Longridge Wines have signed an agreement with the Cultivaria arts festival to become the exclusive wine supplier to the festival’s glamorous Bovril Black Tie Dinner. The gala dinner takes place on Thursday, 27 October, and heralds the official opening of the festival, which runs until Sunday, 30 October.
The dinner has become an iconic event on the Cape social calendar and will once again see a thousand guests sitting down to enjoy a three-course gourmet dinner in Paarl’s Main Street. South Africa’s longest main road will be transformed into a sophisticated open-air dining room with fine wines, great food and spectacular entertainment.
Catering and events specialists Knights Catering have collaborated with Longridge winemaker Jasper Raats to perfectly pair each course with one of the award-winning wines in the Longridge range. The mouth-watering menu features a manna bowl starter of tossed fresh line fish, calamari, prawns and mussels served with a citrus herb dressing and drizzled with moskonfyt, a Boland speciality, which is paired with the 2008 Longridge Chardonnay – a five star Platter’s wine also featured on the Top 100 SA Wines list. For the main course, guests will be able to enjoy a succulent seared fillet on beef served on a potato rosti, accompanied with seasonal vegetables and a rich Bovril jus complemented by the 2007 Longridge Pinotage – one of South Africa’s Top Ten Pinotages. For the grand finale, guests will be able to enjoy a dessert of Turkish Delight cheesecake finished with Crème Anglaise and garnished with fresh berries paired served with Longridge Noble Late Harvest.
According to winemaker Raats, the Bovril Black Tie Dinner was an ideal opportunity to showcase the diversity and unique style of the Longridge wine portfolio. “Longridge wines are renowned for their classy elegance and what better place platform to highlight the quality of our wines than at one of the most glamorous events in the country. This is an incredible opportunity to introduce our wines to a very distinguished audience and I am positive that our wines will add a special touch to the gala dinner,” mentions Raats.
Veteran South African actress Sandra Prinsloo will be the stylish hostess for the evening, while a splendid musical line-up will set the mood for this fest with finesse. The Frank Pietersen symphonic orchestra will accompany the amazing voices of the Gugulethu Tenors, the enchanting Myra Maud of Afri-Frans fame and Afri-Talia’s Italian tenor Cristian Mangano.
Flame throwers and fire dancers will add some sizzling entertainment. Festival artist Ronald West has been commissioned to do a painting, which will be auctioned in aid of the Cultivaria social responsibility fund.
Tickets cost R500 per person and include a welcoming drink and a three-course meal with a glass of wine per course as well as live performances. Ample parking and security will be available. Book on www.cultivaria.com to ensure a place at this amazing dining experience. Only credit card payments will be accepted.
