Art weekend, a street party for wine lovers and ramen in the village
Solo Studios opens the valley's art studios this weekend, the Swartland Street Party is coming on 7 November, and Riebeek Kasteel has a new Japanese restaurant.
Spring has arrived in the Riebeek Valley. The vineyards around the village are turning green again, the olive trees are flowering, and the evenings are long enough for a glass of Swartland wine on the stoep.
This weekend, from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October, Solo Studios is on. Artists in Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West open their private studios and galleries, so you can see paintings, sculpture and other work where it is made, and meet the people who make it. The programme also has talks, walkabouts, workshops and music. Tickets, maps and visitor information are at The Hub, 1 Royal Street on the village square.
Save the date for Saturday 7 November: the Swartland Street Party fills the centre of Riebeek Kasteel with Swartland wine producers pouring their wines, including some rare bottles that are hard to find anywhere else in South Africa.
Something new to eat: Saisei, a modern Japanese restaurant, opened in the village earlier this year. Its ramen with a smoky miso broth is already getting attention well beyond the valley. It makes a good change after a day of wine and olive tasting.
The Swartland Olive Festival took place at the end of September. The farm shops in the village, such as Het Vlock Casteel on Kerk Street, sell olives, tapenades and oils all year round, so you can still taste the valley's olives whenever you visit.
