There is only one way to get back to South Africa from South America, and that is from São Paulo in Brazil. I decided to grant myself a little rest break in Rio de Janeiro, while I was in the country, rather than visit São Paulo, at the end of a three-month trip in Cuba and in South America. I visited the top tourist attractions and restaurants in this city. Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* ‘The Bachelor’ Australia is featuring Cape Town (with Table Mountain), the Winelands, and Pilanesberg Game Reserve in the last two episodes of the dating series, in which bachelor Blake Garvey shows the final three dates the beauty of the Cape. The series has been produced by Channel Ten in Australia, in conjunction with the Australia country office of SA Tourism. The publicity shot appears to have been taken at Delaire Graff. Three complete series of ‘Der Bachelor‘ Germany have been shot in Camps Bay in the past three years.
* A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Brazil and South Africa last week, to enhance the tourism relationship between the two countries. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom visited Sao Paulo to attend the opening of the new SA Tourism office in that city, and to visit the ABAV Travel Tradeshow. Brazil is the last of the BRICS countries with which South Africa has signed such a Memorandum of Understanding. Last year tourism from South Africa grew by 8%, and from Brazil close to 6%.
* South African winemakers are getting younger, writes Wall Street Journal‘s Will Lyons, agreeing with UK wine writer Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* An increasing number of Indian TV shows and series is being filmed in countries outside of India, and South Africa is one of the countries benefiting too (see the promo for Dare2Dance, shot in Cape Town). SA Tourism Country Manager for India Hannelie Slabber said: ‘We have seen a great increase in films and television channels approaching us for associations over the last few years’. Most of the shooting has been in Gauteng, the Western Cape including the Garden Route, and KwaZulu-Natal, while the Kruger National Park is a popular film location too.
* Domaine des Dieux won the 14th Amorim Cap Classique Challenge 2014 with its Claudia Brut 2009, a Pinot Noir Chardonnay blend, for Best Brut Blend and Best Producer against 100 other Cap Classique entries. Graham Beck and Lord both took the top honours in the Blended Brut category. The former MCC producer also won Best Vintage (2009) and Best Non-Vintage Rosé. Laborie won Best Vintage Blanc de Blancs (2010), and Colmant the Best Blanc de Blanc non-Vintage category. Simonsig won the Museum Class for its Kaapse Vonkel 2004. Judging panel chairman Allan Mullins of Woolworths said that the sparkling wines showed more consistency this year, and were of a higher quality. Mullins was named the inaugural recipient of the Frans Malan Legacy Award.
* South Africa has dropped in its rank on World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Continue reading →
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Mercedes-Benz South Africa will be taken for a ride by the V&A Waterfront for the next 12 months, as a member of the V&A Waterfront Partners Programme, which comes with a number of exclusive rights to connect with the V&A’s visitors, including receiving their e-mail addresses, using their venue for events, outdoor advertising, and business to business campaigns. The V&A sees the advantage as being increased footfall, which it overclaims at 23 million per year! For Mercedes-Benz the deal is an opportunity to become ‘visualised at the V&A Waterfront to aspirational consumers‘.
* Fodor’s Travel has written a comprehensive article entitled ‘Wine Lover’s Guide to South Africa‘, praising our country for its excellent terroir suited to wine farming, and becoming ‘world-renowned’, especially our indigenous Pinotage. Linking food and wine, the Western Cape is becoming increasingly associated with food excellence too. Wine tasting in Stellenbosch is recommended, at Kanonkop, Tokara, and Waterford Estate, while Indochine, Delaire Graff Restaurant, and Jordan are recommended restaurants. In Franschhoek La Petite Ferme, Haute Cabrière, Môreson, and the unique Franschhoek Wine Tram are recommended. The Tasting Room and Bread & Wine are recommended restaurants. In Paarl KWV is recommended, with Bosman’s Restaurant, which is overpraised as ‘one of the best restaurants not only in South Africa, but in the world’ (sic)! Groot Constantia is mentioned as being the oldest wine estate, and La Colombe and The Greenhouse are recommended restaurants.
* A clever and cheeky reply to EFF Commissar Andile Mngxitama, who wrote 
to Sir Richard Branson, saying that the Continue reading →