Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Our top 10 WhaleTales blogposts, based on unique readership for October, were the following:
1. The Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant Awards shortlist predictions
2. Pieter versus Pendock: Sour Grapes
3. Restaurant Review of La Parada Bree Street
4. Delaire Graff makes history in Eat Out Restaurants Awards
5. Breaking News: Pendock Proceedings Pending!
6. WOSA Sommelier World Cup competition
7. New Restaurant Openings and Closures
8. ‘Pendock Uncorked’ TIMES Live corked, blanked out!
9. Charly’s Cake Angels Season 2
10. Cape Town and Winelands Restaurant Winter Specials
* There are more than 20000 food blogs, and more blogs are devoted to food than to any other topic!
* SAA has announced the wines it will be serving on board its flights next year, as chosen by a panel of local and international judges, which included Bennie Howard, Miguel Chan, Tatiana Marcetteau, Carmen Stevens, Gregory Mutambe, Ralf Rudolf Anselmann, Debra Meiburg, and Susan Erasmus. The judges had to judge the 1017 wines entered by 167 wineries blind, on the basis that ‘human taste buds may be dulled by up to 30% when flying‘, reports the Sunday Times. Of the seventy wines selected by the judges, the winners were announced as follows:
+ White wine of the year: Spier Creative Block #2 2012
+ Red wine of the Year: Saronsberg Provenance Rooi 2011
+ Methode Cap Classique of the year: Villiera Brut Natural Chardonnay 2009
+ Port of the year: Boplaas Cape Tawny Show Selection Reserve
+ Top producer overall was DGB, for having the most wines listed as well as being the largest volume supplier.
* New Wines of South Africa (WOSA) CEO Siobhan Thompson will aim to push the top end South African wines, and hopes to push up the prices to over £5 a bottle in the UK. Her main focus will be the USA and Africa, in addition to the UK.
* While Durban is considering bidding for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, it has not made a final decision to do so.
* Gabriëlskloof Favourite Things Market will be held on 13 and 14 December, offering winetasting, sparkling wine, oysters, home made produce, craft items, cheeses, cured meats, clothing, jewellery and shoes. (received via media release from Random Hat Communications)
* Steenberg is hosting Christmas Carols on 19 December, at R123,90 per person. Food and wines will be on sale. (received via e-mail from Steenberg)
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage