Tag Archives: PR companies

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 17/18 December

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*    The price of petrol could drop by as much as R1.07 per litre on Wednesday 7 January, its largest drop ever, predicts the Automobile Association.  The price of diesel is expected to drop by 85 cents a litre.

*   Well-known UK wine writer and judge Jamie Goode has selected his top 10 South African wines:   Sadie Family Pofadder Cinsault 2012, Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2013, Rall White 2012, Iona Chardonnay 2013, Savage Red 2012, Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Mullineux Semillon Gris 2013, Testalonga El Bandito Skin Contact 2011, De Morgenzon DMZ Reserve Syrah 2012, Beeslar Pinotage 2012, and Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2008.

*   The Western Province Rugby Union is likely to announce today that it is not moving to the Cape Town Stadium, and that Continue reading →

Wine Blogging is alive and well, French wine blogging study shows, but embarrasses SA wine bloggers!

Wines1WineDude wine blogger Joe Roberts recently blogged about Wine Blogging, referring to the results of a 3-year study by the Burgundy School of Business, entitled ‘World Wide Wines: Digital Writing on Wine’.  The key finding of the study was that wine consumers and wine bloggers are one and the same, and that wine blogging is far from dead, Roberts writes.
Other interesting highlights about Wine Blogging from the study are:
*  the main reason for blogging by Chinese as well as American wine bloggers is sharing their passion for wine, Americans also referring to blogging as their hobby. Roberts describes bloggers as passionate wine consumers who are just more vocal about their passion digitally!
*   wine bloggers reach other bloggers and wine drinkers, bloggers’ passion for wine giving them credibility and reader interest.
*   there are an estimated 1000 wine bloggers in the USA, and about 150 in Europe.
*   only a third of wine bloggers in the USA are professional journalists, while the bulk of the balance have no wine industry job link Continue reading →

Crush! 32: greatly improved mouthwatering food & drink online magazine!

Crush! 32 cover-fin-2048When Michael Olivier first launched Crush! food and wine digital magazine three years ago, it was evident that he and his team had no experience in the design and publishing of a  magazine generally, and a digital magazine specifically.  We wrote critically about the first few issues, but no feedback was accepted nor reacted to, and Olivier appeared to have lost advertising revenue as a result, thus leaving the magazine about a year ago.  His departure appears to have rejuvenated the magazine, and it has improved vastly!

The response by Olivier and his Crush! writers David Cope (@Foodie_za) and Andy Fenner (@JamieWhoSA in those days) to our feedback about the magazine at that time was to create the Whalespotter Twitter defamation account led by Cope, and condoned by Continue reading →

Not only is Michael Olivier unethical, but he is a MasterCrib too!

Not only does Michael Olivier not declare on his blog that he is paid to write ‘reviews’ about the wines of his ‘Winery Partners’, but he also ‘writes’ blogposts about winery news that are copy-and-pasted word for word, including the headline, from media releases sent to him by the winery PR companies!

On Monday we received the following media release from De Kock Communications on behalf of their Nederburg client, announcing the wine company’s new Winemaster’s Classes, which Continue reading →