Tag Archives: Arumdale

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 31 May/1 June

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Going on safari is an increasing trend, which is good for tourism in Africa, popular not only amongst European and American tourists, but also amongst BRICS travelers from Brazil, India, Russia, and China.

*   SA Tourism has appointed Gaining Edge to help increase our country’s profile as a Business Events destination in India and China, for the South Africa National Convention Bureau.  South Africa is ranked highest as a business events destination in Africa, and 34th in the world.

*   Topless Tours have a new meaning, and do not refer to Cape Town’s Hop On Hop Off buses.  It’s a new trend started in the UK, whereby ladies take photographs of themselves topless at top tourist spots, including Table Mountain! Continue reading →

Has the Good Food & Wine Show become the (Italian) Cook Show?

Good Food & Wine ShowCarlo Cracca. Antonio Carluccio. Gennaro Contaldo. Katy Ashworth. Emma Dean. Vichit Mukura. These are the ‘top international chefs’ Cape Town food lovers are being exposed to at the Good Food & Wine Show at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, augmented with a handful of light-weight (with the exception of Chef David Higgs) mainly TV cooking program local cooks!   As Cape Town is the centre of gourmet gastronomy, surely exhibition organisers Fiera Milano could have done better?

Christine Cashmore has organised the Good Food & Wine Show for years, and sold her company to Fiera Milano last year.  She is certainly still involved, as I saw her at the show yesterday.  She is tough to deal with, changing PR companies every year!  Every year the criticism about the Show has grown, the big food producers no longer bothering to participate, and sample their products.   The emphasis this year was clearly TV cooking shows, and the invited chefs (mainly) had a link to a TV program, in cooking at the Celebrity Chefs Theatre (how did Kamini Pather slip in here, as controversial winner of MasterChef Season 2?), the kykNET Kook Teater, the Spar Food Theatre, and the Selati Sweet Treats Theatre. Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 31 May/1 June

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Going on safari is an increasing trend, which is good for tourism in Africa, popular not only amongst European and American tourists, but also amongst BRICS travelers from Brazil, India, Russia, and China.

*   SA Tourism has appointed Gaining Edge to help increase our country’s profile as a Business Events destination in India and China, for the South Africa National Convention Bureau.  South Africa is ranked highest as a business events destination in Africa, and 34th in the world.

*   Topless Tours have a new meaning, and do not refer to Cape Town’s Hop On Hop Off buses.  It’s a new trend started in the UK, whereby ladies take photographs of themselves topless at top tourist spots, Continue reading →

‘Elegantly Elgin’ Wine Route launched!

This weekend the sixteen Elgin Valley wine producers have launched a new Wine Route, which they have called ‘Elegantly Elgin’, to market the ‘superior and complex structured wines synonymous with this district’, says its media release.

Almenkerk, Arumdale, Elgin Ridge, Elgin Vintners, Hannay & Catherine Marshall Wines, Highlands Road Wines, Iona Vineyards, Lothian Wines, Mofam Wines, Oak Valley Wines, Oude Molen Brandy Distillery, Paul Cluver Wines, Shannon Vineyards, Spioenkop Wine, South Hill Wines, and Winters Drift make up the ‘Elegantly Elgin’ Wine Route.  The vines in the Elgin area ‘benefit from diverse soils and cool maritime breezes which ensure perfect conditions for slow ripening. This allows the grapes to develop their intense flavours, great natural acidity, complexity and strong core of elegance’. The wines of this region are fruity, and Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz wines perform well in Elgin.

To attract visitors to the new wine route, ‘Elegantly Elgin’ has arranged ‘Open Wine Weekends’, held on the first weekend of every month, from 10h00 – 17h00, starting this weekend with the theme ‘Celebration of Cool Climate Wines’. All sixteen wine estates will open their doors on these weekends, in addition to their normal operating hours, focusing on the designated theme for the open weekend.  Further themes which have been planned are the following:

3-4 and 10-11 November: A Sauvignon Blanc Celebration

1-2 December:  A Chardonnay Celebration

5-6 January:   Elegantly Elgin Whites

‘Elegantly Elgin Wine Route’.  www.elginwine.co.za Twitter: @ElegantlyElgin

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