Stoep tasting: ages like fine wine

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GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - As any parent would know, raising a child is not only one of the greatest joys of your life, but also a full-time job.

This, as Gordon and Rose Wright, founders of the Karoo Wine Club and Stoep Tasting Wine Weekend can attest to, is the same when growing your brainchild from inception to a raging success over a decade.

PHOTO GALLERY: Stoep tasting 2023

From 25 to 27 May wine lovers from all over the country flocked to Graaff-Reinet and Nieu-Bethesda for the 10th anniversary of Stoep Tasting, an event that gets circled on most calendars way in advance.

During the festival Gordon exclaimed that with the addition of Nieu-Bethesda, they expect around 7 000 people to the district providing an estimated R70-million injection to the local economy. "This event has grown into a premier event for winemakers and lovers alike and has had a tremendous impact on the wine industry with an ever-growing waiting list of wine farms wanting a stoep."

This year the weekend boasted 78 wine farms alongside numerous local vendors who kept stoep tasters fed and entertained.

The highlight of the year for the organisers was the food and wine pairing held in Pienaarsig, a township of Nieu-Bethesda - tickets were sold out and it was a great success. Events such as this create sustainable community involvement, showcasing the best the Karoo has to offer.

An event like this doesn't simply happen.

The Wrights started working on the 2024 event six months ago and recently announced via their social media platforms that they will be adding a second weekend to the line-up.

The first weekend showcases smaller farms with the second being the larger three-day event. "The willingness and support from the local communities continue to surprise us. From the vendors, the guesthouses, the tourism board, private security companies to the residents - everyone just takes everything in their stride and delivers true hospitality." Local charities, schools and churches embrace the platform provided by Stoep Tasting to raise funds that sustain many of them for several months.

The Latin proverb in vino veritas translates to "in wine, truth".

That the annual Stoep Tasting has made a significant impact on our towns, the local economy and the wine industry itself, is an absolute truth. This event amplifies the very best of what it means to open yourself, and your stoep, to the rest of the country. "Planning for next year is well ahead bringing some exciting changes," says Rose.

The Wrights know that "you are only as good as your last Stoep Tasting", and judging from this weekend, it is clear that Stoep Tasting is here to stay, ageing like a fine wine.