Tuning the Vine | A City Slicker Wine Adventure

By Glou Glou  •  Oct 26, 2017 at 9:31am  •  Reviews

The mid-week slump is real people! Long office hours and red eyes from staring at your computer screen means it’s just another average day at work. But now there’s something to get you over hump day, and yes, naturally it involves wine. But we’re not just talking a casual after-work drink. Oh no, here’s something that turns that concept on its heels and offers you a dose of culture, education and fun. Introducing Tuning the Vine.  



Happening in both Cape Town and Johannesburg over a period of 3 months, the #InnerCityWineRoute is a showcase of talented South African wines and winemakers taking place at the inner city’s trendiest venues. When we attended, our route involved walking along Loop and Bree Street – a cool and rare opportunity, as us vulnerable lasses tend to avoid walking the streets at night. But with the streets alive and buzzing, we began on foot at a bar/restaurant spot called The Station on Bree, where we were given our glass, wristband and map. We were also greeted by two particularly jolly Tuning the Vine gentlemen who were covered in elaborate body paint and offered assistance should we need any.

Then we headed out on our journey, knowing our time frame was from 5.30pm to 8.30pm (a wee bit short as we could only get going at 7pm after work). Regardless, we tasted posthaste, like military women set with one task: taste ALL the wines. What stood out as we sampled our way (and made use of the spittoons!) through Bree Street, was the unusual opportunity of being allowed to enter a space without feeling obliged to sit down and stay. It gave us a chance to check out spots that we haven’t been to yet, many of which were quickly added to our ‘wish list’ (Mink and Trout, we’re coming for ya!).

Overall, the wines for tasting were most wineries’ ‘best sellers’, giving us some quick exposure to wines we’d never tried before such as Tamboerskloof and Strandveld Wines. The only downside was that food is not included in your ticket price, leaving us especially merry and hungry. But being comfortably located in the hub of the city’s hippest restaurants, we were like moths to a flame. We see what you did there guys, and we like it.

The next Tuning the Vine is 8th November 2017. Tickets are R200 online or R220 on the day. Find out more here.

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2 Comments
  1. Hi Glou,
    EXCELLENT STORY!! I have been a regular reader of your blog. I love your writing. You are so simple & genuine and that’s what makes me connect with your writing.

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