Seafood and wine festival welcomes summer

With the Deep Dive Seafood and Wine Festival returning for its second edition, the music, food and wine fiesta is quickly becoming the herald of Windhoek’s ascent into summer.

Back with a bang at The Handle Bar in Olympia on Saturday, the one-day festival was a feast of prawns, paella, seafood platters, sushi and fresh oysters, as well as an ocean of wine and a splash of local and international music talent.

First to take the stage was Gloria Del Mar, who improved on last year’s festival’s lack of women headliners. The official artists’ bill included Namibia’s Jacob & Taylor, The Ells, NamGotFunk and Waters, with musical guests Ben Dey & The Concrete Lions, Samson Brothers, Naledi and Band, and Watershed joining the jamboree from South Africa.

Making my way there at around 14h00, I dived straight into a set by Naledi, whose soulful tunes began to draw a trickle of dancers to the green.

Next to take the mic was Waters, whose charisma, coupled with his crowd-pleasing catalogue had festivalgoers grooving to the homegrown beats.

As for The Ells, they’re simply never a bad bet.

Mixing a blend of originals and covers with their signature djembe drum-powered instrumentals, the velvet-voiced duo kept the vibes immaculate.

Musically, that’s all I could stay for, but social media from the event highlights a festive evening and some letting loose.

As for the food and wine, Deep Dive didn’t disappoint.

Returning such favourites as Seapride boasting a massive paella, Daisho Sushi and Wine Bar delivering a boatload of sushi, and Kubata heavy on the calamari, seafood platters and prawns, the festival had something for everyone.

With regard to wine, where to start? Featured wines included Cathedral Cellar, The Game Reserve, L’Avenir, Ken Forrester, Plaisir, Vrede en Lust, Allure, Glenwood and Kanonkop, as well as Graham Beck and Zonin for those big on bubbly.

Deep Dive festival tickets included five wine-tasting vouchers, so, as sparkling wine enthusiast, I sampled a delicious Graham Beck Brut Rosé and a lovely Millesimato Special Cuvée Extra Dry DOC.

While Deep Dive isn’t officially a fashion event, folks certainly showed up and showed out.

Making my way through the festival, I couldn’t help but admire all the fabulous threads, stylish sunnies and inspiring summer trends which definitely deserve a photo feature of their own.

A well-oiled, sexy and delicious day out, Deep Dive Seafood and Wine Festival was a warm welcome to the summer.

– martha@namibian.com ; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com