Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The Michelangelo International Wine Awards has introduced a new Platinum medal tier, and two Trophies, for best MCC, and for best ‘mocha style’ Pinotage!

*   Depressing reading is the report about University of Stellenbosch Professor Trevor Britz’s study about the quality (or lack of) our country’s rivers, including the Eerste and Plankenbrug Rivers in Stellenbosch, which can significantly affect their use for agricultural irrigation.

*   Spar is partnering with Shell in setting up Spar Express retail stores at selected petrol stations on a trial basis, in Gauteng, following in the footsteps of BP/Pick ‘n Pay, Engen/Woolworths, and Caltex/Fruit & Veg City.

*   Research is being conducted to reverse the decline in the number of bees, being vital to the fruit and vegetable industry.

*   Seven South-African artists will express themselves through paintings and sculptures in a pop-up exhibition entitled ‘A Void in the Landscape’, opening at Clos Malverne on 5 October and running until the end of January 2014.  Hosted in conjunction with the North-West University Gallery in Potchefstroom, Clos Malverne will be transformed into a one-stop artistic expression. Artists participating in the exhibition are landscape artist Strijdom van der Merwe,  Wilma Cruise, Marco Cianfanelli, Gordon Froud, Rina Stutzer, Retha Buitendach, and Pauline Gutter. (via media release from Random Hat Communications)

*   South Africa has the best tourism infrastructure in Africa, writes Michele de Witt, Chairman of FEDHASA Cape.

*   Amarula is launching a  ‘multi-million rand,through-the-line’  Spring marketing campaign to celebrate the harvest of the marula fruit used to make the internationally popular Amarula.   Marula is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa and grows around Phalaborwa. Women gather the fruit when it ripens and falls to the ground. It is taken to collection points and then delivered to Amarula’s production plant outside Phalaborwa, where it is quality checked and crushed to create the fruit pulp which is vinified, distilled and then aged for two years in wood before cream is added. (via De Kock Communications)

*   A Coca Cola flavoured white wine has been produced by Haussmann Famille in France, to cater for female and Asian palates!

*   For the first time in this country, a champagne house is pairing its products with a restaurant meal.  The range of Ruinart champagnes will be paired with the 6 course Tasting Menu created by Chef David Higgs at his restaurant five hundred at The Saxon in Johannesburg. The cost is R4900.

*   The tourism industry has returned to normality, says the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), even though certain sectors within it (such as game lodges) are still struggling, commenting on the release of the second quarter TBCSA FNB Tourism Index results.

*   The Clanwilliam Wildflower Show runs from 29 August – 8 September, and the wildflowers have started flowering already due to good rain.  The Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat has more than 755 indiginious plant species, including the ‘Cederberg Seven’ which are unique to the area:  Clanwilliam Ceder Tree (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis), Clanwilliam Aloe (Aloe comosa), Rocket pincushion (Leucospernum reflexum), Snow Protea (Protea cryophila), Cederberg Vygie (Lampranthus cedebergensis), Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis), and the Clanwilliam Sugar Bush (Protea glabra).  (via media release from FIVESTAR PR)

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www,whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage