South African Food and Wine Festival

The South African Food and Wine Festival is my favorite wine festival I attend year after year. The festival is put on by Grayhaven Winery, and they are finally back after a two-year hiatus due to Covid.

Grayhaven invites South African winemakers to come to the event and pour their wine. It is fun talking with the winemakers and learning about their culture and wine-making style. They often show you pictures and teach you about the varietals South Africa is known for.

The Festival is always held on the second weekend of September; grab tickets to attend this year on September 10 and 11. A few Sips and Trips tips and tricks:

If you can, go Saturday. It is a lot busier, but they often run out of the popular wine by Sunday afternoon! With that said, Sunday is always great because it is less crowded!
Buy your tickets in advance; they are a bit more expensive at the gate.
Pack a picnic and chairs, there is plenty of food to enjoy, but if you want to hang out all day, it is nice to have snacks.
Go EARLY! Always hit festivals right when they open to avoid long lines and crowds. You can go through the tastings and then enjoy a bottle or glass.
There is always a VIP experience. If you spend a certain amount under the tent, you get invited to the VIP tasting in Grayhaven’s wine cellar. This is always fun, and you get to taste EVEN more wine. They pour the higher-end wine in here, and it is always amazing.
HAVE FUN!