Despite a hugely challenging year for the wine industry due to the drought, CapeWine 2018 is an impressive showcase of optimism, friendliness, and proudly South Africaness, running at the Cape Town International Convention Centre until tomorrow. I attended yesterday, with my Parisian friend Aurelié Jullien, and we were both impressed with the magnitude and professionalism of the exhibition, held every three years, and attended by the local and international wine trade. Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Eben Sadie
Tasting Cederberg wines with Altitude at OpenWine!
Last night I attended a tasting of six wines by Cederberg Wines with Altitude at OpenWine on Wale Street. The Wine estate has the highest location above sea level, at 1036m, of all vineyards in the Cape. Continue reading →
Restaurant Review: The Ledbury chic but cold, 14th Best in the World!
The Ledbury is London’s top restaurant, and was ranked 14th on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in June. It also boasts two Michelin stars. Continue reading →
Michelin Star restaurant Chef Roger Jones a star at 96 Winery Road!
On Friday evening I had the pleasure of eating my first meal prepared by a Michelin star restaurant chef. Chef Roger Jones of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, with a Michelin star earned every year in the past ten years, prepared a six-course meal at Continue reading →
John Platter launches ‘My Kind of Wine’!
John Platter’s name is synonymous with the wine industry, having created the Platter’s Wine Guide 36 years ago with wife Erica. His surname is still linked to the Guide by name, even though he has sold the Guide. Launching a new book, it was obvious that it would have something to do with wine. ‘My Kind of Wine‘ is such a book, Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 26 August
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Wine writer and taster Tim Atkin has released his Tim Atkin 2015 South Africa Special Report, describing our country as the ‘most dynamic and exciting winemaking country in the New World‘! He lauds our winemaking industry for its ‘diverse terroirs, old vines and pure winemaking talent’. He writes that it has ‘never been so intoxicating to taste and drink the wines of the Cape‘! For the first time he has saluted our top winemakers (Eben Sadie and Morné Vrey) and wines Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 9 March
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlinese
* A bid for Cape Town to host a Grand Prix next year will be submitted by Cape Town Grand Prix SA to Motorsport South Africa tomorrow. It is planned to be hosted in Green Point and at the Cape Town Stadium. The costs involved are in the region of R750 million.
* Nando’s is using its international outlets to attract attention to top South African design, including Vogel riempie chairs, and tables by Egg Designs. Pedersen + Lennard and Design Afrika have been commissioned too. Nando’s designer Tracy Lee Lynch said about the project: ‘We’re implementing the project slowly and realistically. We’ll start with 20 pieces by 10 designers that will be used by the Nando’s interiors teams across the world. Customers in places such as Canada and the UK will see the best of our local talent‘. The company’s head office Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 10 February
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* The Los Angeles Times recommends the One&Only Cape Town as one of ‘Five fabulous, flirty retreats for Valentine’s Day’. It describes Cape Town as the ‘…continent’s hottest happening city, and One & Only is the place to be for luxurious lodging‘, with three restaurants, including Nobu, the Neo boutique selling ‘South Africa’s hippest designer fashions‘, and an award-winning spa. It recommends eating at The Test Kitchen, Kalk Bay, Robben Island, and an art tour with gallery owner João Ferreira.
* It is rare to be able to read a story by UK wine journalist and judge Jancis Robinson without subscribing to her website or to that of the Financial Times. However she has graciously shared details of her trip to the North West Cape, in the Olifants River area, where they viewed 40 – Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 23 January
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* British wine writer Jancis Robinson has ended her visit to the Cape Winelands this week, and writes that she has been ‘hugely impressed by the quality of the wines of the best producers and by the much broader range of wine styles and provenances than there was on my last visit’ seven years ago. She described our country as the ‘wonderful source of underpriced fine white wine. It has taken longer for red wines to please this finicky international palate‘. Our industry does not need to be defined by our indigenous Pinotage, she feels.
* Could Cape Town/South Africa/Africa get a Grand Prix again, after more than 20 years? Bernie Ecclestone has speculated that such a race could be possible by next year. As Killarney is not suitable, it would have to be a street race in Cape Town. This proposal was however rejected by City of Cape Town’s Directorate of Tourism, Events, and Marketing in 2013, due to the cost.
* Roger Jones, owner of Michelin star restaurant Harrow at Little Bedwyn in the UK, has just returned from a trip to our country. Continue reading →
‘Platter’s by Diners Club 2015 South Africa Wine Guide’ launched with a number of changes!
The 2015 Platter’s Wine Guide was launched at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel last night, in a Beaujolais Ferment colour, with a number of changes in terms of its methodology to evaluate the 5 star wines, as well as in the content of the Wine Guide. Out of 6000 wines submitted for evaluation, a total of 50 wines and one brandy received the highly desired 5 star rating. The Platter’s Winery of the Year is Sadie Family Wines, the second time that Eben Sadie has received this accolade. DeMorgenzon Reserve Chardonnay 2013 was named the White Wine of the Year, 
and De Trafford Blueprint Syrah 2012 was named the Red Wine of the Year.
The first Platter’s change is that JP Rossouw has been the new publisher for the past year, looking confident last night, relative to his first more restrained presentation a year ago. It was nice to see former publisher Andrew McDowell Continue reading →