Tag Archives: Elvis Blue

25th Veritas Awards crown KWV as 2015 king of the wine industry!

imageLast night KWV was crowned as the king of the wine industry for the fifth year running, winning 5 Double Gold and 9 Gold Awards for its wines, more than any other winemaker. Nederburg (2 Double Golds and 11 Gold Awards) and Spier (2 Double Golds and 8 Gold Awards) followed in second and third place, respectively, awarded at one of the highlights of the wine industry, a function attended by about 400 wine industry staff and media, with their partners. Kanonkop won the Best Performance by Entry title for 10 wines or fewer entered, while KWV won the title for more than 10 wines entered.  A total of 57 Double Gold, 157 Gold, 473 Silver, and 662 Bronze medals was awarded.  A mix of local and international judges evaluated the entries.

Not only were the wines with their winemakers and related staff celebrated, so too was the 25th anniversary of the Veritas Awards. The highlight of the evening for me was seeing how many women Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 16/17 November

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*  Nando’s, Prince Harry’s and Beyonce’s favourite chicken take-out in London, will be opening its first store at Gatwick airport.

*   Heathrow needs a third runway to deal with the estimated doubling of traffic by 2030.  One plan is to build a floating runway on an estuary of the Thames, instead of demolishing houses in a village close to Heathrow.

*   Wide-spread flooding hit Somerset West, Franschhoek, Hermanus/Stanford, Strand, and Cape Town on Friday evening.  The Franschhoek Pass, Chapman’s Peak, Betty’s Bay/Gordon’s Bay road, and Victoria Road* between Camps Bay and Hout Bay are still closed.

*   Eben Sadie of The Sadie Family Wines is the winemaker featured in the weekly Terroirist blog interview!

*   Not only is Stellenbosch famous for its many wine estates producing excellent Continue reading →

‘Chefs who share’ cook up R1,2 million, demonstrating ‘The ART of Giving!

Chefs who share chefsAn unusual recipe of 14 top South African chefs working together in pairs of two in less than ideal temporary kitchen conditions set up outside the City Hall, supported by a sommelier and restaurant serving staff per chef pair, and serving 36 guests a unique four-course menu each, dreamt up by Opulent Living publisher Barbara Lenhard, saw R1195000 raised for charity on Thursday evening, alongside which Chefs who share Barbara Lenhard Whale Cottage Portfoliothe brand new Mercedes-Benz S Class was launched.

The A list event, which was covered by Top Billing and was MCd by Top Billing presenter Bonang Matheba and previous Top Billing and The Dr Mol Show presenter Dr Michael Mol, was first announced in May, and even though the tickets cost R3000, they were snapped up within a very short period of time, leaving many food lovers disappointed that they were Continue reading →

Two Oceans Hermanus Whale Festival celebrates coming of age!

This weekend the Two Oceans Hermanus Whale Festival celebrates its 21st anniversary of saluting the Southern Right whales, who seem to particularly love coming to this seaside village to mate, to calf, and to generally have a whale of a time in Walker Bay. Hermanus offers the best land-based whale watching in the world, from May until early December.

Last year the Whale Festival attracted a record of 137000 attendees, and this year could see that record exceeded, given that favourable weather has been forecast and that the school holidays have started.

This year the Whale Festival celebrates the natural environment of Hermanus, the Marine Endangered Species Expo focusing on the birds, fish, and mammals in the area, including an exhibit of a life size replica of a baby whale and a Great White shark, and a 3D movie experience as if one is swimming with whales, dolphins, and sharks. Other events include showcasing the cuisine of the local restaurants; a number of theatrical and musical shows; a Cliff Path night run; mountain bike challenges in the Hemel en Aarde Valley; a half marathon; a fun run; distance swims in the Old Harbour; a beauty pageant; a vintage car show; a marine-themed fancy dress competition; and a dog walk. A host of musical acts will perform, including Elvis Blue, Steve Hofmeyr, and Nianell.  The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, known for its dedication in fighting whaling by Japan, will be present, and presentations will be done by Abagold, Save our Seas, Marine Coastal Management, the South African Shark Conservancy, and Dyer Island Conservation Trust.

Calling itself an ‘Enviro Arts Festival’, the Hermanus Whale Festival is sponsored by Distell’s Two Oceans brand, with a clever pay-off line ‘Where the Whales Meet’.

The truck driver strike has had a surprise effect on the Hermanus Whale Festival, in that most ATM’s have run out of cash in the town, and no new notes can be delivered this weekend due to the strike, leading the organisers of the Hermanus Whale Festival to urge attendees via its media partner Kfm to bring their credit cards and cash from home.

Two Oceans Hermanus Whale Festival, 28 September – 1 October.  www.whalefestival.co.za

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