afield. Later, people streamed through this once-quiet village on the way to seek their fortunes in the diamond mines of Kimberley and a decade later on the goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Soon the colony expanded and much later the Du Toitskloof Pass was constructed near Paarl, and so Wellington was bypassed by heavy traffic and holidaymakers. This has ensured that Wellington has retained its old-world charm, the perfect place for a quick, quiet getaway.
So, a weekend in this valley promises to be a real treat. Wellington wines are well-known, particularly the Chenin Blanc wines. Shiraz also fares well in the warm and sunny region, as does Pinotage, as do the popular niche varieties such as Grenache Blanc and Nero d’Avola.
Wellington Wines is also the name of the co-operative, a combination of three original co-ops that produces a very wide variety of wines. Their tasting room is just near Bosman Family Vineyards on the road leading up to the historic and picturesque Bainskloof. It’s worth a drive up this pass to take in the scenery and navigate the winding road and impressive rock formations, imagining the ox wagons of yesteryear trundling up there stacked with a family’s worldly goods on their way to seek perhaps a better life, or maybe find fortune on the mines. But look out for other wineries too, there are boutique wineries, large estates and some garagistes, along with some quaint eateries along the way.
Summers can be really hot in Wellington, but nothing that a quick dip in a sparkling pool can’t fix. Autumn and Spring are perhaps the best times to visit with warm days and cool, still evenings (that’s why we host the Bosman Sunset Soirée in March) but the Winters can be really cosy if you book a spot with a fireplace and stock up on red wines.
But the Bosman Sunset Soirée remains one of the highlights of Wellington events so make sure you don’t miss out by signing up to our newsletter. The Bosmans host other wine events throughout the year on their Wellington farm, but also on their farm in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus. Here visitors are treated to food and wine pairing dinners at the Frame House perched on the pristine, picturesque landscape of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
Stay in touch by following us on Instagram @bosmanwines or email taste@bosmanwines.com to sign up to the Bosman Wine Club where members enjoy a discount and get first dibs on limited release wines.
But put an alert on your calendar for early next year to look out for the next Bosman Sunset Soirée, it promises to be as good as ever.