Tag Archives: Delheim

Cape Town and Winelands restaurants have a heart for Valentine’s Day!

Valentine's DayNumerous restaurants in Cape Town are offering special Valentine’s Day offers for Friday 14 February. We will update the list as we receive new information.

Cape Town

*   Catharina’s at Steenberg: Seafood Menu platter R1750 per couple; 5 course Valentine’s Set Menu R750 per person; and Vegetarian Valentine’s Menu R750 per person.  All three options include a glass of Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Rosé 2011.  Tel (021) 713-2222

*   The Restaurant at Cape Point Vineyards, Noordhoek:   4 course dinner R495, or R650 with wine pairings.  Nadine performing.  Tel 083 444 7088.

*   Frères Bistro:  3 course dinner with complimentary glass of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne R 395 per person.  Tel (021) 418-1609

*   Diemersdal Farm Eatery, Durbanville: Tapas platters and desserts as well as complimentary glass of MCC R 550 per couple.  Tel (021) 976-1810

*   Azure at the Twelve Apostles: Welcome drink, rose, and 4 course candlelight dinner R 795 per person, includes chance of winning half carat diamond from Uwe Koetter valued at R15000.  Tel (021) 437-900

*   The Kraal at the Twelve Apostles: Kir Royal welcome drink, picnic basket includes a bottle of Bouchard Finlayson Blanc de Mer, R1500 per couple.  Tel (021) 437-9000

*   Mondiall, V&A Waterfront: Oysters and glass of bubbly, 3 course dinner R350 per person.  Tel (021) 418-3003. Continue reading →

‘Stellenbosch Wine Experience’ pushes Stellenbosch to be ‘leading wine tourism destination in Africa’!

StellenboschWhen I see any writing by Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of tourism consultancy Destinate and former ineffective Mommy-Tweeting CEO of Cape Town Tourism, I have to hold back the urge to laugh, not only because of her poor writing skills (despite English being one of her BA majors!) but also because of her lack of marketing skills.  Helmbold has just launched the ‘Stellenbosch Wine Experience’ for the Stellenbosch Wine Routes and Stellenbosch 360, as a joint venture between the wine and tourism elements of the second oldest town in South Africa, with the goal of becoming ‘the leading wine tourism destination in Africa‘. Helmbold adds in her document that Stellenbosch should be positioned as ‘amongst top in the world‘ too, and become ‘Africa’s wine tourism capital’!

The Stellenbosch Wine Routes is the first wine route in our country, having been established in 1971 by Spatz Sperling of Delheim, the late Frans Malan of Simonsog, and the late Neil Joubert of Spier.  Its mandate is to market the wine estates and wines of the 150 or so wineries in Stellenbosch, with its CEO Annareth Bolton having mainly run a PR campaign to date.  Previously sponsored by American Express, it no longer appears to have the backing of the credit card company.  Credit card companies appear to be all over the seemingly lucrative wine industry, Diners Club appearing to have a head start. Stellenbosch 360 is the new name for the Stellenbosch Tourism Bureau, and is run by a very competent Annemarie Ferns, long the SA Tourism Country Manager for Germany.

Helmbold spent nine years at the helm of Cape Town Tourism, never being able to rise to the level of the marketing done with close to zero budget by her predecessor, the vivacious Sheryl Ozinsky.  Helmbold did formula marketing, if one can call it that Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 9/10 December

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Alide Dasnois, editor of the Cape Times, has been relieved of her post, for an article by her environmental reporter Melanie Gosling about the improper awarding of a contract by the Minister of  Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries to a Sekunjalo subsidiary owned by the Sekunjalo consortium which owns Independent Newspapers!  Ms Dasnois has been replaced by Gasant Abarder as editor of the Cape Times.

*   Delheim is offering a new Cupcake and Wine pairing.  Chef Christine Claasen’s Rooibos cupcake is paired with Delheim Unwooded Chardonnay; the Pomegranate cupcake is paired with the Pinotage Rose; the Makataan (wild melon) cupcake is matched with Delheim’s Chardonnay Sur Lei; and the Pumpkin cupcake is paired with Delheim Pinotage.  The cost is R75. (received via media release from Random Hat Communications).

*   Bain’s Cape Mountain single grain whisky from Wellington has won double gold at the New York International Spirits Competition, having been named World’s Best Grain Whisky earlier this year.   It is distilled at The James Sedgwick Distillery. (received via media release from De Kock Communications)

*   Uitkyk is offering ‘Georgian’ picnics at its restored Georgian manor house outside Stellenbosch.  The picnic basket includes artisan breads, cheeses, pates, olives, charcuterie, smoked salmon, fruit, and chocolate brownies, paired with a bottle of Uitkyk wine as well as a bottle of mineral water. Cost is R350 for two. (received via joint media release from Paula Wilson Media Consulting and Manley Communications)

*   Kenyan visitors to South Africa have reacted with horror for having to pay a private operator for a visa to South Africa, which is meant to be free Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 5 December

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Wine judge and writer Tim James, and winner of a number of wine writing competitions, including the inaugural Du Toitskloof Wine Writer of the Year as well as the Franschhoek Literary Festival wine writing award, has expressed his strongest criticism of the announcement of the 2014 Franschhoek Literary Festival wine writing competition.   It has been announced that the competition and its prize money will be split into short writing (less than 1500 words) and long writing (3000 – 4000 words).  No award will be given to any writing submitted of between 1500 – 3000 words!  Earlier this year the Franschhoek Literary Festival, and the convenor of its wine writing judging committee John Maytham, were lambasted when they chose to not award the prize at all, stating that no entry was of a good enough standard. (Note: the category definitions have subsequently been changed to under 1000 words, and 1000 – 4000 words)

*   Only 8% of South African tourism and hospitality businesses plan to appoint more staff, according to tourism consultants Grant Thornton, compared to 25% by their global counterparts.

*   South African restaurant brands operating in the United Arab Emirates include Nando’s, Butcher Shop, Meat & Co, Mug & Bean, and Debonairs Pizza.

*   Argentina is encouraging its citizens to stay home with a punitive 35% tax on all credit card payments made outside the country, to protect its monetary reserves.

*   The Stellenbosch Wine Festival will take place from 24 January – 2 Continue reading →