Persia to Paarl : My new favourite wine fest

From what I heard the Stellenbosch Wine Fest was a bit of a dog show this year, with far too many people due to tickets being sold long after a favourable amount of people were let in.

I can't say for sure, I wasn't there, deciding to give it a bit of a miss.

But what I didn't skip this year (after missing it last year for having been out of the country) was the Persia to Paarl festival at Nederberg this year.

It was AMAZING. I've been to the Nederberg conference center for other events, some even non-wine related (in-joke: Heroes Happen Here!), and its a great venue, with very friendly permanent staff.

I don't know who in Paarl is responsible for organising this FANTASTIC festival, which gets its inspiration from the fact that Shiraz comes from Iran (that's Persia if you didn't know).

I took it slow on the wine front, because I was on anti-biotics which I was assured by my doctor and pharmacist would make me feel like death if I drank. The secret was simply to 'forget' to take the pills every three hours before the event and I was fine.

The amount of effort the estates and organisers put into this event really speaks to what a great time it was. Unlike Ommiberg, in which you can at times end up at what seems like a deserted estate, the festival halls were buzzing, especially the food court when SA lost to NZ, but not TOO full. I have to be honest, I can't imagine this festival, this gem of an event, is going to remain so perfectly attended as it was this year (and by all accounts last year). I'm quite certain it will be spilling over with people as the word slowly gets out (not unlike the Wacky Wine Weekend, and the Stellenbosch wine fest).

Clearly wine festivals are the new rock concerts for the over 25s. And Persia to Paarl is a truly unique experience, sort of like the small ethno-rock stage at a big European music festival. The exhibitors dressed up, and were happy to share there wines in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

The festival also had a wonderful collection of food stalls, which made cutting the wine a little, and thus having a far longer stay without becoming inebriated that much easier.

I went with a group of friends, and we had a fantastic day, including a lovely bottle of Cafe Culture and a cheese platter and ciabatta from stalwarts Fairview under some trees near by the exhibition hall.

It really was a wonderful day out in Paarl, which is rapidly overtaking my old home of Stellenbosch, as my favourite wine region in the Cape.

Well done to all involved. I hope that next year is as much fun!

P.S. my punt for a farm which is doing things really well at the moment in my opinion: Glen Carlou. The wines are really starting to hit my palate in a way that makes their prices seem reasonable. That's a good thing for me, because I often couldn't bring myself to shell out for their wines because the price/value ratio seemed a bit skewed. No MORE!