Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The 15th Cape Town International Jazz Festival will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 28 and 29 March.  The top artists performing in the past fifteen years  can be expected on the stage next year.  Last year 60000 jazz lovers attended the jazz performances.   Early bird specials are available for the first 1000 tickets booked at Computicket.

Rashid Lombard, CEO of espAfrika, organisers of the Jazz Festival, said: ‘Fifteen years ago, we couldn’t have imagined that the festival would have such a massive impact. It’s got its own beat now – and we just love the fact that we are able to keep giving people what they want and to promote jazz and jazz related as a music genre in this country’. (received via media release from networx public relations)

*  Taipei has been announced as World Design Capital 2016, it was announced today by Cape Town Design NPC, the company managing World Design Capital 2014 for Cape Town. (received via newsletter)

*   Ellerman House has opened a Wine Gallery, to the irritation of Neil Pendock, whose petite (2 x 4 m space, and 6 bottles only per month) Wine Gallery at The Taj appears to be a failure. The new wine gallery at Ellerman House displays its 7500 wines in its underground cellar.  Owner Paul Harris said of the new facility: ‘The wine gallery is a work of art, rather than just a functional space’.  The gallery consists of an interactive multi-media wine library, maturation cellars for white and red wines, a brandy tasting lounge, and a Champagne Cellar. An iPad wine app provides information about South African wines, with tasting notes.

*   Nataniël will be appearing on stage at Oude Libertas in Stellenbosch, on 13 and 14 December, pairing with Fleur du Cap wines. His show is called ‘N PEOPLE’, and is a collection of his songs and stories.  Patrons will receive a glass of Fleur du Cap, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, or Chardonnay, paired with gourmet snacks, prior to the show. (received via media release from GC Communications)

*   Ocean View Guest House has been fined R475 000 for altering the flow of the water from the Twelve Apostles to the ocean in Bakoven, and building an wall which had not been approved.   The illegal alterations caused massive flooding on Victoria Road in Bakoven three weeks ago, and flooded the house belonging to Johann Rupert across the road, as the water ran over the road and not underneath it.

*   The MyCiTi Bus routes to Camps Bay (via Civic Center to Silo/Clocktower section of the V&A Waterfront) and Century City commence tomorrow.

*   Plettenberg Bay was given Wine of Origin status in 2005, and has 18 producing vineyards.  (received via newsletter from Plett Tourism)

*   Mayor Patricia de Lille will switch on the Christmas Lights in the Cape Town city centre on Sunday at 20h30.

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