Tag Archives: DMZ

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 6 February

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Singapore Airlines is offering a one-day $1 Singapore Stopover Holiday  package or a one-day Holiday Pass to South African passengers of the airline, traveling to other destinations, to celebrate that country’s 50th anniversary, offered for travel until 15 June.  Fares have also been decreased until 30 November, at R8900 for flights to Australia and Asia. (received via media release from Epic Communications)

*   Tweets will be searchable on Google shortly, in terms of a deal between the search company and Twitter, the latter company providing Tweet data directly to Google in future.

*   It is a shame that a Canadian article on unusual wines, which includes DeMorgenzon DMZ Chardonnay 2013 as the only South African wine, must refer to the ‘burnt rubber tire’ (sic) Continue reading →

Chenin Blanc ‘Summer Showcase’ with a view at Meloncino!

Cheni BA Summer Outside table Whale CottageThe Chenin Blanc Association hosts a tasting of its top members’ wines twice a year, to match the summer or winter season.  Last week a tasting of 25 top Chenin  Blancs was followed by a summery Italian-inspired lunch with a view onto Table Mountain at Meloncino in the V & A Waterfront.

The tasting of the 25 Chenin Blancs was divided into five groups of five wines, and was led by Jeff Grier of Villiera, a gentle good off-the-cuff speaker, being so good with his notes that he often knew more about the wines Chenin BA Summer Jeff Grier Whale Cottage than was shared by the winemakers. Jeff stood in for Ken Forrester, Chairman of the Chenin Blanc Association, who spends a lot of his time marketing his wines in the USA.  What makes these events great is that writers can meet a number of the winemakers at the table, getting to know them a little better, the Simonsig (Hannes Meyer), Ayama (Liezel Delport), and Rijk’s (Pieter Waal) representatives sitting Continue reading →

Chenin Blanc Summer Showcase: celebrating fresh and fruity fun!

Chenin Blanc bottles Whale Cottage PortfolioWhile the weather was not very co-operative in offering Cape Town a sunny summer’s day yesterday, it was a fun and friendly tasting of 21 wines for the Chenin Blanc Association Summer Showcase of fresh and fruity Chenin Blancs at the Cape Grace hotel.

Twice a year the roughly 50 Chenin Blanc producers meet to showcase their two styles of wine, rich and ripe in winter, and fresh and fruity in summer.  The functions are kept small, with an almost equal number of winemakers and writers invited, allowing a quality interaction between the media and wine representatives.  The producers have a passion for Chenin Blanc, which is the largest wine varietal produced in our country at about 18%, yet is not yet well known locally and even less so internationally. Through the work of the Association, the standing of Chenin Blanc is improving, and its benefits of offering value and being an excellent food wine are increasingly becoming known.

In the absence of Chenin Blanc Association Chairman Ken Forrester, described as ‘resident winemaker in the USA’, and Vice Chairman Jeff Grier, who had just arrived for his harvest in France, the most charming Bosman Family Vineyards winemaker Corlea Fourie led the tasting of the wines.  Chenin Blanc Corlea Fourie Whale Cottage PortfolioShe represented Chenin Blanc to me – blonde, soft, sweet, understated, and gentle, yet tough when she needs to be!  She fed back that 30 Chenins had been made available for tasting at ‘The Beautiful South‘ wine tasting of South African, Chilean, and Argentinian wines in London last month.  Each producer had submitted their Chenin Blanc(s) to be evaluated by Continue reading →