Tag Archives: MCC

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 23 January

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   British wine writer Jancis Robinson has ended her visit to the Cape Winelands this week, and writes that she has been ‘hugely impressed by the quality of the wines of the best producers and by the much broader range of wine styles and provenances than there was on my last visit’ seven years ago. She described our country as the ‘wonderful source of underpriced fine white wine.  It has taken longer for red wines to please this finicky international palate‘.  Our industry does not need to be defined by our indigenous Pinotage, she feels.

*   Could Cape Town/South Africa/Africa get a Grand Prix again, after more than 20 years?   Bernie Ecclestone has speculated that such a race could be possible by next year.  As Killarney is not suitable, it would have to be a street race in Cape Town. This proposal was however rejected by City of Cape Town’s Directorate of Tourism, Events, and Marketing in 2013, due to the cost.

*   Roger Jones, owner of Michelin star restaurant Harrow at Little Bedwyn in the UK, has just returned from a trip to our country. Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 4 December

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The Bartho Eksteen Sauvignon Blanc Celebration held in Hermanus recently selected ‘the 10 best of the best’ Sauvignon Blancs locally over the past 22 years, and then compared them to 10 top Sauvignon Blancs from other countries.  The winning Sauvignon Blanc was judged to be Fryer’s Cove Bamboes Bay, 2013, followed by Diemersdal MM Louw 2013, Palliser Estate 2012 from New Zealand, Dog Point 2008 from New Zealand, and Von Winning 1 2011 from Germany. (received via media release from the Bartho Eksteen Wijnskool)

*   Uber supports the Department of Transport’s Festive Season Road Safety campaign, it says in a media statement.  The campaign makes road safety everyone’s responsibility, to enhance law enforcement, and to increase road traffic safety awareness. Uber GM Alon Lits said: ‘Uber fully supports government’s road safety Continue reading →

Delaire Graff Sunrise Brut MCC a new unique and dazzling sparkling gem!

DG Sunrise Whale CottageOn Friday last week we were invited to attend the launch of Delaire Graff’s new Crémant de Loire blend MCC, unique in that it is Chenin Blanc driven, and a unique blend with Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc grapes.  The new MCC is named after the ‘118.08 carat Delaire Sunrise Diamond, the largest square emerald cut  fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world‘, in reflecting the colour of the yellow diamond.

Winemaker Morné Vrey introduced the MCC to us, saying that in the seven years that he has been at Delaire Graff, he knew the day would come that he would be asked to make an MCC.   He wanted to make something different, so traveled to the Loire valley, the making of the MCC being ‘a learning curve for him‘, he said.   Given Delaire Graff’s strong Loire-style wine DG Sunrise Morne Vrey Whale Cottageportfolio, he decided to make the Chenin-dominant (58%) MCC, with 34% Chardonnay and 8% Cabernet Franc.  The Chenin Blanc grapes came from 20 year old Stellenbosch bush vine, while the Chardonnay grapes came from Elgin, and the Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch. It spent 15 months on the lees. Residual sugar is 5,9 g/liter.

The first Sunrise was bottled last year, but the MCC will be sold NV (Non Vintage).  The MCC will only be sold at Delaire Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 26 September

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Cape Town’s biggest sporting event, the Cape Argus Cycle Tour, has been renamed the Cape Town Cycle Tour for 2015.  Entries for the Cycle Tour open today.

*   Infamous Irish chef and now restaurant consultant Conrad Gallagher, who left Cape Town under a cloud of debt, has set up shop in the Mother City again.  His website proudly brags about the restaurants to which he consults (a photograph he uses on his website is taken in chef’s uniform at the Table Bay Hotel).

*   Ajax Cape Town will make the Cape Town Stadium its new home ground for the next three soccer seasons, after a deal with the City of Cape Town, which was approved yesterday.  Councillor Garreth Bloor, Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events, and Marketing, said the deal was part of the City’s goal to build Continue reading →