Tag Archives: Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group

2014 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 announced at Nitida, Neil Pendock gets some of his own medicine!

FNB Sauvignon B All Top winners Whale CottageI have not been to Nitida wine estate in Durbanville in a long time, nor to its Cassia restaurant.  As the FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc awards were held at the wine estate, it was a good opportunity to revisit, and to experience the new function venue, which comfortably seated 120 guests for lunch yesterday.

Invited guests included two representatives each of the FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 20 shortlist, writers, and FNB staff as well as their clients.  Prior to the lunch, each of the 20 Sauvignon Blanc producers manned a tasting table, and provided information, making it a good opportunity to rub shoulders with other guests.   Continue reading →

Ponderous Pendock fired from Diners Club Winemaker of the Year judging panel!

Diners Club Winemaker of the YearTwice this past weekend über-nasty Neil Pendock has publicly shared that he has been fired from the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year judging panel, clearly very angry about this, and lashing out at Diners Club, its CEO Ebrahim Matthews, and its management and Board members.

One wonders how precocious Pendock can be surprised about being fired, when he:

*   has attacked the ‘Platter’s South African Wines 2014’ guide and the evaluation of wines in it ever since his services as a wine taster were no longer required.  The Guide is now owned by Diners Club.  He described the Platter’s Guide as ‘a cynical vuvuzela for fashionable wine brands‘!

*   has implied that as a director of Diners Club, Reg Lascaris’ part ownership of Boekenhoutskloof has earned its Cabernet Sauvignon a 5-star rating in the Platter’s guide.  He asks: ‘…is the Reg Lascaris/Diners Club cosy monopoly about to be challenged?’

*   wrote critically about the Diners Club gala dinner held at La Residence ten Continue reading →

‘Pendock Uncorked’ Times Live blog corked, blanked out!

Pendock Times Live Whale Cottage Portfolio‘South Africa’s leading independent drinks commentator‘ is no more, the ‘Pendock Uncorked’ blog on the Times Live (owned by the Sunday Times) platform having been blanked out, after a week long wine web war about the lowest-of- low loathed Pendock has reached in lashing out at all and sundry in the wine industry.

A week ago Pieter de Waal, (former?) Secretary of the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group, wrote a widely-distributed e-mail to explain his side of the story to counter persistent Pendock’s attacks on him re the recent FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc 2013 judging.  De Waal provided the e-mail addresses of Reuben Goldberg and Derek Abdinor at the Sunday Times, and encouraged others to write to them and to share what they think of Pendock’s wine business bashing. We must have been one of many sending them e-mails of complaint, and requesting that Pendock’s posts be removed.  Not responding to any complainants at all, the powers that be at the Sunday Times took action silently, having disallowed any new blogposts by Pendock to be added to his Times Live blog from 10 October onwards, and from yesterday onwards removing all past content of these blogposts, only retaining the first paragraph of his last ‘Pendock Uncorked’ blogpost ‘Beaverbrook of Botrivier‘, Continue reading →

Pieter vs Pendock: Plaintiff posts Publik Pendock punch!

Neil Pendock Sour GrapesThe wine industry is surprised about the repeated missives i.e. missiles from Neil Pendock, the blogging bully attacking Pieter de Waal, Secretary of the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group (SBIG), sponsor FNB, Christian Eedes as chairman of the judging panel, and the Sauvignon Blanc producers generically.  Most readers of Pendock’s raving ramblings have no idea what his fight is all about.  There is no better book title to describe this mess than the one penned by Pendock himself, appropriately entitled ‘Sour Grapes‘!

The Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group, with the material muscle of its sponsor FNB, is not allowing polemic Pendock to get away with his defamation, denigration, and  disparagement, and has taken action Continue reading →