Tag Archives: Great Wine Capitals Global Network

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 26 of Level 1, 26 October 2021.

 

Tuesday 26 October 2021, 26th day of Level 1 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a warm 24C day, with a slight breeze now; for a busy working day; for the supplier who will install our balustrades coming to measure one last time, promising to finish them next week, after begging Sandak-Lewin for them for the past 2 years; for a walk through Bakoven and part of Camps Bay during Loadshedding at 16h00, not the only one to use the time productively; and for being happy, healthy and free. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 65 of Level 1, 24 November 2020.

 

Tuesday 24 November 2020, Day 65 of Level 1, Day 244 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for good soaking rain overnight and this morning, clearing up this afternoon; for a very busy working morning; for walking to CitiVet Camps Bay for the first time, to buy deworming tablets for the CatKids, with very friendly service; for a surprise call from Lyndall from Kroonstad, who was in a lift club with me when our boys were at Bridge House in Franschhoek many moons ago; for a second walk through Bakoven; for dancing to Dansdag on Kfm; and for being happy and healthy. Continue reading →

Delaire Graff Restaurant Best Winelands Restaurant!

Delaire orangeChef Michael Deg of Delaire Graff Restaurant must be a happy man, with the news that the restaurant has been named the Best Winelands Restaurant in our country, in the 2016 Great Wine Capitals Global Network Best of Wine Tourism Awards!

The news must be  even more joyous for Chef Michael, given that he was excluded from the Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant Continue reading →

Wine estates should embrace Chinese tourists, to benefit wine tourism!

GWCGN Vergelegen Sharon Hosking AndreYesterday was the second time that I had the privilege to attend the Best of Wine Tourism Awards, the 2014 awards presented to the winning wine estates at Vergelegen’s Stables restaurant.  The wine estate representatives were advised to not neglect the booming Chinese tourism generally, as well as wine tourism market specifically.

Cape Town/Winelands is one of ten members of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network, and within each of these geographic regions the wine estates compete for the honour to be named the best in the category.  Winners for 2014 were awarded as follows: Wine Tourism Restaurant (won by Camphors at Vergelegen), Art & Culture (Vergelegen), Accommodation (Babylonstoren), Architecture and Landscapes (Babylonstoren), Wine Tourism Services (Delaire Graff), Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices (La Motte), and Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences (Spice Route).  Vergelegen was named the overall South African winner for 2014, with two first places and four second places out of the seven awards (it did not enter the Accommodation category, not offering any).

I was lucky to sit next to Bradley Brouwer, SA Tourism Regional Manager GWCGN Vergelegen Bradley Brouwer Whale Cottage Portfoliofor Asia Pacific, who was the keynote speaker, especially as I had missed his talk, driving through from a function at Jordan Wines at that time. Bradley is very entertaining, and shared that he was first appointed to head up the Japanese SA Tourism office eight years ago. and on arriving at his hotel and offering a generous tip, the taxi driver threw the money back at him, the hotel explaining to him that is regarded as an insult to be given a tip, as the Continue reading →