We continue exploring the world’s most beautiful Cape Winelands as we pair the wines and cuisine that best represent the region in this month’s Expressions of Robertson and Tulbagh.

Through our Expressions series we have brought the wines and cuisines of Wellington and Paarl, Cederberg and Lamberts Bat, the Stellenbosch wards of Greater Simonsberg, Stellenbosch Valley and Bottelary Hills to the heart of the city. Each month, one of South Africa’s top chefs presents a dinner designed especially to express the culture of the featured regions. This dinner is then paired with the wines from the area’s participating wine estates.

In June, Robertson and Tulbagh will find expression at Taj Cape Town with guest chef Sandra Papesch of Fraai Uitzicht 1798 Historic Guest House & Wine Farm. She will be preparing her award winning regional dishes with a delicate German touch and accompanied by fresh seasonal vegetables and just-picked herbs from her garden.

The June Expressions menu will be launched on Thursday 31 May at Taj Cape Town’s famous Wine & Dine with the Winemakers dinner. A private wine tasting of the selected regional wines will kick start the evening at 18h00. A delectable 6-course tasting dinner with the paired wines will commence at 19h00 for 19h30. The dinner evening is priced at R350 per person including mineral water and parking at Mandela Rhodes Place.

Selected dishes from the evening will once more be made available on the Mint restaurant Table d’hôte dinner menu for the month of June. Patrons who missed the evening can enjoy two courses for R175 and three courses for R210, excluding wines which are available by the glass.

Taj Cape Town provides stylish accommodation in Cape Town. Secure complimentary parking is available in Mandela Rhodes Place adjacent to the hotel with the parking entrance located in Burg Street, off Wale Street.

The 8^th annual Vodacom Funny Festival returns to the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch from June 11 to July 8 2012 for more laugh out loud comedy antics to shake off those winter chills.

Showcasing the best local and international stand-up comedy at the Baxter Theatre, the festival traditionally runs for three weeks, playing to capacity audiences. The Vodacom Funny Festival is Cape Town’s flagship stand-up comedy festival, founded by Eddy Cassar back in 1997 and known as the Smirnoff Comedy festival before a sponsorship change led to the renaming.

Alan Committie, South Africa’s top MC returns to run proceedings at the festival which includes hot international talent from the UK, New Zealand and even Japan as wells as local SA favourites for a hilarious four-week season. The current line up includes:

• Imran Yusuf , UK’s new sensation and a hit at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival.
• Kev Orkian, Winner of the “best musical comedy” at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival.
• Kurt Schoonraad, the face of Cape Town’s comic scene.
• Piet Potgieter, Afrikaans comedy with a twist.
• Carl Wastie, or Constable Carl as he has become known.
• The Boy with Tape on his Face, returns with a new bag of tricks (11–23 June only).
• Jon Hicks, speed painting with a difference. (25 June – 8 July only).
• Gamarjobat , known all over the world as the “kings of silent comedy” (11–30 June only).
• Kagiso Mokgadi, affectionately known as KG, son of a sangoma (2–8 July only).

Tickets can be bought through Computicket for R140 and it is highly recommended to book tickets soon as several of the evenings have already sold out for what is certainly the best in stand-up comedy this winter.

Taj Cape Town provides luxury accommodation in the heart of the Cape Town. Round out an evening of great comedy with fine dining at Mint Restaurant or Bombay Brasserie.