Tag Archives: Prosecco

Taste of Cape Town 2015 offers a taste of the World’s 3rd Best Food City!

Taste of Cape Town logoCape Town has just been ranked third Best Food City in the World by Condé Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards 2014.  Taste of Cape Town 2015, running at the Green Point Cricket Club until the end of today, gives locals and visitors a taste of what makes our city so special as a food destination.

Hosted for the eighth year in Cape Town, and run by food editor and stylist Justin Drake, Taste of Cape Town hasTaste of Cape Town Jutine Drake Whale Cottage settled in at the cricket club venue after venue changes in early years. Taste of Cape Town is a festive and fun way to eat and drink one’s way around one venue, showcasing not only restaurants and wine estates in Cape Town, but also those in the Winelands.

I was invited by Errieda du Toit PR to attend the Taste of Cape Town, and was joined by Continue reading →

Influential UK wine writer Jancis Robinson praises SA white wines, deserve more international attention!

Jancis Robinson Delaire GraffUK wine judge and writer Jancis Robinson spent most of this past week in the Cape Winelands, after a seven-year absence.  She spoke kindly about our industry, and offered insights into the UK and USA markets.  She wrote from Delaire Graff, where she had attended a Chenin Blanc tasting and stayed over: ‘South African wine is in full ferment. It deserves far more international attention than it is currently getting‘!

Unable to attend two public meetings addressed by Ms Robinson, I have looked for information aboutJancis Robinson her talks, admired by some, and slated by a few.

A detailed summary about Ms Robinson’s (with her husband Nick Lander) talk at #RootstockSA, held at Alleé Bleue, was written by Judy Bouwer of wine.co.za.   Key points she summarised were:

*   SA wine estates should target UK restaurants, which have far more reasonable mark-ups.  Young British people spend their money on food and wine, not being able to afford to buy Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 16 January

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Google has announced that it will launch driverless automatic cars in five years from now.  The company is working with American authorities to test the safety of these cars.

*   The SA economy could grow by 2,1% this year, a better growth rate than that of 2014, with lower oil prices, higher consumer spend, fewer strikes, lower inflation rate, and a small interest rate hike later this year.  Barclays Africa economist Peter Worthington says that the growth rate could be even higher, were it not for Eskom’s loadshedding!

*   Food prices could fall this year due to the decreasing oil and therefore fuel price, reducing inflation, but not by much, it is Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 14 November

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine new headlines

*   KWV has launched Earth’s Essence Pinotage, with the claim that it is the ‘healthiest wine in the world‘, made with Rooibos bark.  No sulphur dioxide has been added in making the wine, and wooden staves made from the bark of rooibos and honeybush plants, having natural anti-oxidant properties, are used.  KWV chose to use the staves in the production of Pinotage, both Rooibos and the wine varietal having an iconic South African heritage.  The wine should do particularly well in the Scandinavian countries, where organic, sulphur-free or Faitrade wines are high in demand.

*   The massive ‘Perceiving Freedom‘ sunglass frame artwork on the Sea Point Promenade has received heavy criticism as being opportunistic and nothing but commercial exploitation for Ray-Ban, sponsors of the installation.   It is also criticised for its cost of R170000, paid for by City of Cape Town ratepayers!   The City says that its Outdoor Signage by-law is not contravened, as the work carries no branding.  The artwork is dedicated to the memory of the late Nelson Mandela, and faces Robben Island. It is a World Design Capital 2014 approved project.

*   Sales of Prosecco are popping through the roof in the UK, almost tripling in the super-premium category, and increasing Continue reading →