Black Forest | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

We have written previously that Table Mountain is in the running to become a New7Wonders of Nature destination, and that its performance is based on the number of votes that it receives. Tourism consultancy Grant Thornton has released estimates that show that Cape Town could gain R 1,4 billion if it were to become one of the seven New7Wonders of Nature, reports the Weekend Argus.

Table Mountain is one of 28 finalists, and if it were to win, it would lead to a surge in foreign tourists, creating 11000 new jobs, Grant Thornton has estimated. The problem with this estimate, whilst excellent news for tourism to Cape Town and the Western Cape, is that this consultancy created huge expectations for all South Africans with its vastly over-exaggerated estimates for foreign arrivals to the World Cup last year, leading to a massive let-down when arrivals were nowhere as high as the consultancy’s estimates!

Capetonians and their fellow South Africans are urged to vote for Table Mountain as a New7Wonders of Nature on www.votefortablemountain.com or www.new7wonders.com. Table Mountain is up against the Amazon, the Galapagos, the Dead Sea, Uluru, the Maldives, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Iguaza Falls, Mount Kilimanjaro, Vesuvius, and the Black Forest, amongst others, to be named a New7Wonders of Nature. The list of seven New7Wonders of Nature will be announced in November.

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

Last week Allée Bleue launched its first sparkling wine, the Brut Rosé 2009, and dressed up its lunch venue in pink, in contrast to its blue corporate colour. Flowers on the tables were pink, pink and white balloons decorated the entrance to the venue, and GM Wolfgang Leyrer wore a pink jersey in honour of the event.

The new Brut Rosé is made from 53% chenin blanc and 47% pinotage, and has “delicate flavours of strawberries, rose petals and candy floss”, according to the tasting notes. The wine spent 10 months on the lees. Only 6000 bottles have been made.

Using the colour and flavour descriptions as a cue, the food and wine journalists and bloggers invited to the celebration of the new bubbly were treated to a most wonderful lunch:

* The starter was a Trio of Salmon, with wasabi cream, beautifully presented.

* The main course was Chicken Supreme and prawns in a saffron sauce

* The most beautiful of the three courses was the strawberry dessert, a strawberry pannacotta surrounded by fresh strawberry slices

For the past 18 months Allée Bleue GM Wolfgang Leyrer has been driving the development of the wine estate, now the largest venue in Franschhoek as far as weddings go, and he was proud to announce that 50 weddings have been booked for the season ahead already, held in their new Grand Hall, which was launched in March and can seat 300 guests. The new Brut Rosé will largely be used for wedding events, and will only be sold on the estate, at R89,50.

Winemaker Van Zyl Du Toit introduced his new Chenin Blanc 2010, made from Walker Bay and Franschhoek grapes, which was also served to the guests, costing R39. It is so new that it still has to be labelled. A Rosé 2010 was also served with the lunch, with a distinctive deep pink colour, and a dry taste. It costs R32.

A new chef Glen Ferris has been appointed for the Bistro, and he is currently doing an exchange at Schwarzer Adler, a Michelin two-star restaurant in the Black Forest in Germany.

Allée Bleue is a wine estate to watch, as it is constantly moving ahead with new developments, within a culture of German excellence. The owners of the wine estate are the Dauphin family from Germany.

Allée Bleue, R45, Franschhoek. Tel (021) 874-1021 www.alleebleue.com Twitter: @AlleeBleue

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