SOUTH Africa’s biggest regional wine festival, the Wacky Wine Weekend in the Robertson wine valley (4-7 June), marks the start of the Western Cape’s packed winter events season.
 
Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) says accommodation in and around Robertson, Bonnievale, McGregor and Ashton is booked out months before the event as it draws increasing numbers of regional visitors and domestic tourists.

The Wacky Wine Weekend has become known for unpretentious wine tasting combined with deli meals, farm-style living, home-grown music and great moments with good friends.  
 
Fuelled mainly by word of mouth advertising, visitor numbers have grown from 2 500 when it started in 2004 to more than 16 000 last year, while income for the towns involved has grown from R2m to R20m.  Activities being offered have increased from 57 to more than 600. Itumeleng Pooe, CTRU’s executive manager: international & domestic marketing, says the event showcases the tourism variety of the Western Cape’s platteland and the entrepreneurial, creative spirit of its tourism community. She says it has positively altered public perception of the region, pushing up the popularity of its wine route during the rest of the year. According to an economic impact study prepared by the Centre for Tourism Research for CTRU, the event has an overall approval rating of 94%. Ninety percent of event goers are from the Western Cape, 7,6% are from outside the province, 2,4% are international visitors and 17% are local residents. Further events on the Cape of Great Events winter line-up include:
* the Vodacom Funny Festival in Cape Town (15 June-19 July)
* Christmas in Winter in Tulbagh (27-28 June)
* Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival (3-12 July)
* Franschhoek Bastille Festival (11-12 July)
* Isuzu Berg River Canoe Marathon (15-19 July)
* Stellenbosch Wine Festival (30 July-2 August)
* the Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show (27 August- 2 September).