Category Archives: World Design Capital

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 7 August

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Du Toitskloof and Standard Bank are calling for entries for their second Wine  Writer of the Year competition, this year linking to Cape Town hosting World Design Capital 2014.  The writing topic for this year is ‘The role and/or history of design in contributing to the uniqueness of the South African wine industry‘, and the entry should not previously have been published.   Entries close on 26 September.

*   Evelyn Mahlaba has been appointed by SA Tourism as its Director for Africa, responsible for enhancing tourism to our country from East, West, and Central Africa, working with its travel trade in particular.

*   Amarula Cream is celebrating its 25th birthday over three months, from October onwards, offering gifts and prizes in competitions.  When buying two bottles, one receives R50 back in cash via an ABSA ATM. Independent retailers are offering prizes.  Ordering an Amarula birthday drink at participating bars, clubs and restaurant could win a R25000 cash prize.  (received via media release from De Kock Communications)

*   The Cape Winemakers Guild has announced the wines each of its members will be offering for tasting (in Cape Town on 21 Continue reading →

Eat Out Top 10 Chef Peter Tempelhoff creates Table Mountain dish for World Design Capital 2014!

WDC 001b (1024x750) Dessert by Peter TempelhoffChef Peter Tempelhoff, of Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant The Greenhouse at the Cellars-Hohenhort, has created a special dessert he calls ‘Table Mont Blanc’, in honour of Cape Town hosting World Design Capital 2014.

I received information about the dish from Cape Town Design NPC, the company managing Cape Town’s role as World Design Capital 2014, in its latest newsletter, which shared the news and the ingredients of the dish, but did not add a visual.  I was impressed with the speed of response from both Eclipse PR, handling the PR locally for World Design Capital 2014, and from The Greenhouse, despite the restaurant being closed for its winter break.  Very impressive was Chef Peter calling, to establish exactly what I required, not having seen the newsletter with the information about his dish.

The ‘Table Mont Blanc‘ dessert represents Table Mountain, according to Chef Peter, ‘but only abstractly… as we would rather leave a bit to the imagination.  The real symbiosis between the dessert and the actual mountain is in the ingredients.  Each integral part of the dessert is flavoured with an ingredient found on the slopes of the mountain’.   The elements of the dessert are the following: Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 19 June

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The latest quarterly survey by the Bureau of Economic Research shows a sharp drop in confidence in the Accommodation sector, with an index of 36 in the first Quarter of this year, to a projected index of 22 in this quarter, and down to zero in Quarter 3.  Rates are seen to be reduced in Quarter 3, and Business Confidence has dropped from 76% in Quarter 1 to 56% in this quarter! (received via e-mail from the Bureau of Economic Research)

*   Huffington Post praises Cape Town, and lists ‘Top 10 Things to do in Cape Town, South Africa‘,  but in reality it lists far more than ten things: visiting Cape Point; the penguins at Boulders Beach; the Winelands, including Le Petite Ferme, Môreson, Haute Cabrière, Delaire Graff, La Residence, The Franschhoek Wine Tram, Tokara, Kanonkop, and Groot Constantia; Umi restaurant and the Marly hotel in Camps Bay; Robben Island; Table Mountain;  a township tour; eat at The Test Kitchen, Pot Luck Club, ‘Bistro’ (sic) Bizerca ‘Signal‘ (sic), Charly’s Bakery, and The Tasting Room;  the V&A Market on the Wharf; shopping at Merchants on Long and Chandler House; and High Tea at Belmond Mount Nelson.

*   New Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has accused the DA-run City of Cape Town of buying the vote by spending millions of Rands for the title for Cape Town as World Design Capital 2014, Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 11 June

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The visa application problems in India experienced by travelers wishing to travel to our country appear to have been dealt with, and the turn-around time now is five days.

*   Booking for the World Cup 2014 in Brazil has been very last minute, with most airline tickets bought in May.  More bookings have come from the northern Europe countries Germany, France, and the UK, while the Mediterranean countries Italy and Portugal have seen far more cautious support.

*   For the second year running the Bordeaux wine region has been hard hit by hail and strong wind, the storm over two days earlier this week damaging vineyards to such an extent that farmers want the French government to declare the devastation a ‘national catastrophe’.   About 1500 ha of vineyard have been completely destroyed by the storm.

*   The new visa application regulations for families with children travelling to our country has caused an upheaval.  New Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom is speaking to his Home Affairs counterpart Malusi Gigaba, and the introduction has been delayed. Continue reading →