Tag Archives: JC le Roux

Franschhoek ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Cap Classique & Champagne Festival to sparkle this weekend!

MCC Champagne FestivalOne of Franschhoek’s most popular festivals take place this weekend , on Saturday and Sunday 29 and 30 November, ending off a year of festivals which Franschhoek is so good at organising.  The MasterCard Franschhoek ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Cap Classique Champagne Festival is a mouthful of a title, but the 22 Méthode Cap Classiques (MCCs) and champagnes make the pilgrimage to Franschhoek worth while.

Taking place in a marquee close to the Huguenot Monument, top South African MCCs and imported champagnes are available to taste.  Bubbly brands available to taste are Pierre Jourdan, Morena, Môreson, La Motte, Boschendal, Leopard’s Leap, Noble Hill, Plaisir de Merle, Anthonij Rupert Wines, JC le Roux, Krone, Pongracz, Steenberg, Continue reading →

Opulent Living celebrates 10th Jubilee edition at Mercedes-Benz Opulent Living Style Night!

Opulent Living Logo Whale CottageA top event held at the African Pride Crystal Towers last night saw an attendance of close to 700 invited guests, despite the bad weather, testimony to the pulling power of the Mercedes-Benz Opulent Living Style Night, which celebrated the 10th Jubilee edition of the Opulent Living magazine, and the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz C Class. The function tied in with the Mercedes-Benz Cape Town Fashion Week, which runs until today, and highlighted Opulent Livig Magazine Whale Cottagestyle, beauty, and design.

Despite the large number of invited guests, the Century City hotel foyer, in which the function was held, never felt over-crowded, and provided an unusual party venue, probably previously unknown to many of the guests attending.  The choice of the venue may have been motivated by the proximity of the Mercedes-Benz dealership close by.  The weather was kind to guests on arrival, allowing most to get inside without getting wet.  We were handed a paid-for parking ticket on arrival, an organised touch!

Inside the foyer, a number of  artists were performing, two of them doing interesting things with large hoops, sometimes performing movements with them separately and at times Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 21 July

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   In honour of Mandela Day last Friday, and the launch of the new DVD of the ‘Lego‘ movie, a collection of limited edition Lego figurines of local presenters, including Gareth Cliff,  Bonang Matheba (ex Metro FM), Lee-Roy Wright (SABC3 presenter), DJ Fresh (5FM), and Casper Lee (actor Spud 3) has been created.  A set of three Nelson Mandela mini Lego figurines has also been launched.

*   The few women honoured in Cape Town by means of statues is soon to become something of the past, when steel cut-outs  of such women luminaries and outspoken leaders as the late Albertina Sisulu, Miriam Makeba, Adelaide Tambo, and Nadine Gordimer are erected along the Fan Walk leading to the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point, a World Design Capital 2014 project called ‘Wonder Women’.   Architect Mokena Makeka will make up the steel statues of the women, with a positive and negative image.

*   This coming weekend the focus in Cape Town will be on Street Food, with talks at Sidestreet Studios on Saturday 27 July by Andy Continue reading →

Australian Hayden Quinn makes Capetonians proud of their beautiful and sustainable city!

Hayden Quinn Title page sunflowersIt is ironic that Australian 2011 MasterChef Finalist (and not even a winner) has become a celebrity, to such an extent that he has become the host of a 13 series SABC3 programme about sustainable eating in our country, also combining the travel highlights of the regions Hayden will visit. Beautifully filmed, with some product placement overkill, the first episode last night made one proud to be a Capetonian, and to see our beautiful city through the eyes of the guest chef! Hayden described Cape Town as the ‘tip of the iceberg‘, whilst raving about loving South Africa.

The episode begins with Hayden doing some surfing, sharing his passion for the ocean, saying it is the place at which he feels most at home.  The link to the ocean  is made, to share that he is a WWF SASSI ambassador, our local organisation that educates consumers about only ordering and buying orange-listed fish.  It explains Woolworth’s dominance in the programme, with a number of TV commercials, although none match the beautiful ads which it created for MasterChef SA in Seasons 1 and 2.  Hayden is ‘crazy about adventure’ and good food, he shared.

The start to Hayden’s food adventure was the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill, where he sampled sandwiches from The Kitchen, and samoosas from Cumin Catering.  He described it as a ‘buzzing inner-city market‘, reflecting the flavours and fresh foods of Cape Town. Continue reading →