13 April 2005 over a glass of Pinotage an idea was born:… why don't we make Pinotage in Gauteng!!!! Possible? Well of course it is, and the recipe is easy: all you need is 1 venue, 2 rookie winemakers, 1 Cape wine master and 1 wine farm with a real winemaker.

This brought to life the very successful Pinotage Wine Pressing Festivals, held every February, involving the whole community in producing wine the old-fashioned way!

Firstly, the grapes get removed from the stems, all the berries placed in open half-barrels. Then feet get washed and the fun starts, with people dancing on the berries inside the barrels. Wine and music are provided.

Once the berries are sufficiently crushed (as judged by the winemaster), the - then pulp - it is transferred in wheelie bins and poured into open fermentation tanks. Here the wine (well, soon to be wine) is left on the skins to ferment for approximately 5 days, closely monitored.

Once the juice reaches the correct levels, it is crushed off in the final crushing process with a basket crusher. The juice is then strained and poured into the oak barrels, where it will stay for at least 12 months.

Our Restaurant is the only one with a full production winery in Gauteng. The winery is complete with its own fermentation tanks, basket crusher, bottling machine and corking machine.

The winery is used for wine tours presented to local and foreign visitors, which gives them a taste of South African wine and the wine making process.

Join us at the Pinotage Restaurant and Wine Cellar for a taste of The Pinotage lifestyle!