Garden Route locals and wine aficionados put the Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival on their calendars and in 2025 the event promises to be a sparkling weekend once again.
The festival will be hosted at Kay & Monty Vineyards on Saturday April 26 and Sunday the 27th — the Freedom Day weekend.
Serious collectors, casual connoisseurs, winemakers, viticulturists and locals who know how to enjoy and make the most of their turf will be gathering to clink glasses and just hang out in the perfect autumn weather.
The festival is a partnership between the Plett Wine Route and Plett Tourism and has grown since its inception in 2014 to offer wine tastings, masterclasses, as well as live music and food.
Our local wine farms are all so different in atmosphere and ambience, but I would venture to say that they are friendlier than some of the Cape wine farms which can be a bit snooty and expensive.
Kay & Monty is the perfect venue for a function of this size because it boasts beautiful gardens, horses, views of vines, a dam, and a large indoor tasting/restaurant area all glassed in so as to make the most of the views, while a favourite place to sit is on the huge veranda.
Festival goers can also spill out onto the lawns, with the Tsitsikamma Mountains framing this perfect picture.
Plett Tourism CEO Patty Butterworth said: “We see the growth potential of the Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival, and anticipate that it will remain steadfast as it is recognised as a celebration of local flavours where fine cuisine, local boutique wine and bubbly, and sparkling moments bring people together, year after year.”
The event was started as an opportunity to showcase SA’s smallest wine of origin route and put Plett on the map as a premier boutique wine destination.
It was so popular that by the third year, the event was drawing close to 1,800 people, and has grown since over the years.
Participants taste wines from the different wine farms, experience other locally grown produce such as honeybush tea, olives, olive oil, macadamia nuts and pomegranates, and also enjoy music and locally produced artisan foods.
Stretching from Harkerville to The Crags, the Plett Wine Route is one of the smallest and most dynamic wine production regions in SA, stretching 57km along the thin coastal strip from Packwood in Harkerville to Lodestone on the Redford Road in the Crags.
At its heart are small, privately-owned wine farms crafting exceptional still and sparkling wines from the cool-climate varietals that thrive there.
Plett’s climate produces harvests of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir; all of which are considered the area’s signature vines.
The first grapes in the area were planted by Peter Thorpe on his Bramon Estate in the Crags, on Plett’s west side.
His property had the soils, slope and climate for wine, so the decision seemed fairly logical.
After tireless research, boldness in foresight and in choosing a renowned winemaker in Anton Smal, Plett’s first vineyard, Bramon, was born in 2000.
Since then, the list of wine farms has grown to include Bramon, Packwood, Plettenvale, Luka, Newstead, Bitou and Lodestone ... and other newcomers.
Wines from various Plett farms have won awards including Newstead taking the Best Producer Award at the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge 2024, while Kay & Monty shared the Double Gold podium with Newstead in the category of Extended Lees Ageing for the same awards; quite an achievement for two family-run wine estates on the Garden Route.
Kay & Monty general manager Jennifer Woods said exclusive tastings would be hosted by the winemakers who produced the Plett Wine Route’s special wines.
“Guests in these classes will have the opportunity to taste some of the best the Plett Wine Route has to offer, including some special wines and vintages no longer available for sale or tasting, while exploring styles, varietals, ageing potential and the aspects that set Plett wines apart.”
Some of these special offerings will include cap classiques with winemaker Anton Smal, whites of Plett with Sollie Sauerman, and pinot noir with Jaco van der Watt.
Tickets for these will be limited to an intimate 20 guests for each class, so book soon.
Woods said while previous festivals attracted up to 1,800 people over the two days, “this is a different set-up and location ... new territory.
“Because it has moved from a central Plett location to an estate in the wine lands, the new format will be more intimate and have an elegant feel limited to 800 people over two days.
“We have some delicious and exciting food vendors on board.
“There will be a real variety of styles to be experimented with and paired with our Wine of Origin wines, from Mexican, to Italian, an Oysters and Bubbly Bar and Gelato Flavours created especially for the event by Ice Palazzo, to name a few,” Woods said.
On the Friday night, April 25, there will be an evening of music, wine and food pairing taking the form of a live show told through music, poetry and, of course, wines and canapés.
Once a rambling protea farm and dairy, Kay & Monty Vineyards is now a charming 220ha wine farm, polo estate and wedding venue nestled in the Crags, 20 minutes from Plett, amid lush rolling hills.
As part of SA’s smallest “wine of origin” production area, it has about 8ha of land under vine.
The wine farms that comprise the Plett Winelands only have about 60ha under vine, but small is good and an outing to any one of them is just as good as visiting the bigger and more commercial Constantia, Stellenbosch or Franschhoek farms. No oenophile will turn their noses up at the offerings from local farms.
Kay & Monty is known for its charcuterie board that is generous and laden with fresh produce from the area.
A sharing board piled high with local cheeses, seasonal fruit, sticky-sweet preserves, a selection of the finest cured meats and endless slices of fresh country bread is perfectly paired with a cold glass of the wine estate’s much-loved cap classique or the crisp sauvignon blanc. They also do flat breads to kill for.
The farm was purchased in 2004 by Chick Legh, who planted the first vines five years later.
It produced its maiden vintage in 2012, making Kay & Monty one of the early pioneers of the Plett Wine Route.
Well-known winemaker Anton Small worked closely with Kay & Monty to create the wines they have become known for.
A visit to Kay and Monty is like finding a real gem at the end of a short dirt road — and even from George it’s only an hour-and-a-half away.
I first bumped into their bubbles, which Kay and Monty call Champu, because I have a friend who only drinks respectable cap classique, and there’s no going back once you’ve tasted it.
Each of their boutique wines — a sauvignon blanc, a rosé, a red blend and their famous Champu — is remarkably easy drinking, as well as having been extremely well-received by the industry.
The 2023 edition of Platter’s Wine Guide awarded the SAV 2020 and The Chick SMG Red Blend 2021 four stars each, while the Champu 2017 got 4.5 stars — fitting recognition of the vision, hard work and determination of the small team.
The full range of Kay & Monty Vineyards wines can be tasted on site on the farm in The Crags, and ordered for courier delivery via the website.
The Plett Wine & Bubbly festival offers a chance to taste wines from the other wine farms as well.
Tickets cost R350 for the wine tasting and are available from Quicket. For more information, contact Jennifer Woods at hello@kayandmonty.com.
GARDEN ROUTE | Plett’s annual bubbles and wine fest is back
Savour a taste of region’s signature produce amid stunning scenery, along with music and more
Garden Route locals and wine aficionados put the Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival on their calendars and in 2025 the event promises to be a sparkling weekend once again.
The festival will be hosted at Kay & Monty Vineyards on Saturday April 26 and Sunday the 27th — the Freedom Day weekend.
Serious collectors, casual connoisseurs, winemakers, viticulturists and locals who know how to enjoy and make the most of their turf will be gathering to clink glasses and just hang out in the perfect autumn weather.
The festival is a partnership between the Plett Wine Route and Plett Tourism and has grown since its inception in 2014 to offer wine tastings, masterclasses, as well as live music and food.
Our local wine farms are all so different in atmosphere and ambience, but I would venture to say that they are friendlier than some of the Cape wine farms which can be a bit snooty and expensive.
Kay & Monty is the perfect venue for a function of this size because it boasts beautiful gardens, horses, views of vines, a dam, and a large indoor tasting/restaurant area all glassed in so as to make the most of the views, while a favourite place to sit is on the huge veranda.
Festival goers can also spill out onto the lawns, with the Tsitsikamma Mountains framing this perfect picture.
Plett Tourism CEO Patty Butterworth said: “We see the growth potential of the Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival, and anticipate that it will remain steadfast as it is recognised as a celebration of local flavours where fine cuisine, local boutique wine and bubbly, and sparkling moments bring people together, year after year.”
The event was started as an opportunity to showcase SA’s smallest wine of origin route and put Plett on the map as a premier boutique wine destination.
It was so popular that by the third year, the event was drawing close to 1,800 people, and has grown since over the years.
Participants taste wines from the different wine farms, experience other locally grown produce such as honeybush tea, olives, olive oil, macadamia nuts and pomegranates, and also enjoy music and locally produced artisan foods.
Stretching from Harkerville to The Crags, the Plett Wine Route is one of the smallest and most dynamic wine production regions in SA, stretching 57km along the thin coastal strip from Packwood in Harkerville to Lodestone on the Redford Road in the Crags.
At its heart are small, privately-owned wine farms crafting exceptional still and sparkling wines from the cool-climate varietals that thrive there.
Plett’s climate produces harvests of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir; all of which are considered the area’s signature vines.
The first grapes in the area were planted by Peter Thorpe on his Bramon Estate in the Crags, on Plett’s west side.
His property had the soils, slope and climate for wine, so the decision seemed fairly logical.
After tireless research, boldness in foresight and in choosing a renowned winemaker in Anton Smal, Plett’s first vineyard, Bramon, was born in 2000.
Since then, the list of wine farms has grown to include Bramon, Packwood, Plettenvale, Luka, Newstead, Bitou and Lodestone ... and other newcomers.
Wines from various Plett farms have won awards including Newstead taking the Best Producer Award at the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge 2024, while Kay & Monty shared the Double Gold podium with Newstead in the category of Extended Lees Ageing for the same awards; quite an achievement for two family-run wine estates on the Garden Route.
Kay & Monty general manager Jennifer Woods said exclusive tastings would be hosted by the winemakers who produced the Plett Wine Route’s special wines.
“Guests in these classes will have the opportunity to taste some of the best the Plett Wine Route has to offer, including some special wines and vintages no longer available for sale or tasting, while exploring styles, varietals, ageing potential and the aspects that set Plett wines apart.”
Some of these special offerings will include cap classiques with winemaker Anton Smal, whites of Plett with Sollie Sauerman, and pinot noir with Jaco van der Watt.
Tickets for these will be limited to an intimate 20 guests for each class, so book soon.
Woods said while previous festivals attracted up to 1,800 people over the two days, “this is a different set-up and location ... new territory.
“Because it has moved from a central Plett location to an estate in the wine lands, the new format will be more intimate and have an elegant feel limited to 800 people over two days.
“We have some delicious and exciting food vendors on board.
“There will be a real variety of styles to be experimented with and paired with our Wine of Origin wines, from Mexican, to Italian, an Oysters and Bubbly Bar and Gelato Flavours created especially for the event by Ice Palazzo, to name a few,” Woods said.
On the Friday night, April 25, there will be an evening of music, wine and food pairing taking the form of a live show told through music, poetry and, of course, wines and canapés.
Once a rambling protea farm and dairy, Kay & Monty Vineyards is now a charming 220ha wine farm, polo estate and wedding venue nestled in the Crags, 20 minutes from Plett, amid lush rolling hills.
As part of SA’s smallest “wine of origin” production area, it has about 8ha of land under vine.
The wine farms that comprise the Plett Winelands only have about 60ha under vine, but small is good and an outing to any one of them is just as good as visiting the bigger and more commercial Constantia, Stellenbosch or Franschhoek farms. No oenophile will turn their noses up at the offerings from local farms.
Kay & Monty is known for its charcuterie board that is generous and laden with fresh produce from the area.
A sharing board piled high with local cheeses, seasonal fruit, sticky-sweet preserves, a selection of the finest cured meats and endless slices of fresh country bread is perfectly paired with a cold glass of the wine estate’s much-loved cap classique or the crisp sauvignon blanc. They also do flat breads to kill for.
The farm was purchased in 2004 by Chick Legh, who planted the first vines five years later.
It produced its maiden vintage in 2012, making Kay & Monty one of the early pioneers of the Plett Wine Route.
Well-known winemaker Anton Small worked closely with Kay & Monty to create the wines they have become known for.
A visit to Kay and Monty is like finding a real gem at the end of a short dirt road — and even from George it’s only an hour-and-a-half away.
I first bumped into their bubbles, which Kay and Monty call Champu, because I have a friend who only drinks respectable cap classique, and there’s no going back once you’ve tasted it.
Each of their boutique wines — a sauvignon blanc, a rosé, a red blend and their famous Champu — is remarkably easy drinking, as well as having been extremely well-received by the industry.
The 2023 edition of Platter’s Wine Guide awarded the SAV 2020 and The Chick SMG Red Blend 2021 four stars each, while the Champu 2017 got 4.5 stars — fitting recognition of the vision, hard work and determination of the small team.
The full range of Kay & Monty Vineyards wines can be tasted on site on the farm in The Crags, and ordered for courier delivery via the website.
The Plett Wine & Bubbly festival offers a chance to taste wines from the other wine farms as well.
Tickets cost R350 for the wine tasting and are available from Quicket. For more information, contact Jennifer Woods at hello@kayandmonty.com.
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