Tag Archives: Chris von Ulmentein

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 13 April

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The crayfish season closed at the end of  the Easter weekend, kicking off an educational campaign by the City of Cape Town’s Marine and Environmental Law Enforcement Unit to promote compliance with the Marine Living Resources Act. The seaworthiness of boats and certification of skippers was also checked, as was the minimum size and quantity of rock lobster caught.

*   The first ever export of Pinotage grapes from our country to the USA has arrived, sold into the market by suppliers Gino Pinto Inc.  The grape shipment has sold out.

*   SA Tourism and National Geographic Channel have teamed up to create a Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 25 March

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   KWV has launched its first ever Finish Great‘ consumer advertising campaign, reflecting the wine and spirits company’s proud heritage and product innovation it has embodied since 1918.  The campaign has been launched with the flighting of its first-ever TV commercial, representing both its range of wines and its brandies. Ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi Brandrock motivated its campaign as follows: ‘This is a tribute to the great legacy of KWV, but also demonstrates that by standing on the shoulders of giants, we are inspired to aim higher, to reach even greater heights and inevitably ‘Finish Great’.  The campaign idea was based on a core insight that through persistence, character is revealed and in everything we do, we strive to finish great. The heart of KWV is Proud Pioneers brought to life through the spirit of: respecting tradition while challenging convention and through persistence character is revealed. We are telling this story through the campaign theme of ‘On the shoulders of giants’’.  Giants have stature, they are larger than life and undeniably impressive. We revere them and in South Africa, KWV is a giant, it’s a brand that has a 97 year-old history and credible credentials to support such a bold statement.  The story line follows an affirmation to the giants who enable us to Finish Great. We are bringing to life this story with a 360 degree approach, which we will aim to further build on the ‘Giants’ theme through a product-centric print and fully integrated user generated social and digital campaign’.  The TV ad will be Continue reading →

Chef Reuben Riffel goes back to his restaurant roots with Racine in Franschhoek!

Racine signage Whal e CottageI met with Chef Reuben Riffel in December, for a coffee date at Crisp.  I spoke to him about going to Racine, his second restaurant in Franschhoek which he opened two years ago, and he requested that he accompany me to Racine. Last Thursday our diaries both had a lunch opening, and we met for what was an early but long lunch.

He told me that the idea of the second restaurant arose when Chamonix wine estate owner Chris Hellinger ate at Reuben’s Franschhoek, and suggested that Chef Reuben take over what was already a vacant Racine Chef Nico Whale Cottagerestaurant, after the owners of the former Mon Plaisir had left.  The rental offer by Mr Hellinger was a very generous one, and Chef Nico Pretorius working with Chef Reuben at the One&Only Cape Town was looking for growth, so Chef Reuben signed the lease and offered Chef Nico the job two years ago.  I met Chef Nico when I arrived, and he seems very quiet and introverted, not returning to our table during our three-hour lunch.

Having only been to Racine once before, I had not noticed that Racine has its own entrance,  Continue reading →

UK Government launches investigation into fake and negative online travel reviews!

Bed and BreakfastTravel industry owners in the UK are being urged to share their experiences of negative and fake online reviews as part of a major Government probe.

The Competition and Markets Authority has launched an investigation into online review sites to check the information posted is ‘genuine, relevant and trustworthy‘.  Malicious and fake reviews should be reported, the Authority Continue reading →