Bigger is Better.

Jörg Pfützner likes to get people drunk on very good wines. He did this very successfully for years as head sommelier at Aubergine restaurant. More recently he was responsible for the Constantia Fresh Festival , which in February saw people strolling on the lawns of Buitenverwachting sipping the very best Sauvignon Blanc from around South Africa while listening to reggae. This was a wine event that had a craft beer stand and included a burlesque dancing show. It made the usual wine festivals and shows look decidedly neolithic.

The riesling juggernaut (he’s renowned for his love for this grape varietal) is also known to throw lavish dinners. I attended one a few weeks back which some of the best foreign wines against some from the Elgin area. Held at his previous outpost of Aubergine, the evening involved ridiculously good food, a memorable speech on the concept of elegance and extravagant wines with expensive names like Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc and Chateau Valandraud. It also involved superb local wines and a huge German fellow who rolled a Dutch baseball bat on the Aubergine verandah that significantly changed the night for several guests, some still discussing the wines in a fuzzy tequila stupor at 3am. No names mentioned.

Latest from Jörg is The Big Bottle Festival, four indulgent events over three days in the luxurious confines of the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel in Constantia. Why should you care? Well, since it’s organised by Jörg, it’s undoubtedly going to be another prime example of organised hedonism. There are also some very fine fine-dining experiences with top chefs, the most accessible of which is the walk around tasting where Jörg’s chosen wine producers will pour from large-format bottles. Magnums (1.5L) of bubbly, Jeraboams (3L) of Shiraz and apparently a Melchior (18L) sent over from Portugal. Things generally end up fun at events where Jörg and standard-sized bottles are involved, so one can only imagine how this is going to end.

26th – 28th August, full details on their website, www.bigbottle.co.za.The walk-around tasting (with food from the top chefs included) on Saturday from 3pm – 9pm is where you probably want to be. Tickets R450pp.

Full list of exhibiting wines:

Beaumont, Botrivier
Buitenverwachting, Constantia
Stark Conde, Stellenbosch
Chamonix, Franschhoek
Cape Point Vineyards, Cape Point
L’Ormarins, Franschhoek
Creation, Hemel-en-Aarde
De Trafford, Stellenbosch
Groot Constantia, Constantia
The Hedonist, Swartland
Jordan, Stellenbosch
Klein Constantia, Constantia
Mullineux Wines, Swartland
Crystallum, Walker Bay
Newton Johnson, Hemel-en-Aarde
Hamilton Russel Vineyards, Hemel-en-Aarde
Raats Family Wines, Stellenbosch
Glenelly, Stellenbosch
Rustenberg, Stellenbosch
Waterford, Stellenbosch
Whalehaven, Walker Bay
Winery of Good Hope, Stellenbosch
Paul Cluver, Elgin
Constantia Glen, Constantia
Scali, Paarl
Villera, Stellenbosch
Waterkloof, Somerset West
Constantia Uitsig, Constantia
Iona, Elgin
Luddite, Botrivier
Shannon, ELgin
Chabivin Champagne & MCC House, Stellenbosch
Great Domaines Wine Importer, Johannesburg – Pol Roger
Wine Cellar – Le Mesnil Champagne