People from across the Garden Route, as well as Gauteng, Cape Town and the Eastern Cape, will be flocking to Kay & Monty Vineyards in Plettenberg Bay over the first weekend of May.
The annual Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival returns to Kay & Monty on May 2, with organisers promising its most exciting edition yet. This year marks 20 years since the Plettenberg Bay wine-of-origin region was established, a milestone that has transformed this coastal stretch of the Garden Route into one of South Africa’s most dynamic boutique wine destinations.
The first festival was held in 2014 on the lawns of the Beacon Island Hotel. By 2018, it had grown into a marquee event attracting more than a thousand supporters. After a hiatus due to Covid and the loss of a sponsor, the Plett Wine Growers Association revived the festival in 2025.
Kay & Monty is an inspired choice of venue. Spacious and relaxed, it offers generous indoor areas, terraces and open lawns where guests can move easily between tasting stalls before settling into tables, picnic blankets or sitting on the grass. The atmosphere is unmistakably laid-back, and people take this opportunity to hang out with friends while children play happily.
The event celebrates the best of the region’s wines, paired with live music and food offerings curated by local chefs and restaurants. Wine tastings run from 13:00 to 16:00, after which the festival shifts into a live music experience, featuring Nomadic Orchestra, a five-piece instrumental band.
The festival is presented in partnership between Plett Wine Route and Plett Tourism and takes place over the Workers’ Day long weekend, drawing visitors eager to enjoy a few days in the area.
Stretching from Harkerville to The Crags, the Plettenberg Bay wine of origin region was formally recognised in 2006. Today, around 55 hectares are under vine. While small in comparison to SA’s nearly 100,000 hectares nationally, the region consistently punches above its weight.
A cool maritime climate, shaped by sea breezes, the Tsitsikamma Mountains and alkaline coastal soils, produces wines known for their freshness, precision and restraint. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir are key varietals, alongside a notable concentration of cap classique producers. Of the nine estates participating in this year’s festival, seven produce cap classique, giving Plett the highest concentration of bottle-fermented sparkling wine producers on the Garden Route. It’s no surprise the area is often dubbed the Bubbly Route.
The 2026 festival brings together all eight wine-of-origin Plettenberg Bay producers: Bitou Vineyards, Bramon Wine Estate, Kay & Monty Vineyards, Lodestone Wine & Olives, Newstead Lund Family Vineyards, Packwood Wine & Country Estate, That Wine Demesne and Whiskey Creek Wines. Telluric, while not currently producing wines of origin, will also participate.
Regional success story
What began as an informal conversation between Plett Tourism and Bramon has grown into a remarkable regional success story. Vineyards planted among the fynbos of Harkerville and The Crags laid the foundation, culminating in the launch of the first festival in 2014. The original idea was simple: introduce a curious audience to locally produced wines and cap classique. The response was immediate and enthusiastic, and this event has been a hit since then.
The Wine-of-Origin scheme, established in South Africa in 1973, guarantees the geographical origin, vintage and grape variety stated on wine labels. Over the past two decades, the Plett Wine Route has carved out a reputation for exceptional quality, with its cap classique leading the charge.
This year’s celebrations extend beyond the main festival day. A week of curated events will unfold across the Plett Wine Route, offering intimate tastings, vineyard experiences and opportunities to engage directly with winemakers.
Guests at the festival can move freely between estate stands, tasting everything from crisp sauvignon blanc and elegant chardonnay to pinot noir and sparkling cap classique. Meeting the winemakers, viticulturists and farm teams behind each bottle is part of the appeal, along with discounted wine sales on the day.
Tickets cost R465 per person and are available via Quicket. Included is a branded tasting glass, a booklet for 10 complimentary tastings, exclusive wine purchase discounts and access to the live music performance.
Kay & Monty Vineyards once again provides the perfect setting for what has become one of the Garden Route’s most anticipated wine events.
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