SUNSET SOIRÉE HERMANUS 2026

Followers of Bosman will know that their annual Sunset Soirées are a rare treat. The Soirée is usually held on the family farm in Wellington in March each year to celebrate the end of the grape harvest. But this year we’ve decided to switch things up a bit.

Bosman Hermanus, perched in a field of fynbos overlooking the rolling, green vineyards and the Hemel-en-Aarde mountains, is the perfect canvas for a memorable evening. This year, the Bosman Sunset Soirée 2026 will be held there and promises to be so much more than just a wine tasting event.

So, if you are looking for things to do in Hermanus, diarise Saturday, 28 March. Why not make a weekend of it: gather your friends, book a cosy cottage and spend a memorable evening with us. There are lovely beaches, quaint shops and mountain hikes to do during the day, but Hermanus nightlife can be quiet, so make sure you’re booked for this Sunset Soirée, a rare treat in this peaceful valley. For added peace of mind, there are shuttles available for hire in Hermanus that would be the perfect solution for a festive evening.

As far as wine farm events go, the Bosman Sunset Soirée will be one of the top things to do in Hermanus this year. The event will start in the late afternoon. From the parking area, guests will be welcomed at the entrance by uniformed staff with a glass of Bosman bubbly. Then they will wander along the path and through the fynbos to tasting stations set out in front of the Frame House offering a curated selection of Bosman wines. Winemaker Corlea Fourie will be in attendance, as will various members of the extended Bosman family, including Petrus and Carla Bosman, to taste wines with you are the sun sets gently into the sea far below. 

All our Upper Hemel-en-Aarde wines will be up for tasting. Our previous vintage Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir was awarded 5* by the Platter Guide, and the newly released 2025 is proving to be just as good. This year we have an additional trilogy available. Called Elevations, these are wines harvested from 3 different heights above sea level of the Pinot Noir vineyard. They were vinified separately and then matured in-barrel. Winemaker Maryke Botha then bottled one barrel from each elevation separately. Tasting the components of our legendary wine adds a different dimension to your tasting experience, illustrating the impact of soil type, microclimate and terroir. We’ve recorded a guided tasting written and narrated by Corlea so you’ll have an instant party-starter if you invite your friends around, open the wines and listen to Corlea’s considered explanation. The 2025 Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from the Upper-Hemel-en-Aarde will also be available. Tasting a wine (almost) in the vineyard, gives one a unique sense of the terroir of provenance. The Bosman wines from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde have a signature salinity derived from a combination of the decomposed granite soils and the vineyard’s proximity to the sea. One can actually stand in the fynbos, look over the sea and taste the wine all at the same time.

Additional wines from our other ranges will also be presented at the tasting, and these will also be on sale for you to enjoy at your table with the meal.

There’ll also be older vintages from our Vinotèque and limited release wines to taste. Our Vinotèque stocks every vintage of every wine made on this farm since the first Bosman wines were released under the Bosman Family Vineyards label in 2007. Every year the winemakers taste through these wines and pick those vintages that are showing their best, to offer to 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 Bosman 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 some treasures for your cellar. Corlea will taste through some wines in the vinotèque and these will be on sale at this wine event, a once-off chance to acquire some of these beauties.

We’ll also have some of our magnums on sale. These 1.5L bottles are perfect to share with friends at the table on the night, or to take home for a future celebration or to commemorate and birth or anniversary.

This year the dress code is ‘fynbos flair’ which is open for interpretation. From the muted colours of a field of fynbos to the striking colours of the sunbirds that flit through it: natural fibres, locally made, unstructured, uninhibited and truly South African. So go all out, buy yourself something nice, or curate an outfit from your existing wardrobe.

Don’t wear stilettos or you might find the paths a little tricky to negotiate and bring a hat if it’s sunny at the start. But also pack in a warm wrap as once the sun goes down, it can get quite cool. If rain or high winds are forecast, we have a plan B.

There’ll be vibey live music to start with, but things will quieten down as the evening progresses.

After tasting the wines we’ve selected to present, guests will sit down at beautifully decorated tables in the fynbos to enjoy a delicious three-course meal made with locally sourced artisanal fare, with a range of wines available for sale 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 Babylonstoren Mountain and stars twinkle in the velvet night sky. 

Snippets from the menu include an array of impressive canapés to welcome you. There’ll be traditional cheesy “braaibroodjies” as well as freshly landed, locally sourced seafood, followed by platters of sirloin steak with crisp, fresh salads and fire-roasted vegetables, finished off with a “boeretrosie, a delicious, comforting dessert that we’ll leave as a surprise.

Smartly dressed waitrons will 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 can wander back to their cars, buying a quick coffee inside the Frame House before they head home.

At this wine event, the Bosmans will offer a once-off discount so guests can stock up on their favourites or newly discovered wines. Wine orders of 6 bottles or more can be delivered directly to your home in the following week.

If you’ve never been to Bosman Hermanus, this would be a good time to try out this nature-inspired destination. And if you’re a regular, you might not have experienced its beauty at night. During the day, the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley bustles with farm tractors, cyclists and tourists, but at night the valley is transformed into a quiet landscape which is truly breathtaking. You might be lucky enough to spot a ribbok foraging in the fynbos so drive carefully.

So come on, book your spot for the Bosman Sunset Soirée Hermanus 2026. It promises to be a truly memorable experience, and possibly the first of many. If you’re not yet following Bosman wines, stay in touch by following us on Instagram @bosmanwines and @bosmanhermanus, search for us on Facebook 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.