Food & wine pairing with Joubert-Tradauw Private Cellar 17 December 2011
Itinerary for the day:
Saturday 1pm:
Lunch
Lunch starts under the veranda: food and wine pairing of Joubert-Tradauw’s newly released wines with an al fresco deli lunch.
R280 per person (only 100 people – price includes food/wine pairing and the 6pm show)
Saturday 6pm:
Heather Mac and the Brills performing in the Klankhuijs62.
R100 per person (show only price)
Children u/15 free
Notes
Joubert-Tradauw wines and picnic produce for sale in the cellar, no wine-tasting.
Book your own table for family and friends (Book for 10, get one free)! only 100 people can be accommodated, and let Beate know at beate@joubert-tradauw.co.za.
Guests bringing tents to the farm at venue are welcome in a beautiful setting, limited facilities; for all other accommodation needs: call 028 572 1572
For any queries: send us an email with your question to beate@joubert-tradauw.co.za.
More info at www.unplugged62.co.za
Competition
This event coincides with a great little competition where you can win some excellent prizes. All you need to do is LIKE Joubert-Tradauw Private Cellar on Facebook and share THIS EVENT on your wall. Winners will be announced at the show on the 17th of December.
Prizes
- First prize is a weekend for 2 in the Joubert-Tradauw farm cottage, valid for 6 months, plus a box of Unplugged62 Red (6 bottles).
- Second prize is a box (6 bottles) of Joubert-Tradauw Sauvignon Blanc.
- Third prize is a box (6 bottles) of Joubert-Tradauw Rosé.
Win a weekend for 4 to the Winelands with Doolhof Wine Estate
The superb Doolhof Wine Estate, near Wellington, Western Cape invites the public to participate in a fun, new promotion that runs concurrently with its latest wine release, Lady in Red.
The competition held between 1 September and 31 October 2010, offers one lucky winner the opportunity to enjoy the magnificence of this ultra-premium wine estate with his or her partner plus two friends. They will be flown Club (business class) by British Airways (operated by Comair Limited) from either Johannesburg or Durban, for a two-night weekend stay in the five star Grand Dédale Country House on Doolhof. The prize is worth more than R44,000 – an all-expenses paid Cape Winelands experience!
All you need to do is to answer several easy questions and provide us with the names of three of your friends by the 31 October 2010.
Doolhof, the Afrikaans word for labyrinth, is located near the picturesque town of Wellington under Bain’s Kloof Pass. Settled since the early 18th century, this historic estate has been carefully restored and modernised, to which its multiple award winning wines and delighted visitors bear testimony.
Two Doolhof wines, Dark Lady of the Labyrinth and Lady in Red, will be on promotion bearing competition necktags, in national retail outlets for the next few months. The wines will retail at approximately R70 per bottle.
Lady in Red is a warm, rich Bordeaux-styled wine, seductive and elegant, whilst Dark Lady, is a sublime coffee/mocha Pinotage, that has already achieved nation-wide distribution and a fan following, since its launch in May 2009.
Enter today and stand the chance of enjoying a revitalising weekend on this beautiful Cape wine estate with all modern comforts, as well as outstanding wines, cuisine and service.
Will SA’s Wine Sales Cup Run Over After World Cup?
The final whistle for the last match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament here in South Africa is just days from being blown, but the country’s wine industry hopes to score some major goals in the international community for a long time to come.
Supermarket.co.za reports that local wine makers are hoping that the country’s profile, newly raised due to all the positive global coverage it has received for successfully hosting the biggest sporting event in the world, will spill over to the global market and lead to an increase in South African wine sales internationally. (more…)
SA launches world’s first crowd-sourced, social wine brand
Cape Town, South Africa, [24/05/2010]: The world’s first crowd-sourced wine brand has been launched via social media from Cape-based collaboration Wine4Us.
Strictly available via the web portal www.wine4us.co.za, the wine features labels that are created by online submission and popular vote. The incentives are simple: each winning photo becomes a wine label, and wins for its owner a case of fruity, easy-drinking wine.
SA’s Eco Friendly Wine Bottles To Get Green Seal Of Approval
In the near future, all South African wine consumers will know when they purchase a bottle of wine that has been produced in an environmentally sustainable way.
This is because the Wine and Spirits Board has issued a new green seal that will only appear on the bottled wines of those wineries who voluntarily comply with sustainability guidelines laid down by the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) scheme.
In order to determine which bottles will receive the seals, a sophisticated tracking system will monitor every stage in the wine production at farm, cellar and bottling level, with special attention given to aspects of wine farming such as integrated pest control, worker health, the preservation of biodiversity and greenhouse gas production.
The programme will start with the 2010 harvest, and since the green seal will only appear on wine bottled in South Africa, it could entice producers to have their wines bottled locally instead of having it done abroad.
Through The Grapevine March 2010
We may not always beat them at rugby, but South Africa has just beaten France at something that is bound to badly bruise French egos.
For the first time in history, sales of South African wines have surpassed that of French wine in the United Kingdom.
According to figures released by market analysts AC Nielsen, the volume of South African wine sales spiked by 20% from January 2009 to January 2010. This translates to 12 270 000 nine-litre cases.
At the same time, French wine sales declined by 12% to 12 266 000, nine-litre cases.
This growth means that South Africa is now the fourth largest wine selling country in the UK.
“This is a momentous occasion for the South African wine industry, which is relatively young in terms of the global export market,” Jo Mason, Wines of South Africa UK market manager says.
“In 1994 our producers wouldn’t have dreamed of selling more wine to the UK than France, but now the wine landscape has changed completely.”
Hopefully this victory will spill over to our rugby and soccer matches too…
Ommiberg ‘Round the Rock 2010′ Wine Festival
Ommiberg 'Round the Rock 2010'
OmmiBerg ‘Round the Rock 2010’ hits the Paarl Wine Route on Saturday March 13th. A unique opportunity to taste the first of the 2010 vintage across the route – unfiltered and straight from the tank in the middle of harvest time – the event pairs the wines with creative adaptations of the traditional onion tart; along with other unusual gourmet offerings.
The tradition of the onion tart originated in Germany where cellars seasonally closed to the public threw their doors open to taste the young wines complimented by Zwiebelkuchen, or onion cake. This basic yet tasty indulgence took a proudly South African twist with adaptions such as the onion samoosa.
OmmiBerg offers guests the unique opportunity to test their wine making talents starting with grape picking and tractor rides in the vineyards, to grape stomping, fermentation demo’s and blending of their own wines.
A wealth of children’s activities offers families an alternative to the Cape Argus event, which takes place the same weekend. These include, amongst others, pony rides, slip-n-slides, tractor and trailer rides, a petting zoo, jumping castles and rides on an original goat wagon; while cooking demonstrations, art exhibitions, glass blowing and a vinotherapy foot message entertain moms. Traditional harvest activities, such as cellar tours, grape stomping and grape tastings will keep dads occupied; while the young at heart zip around the Paarl Rock in a Cessna or Helicopter; or chill to the tunes of Zinkplaat, Pieter Smith, CODA and other live bands. Families can take a guided tour up the Taalmonument, have a picnic and stargaze into the night.
Tickets cost R50 per person over 18 years, which includes a stylish tasting glass, and can be purchased at the first port of call on the day. Visit www.ommiberg.co.za for a list of participating wineries and program or visit the Facebook Event Page to RSVP!
Recession Dries Up Local Wine Sales, Boosts Exports
In the 12 months preceding October 2009, South Africans have put a cork in their local wine and brandy consumption.
But according to the South African Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS), despite the local slump in domestic wine buying – down by 5.7% (295 million litres) with brandy sales down 8.8% from the same period of the previous year – it has not been an entirely dry season for the local wine industry. Although bulk wine exports were reportedly down a whopping 20%, exports of packaged wine went up by 9.4% during the same period. (more…)
Through the Grapevine – August 2009
Passport Will Unlock Winelands’ Cellar Doors
Wine and brandy lovers lucky enough to live near or visit South Africa’s spectacular winelands – sprawled across and nestled among the mountains, hills and valleys of the Western Cape Province – can now buy a passport to gain access to many of the area’s finest wine cellars. And when we say “buy a passport”, we’re not referring to the corrupt African rite of bribing a government official with money to illegally obtain a travel document. (more…)
Through the Grapevine – June 2009
Wailing, Whingeing and Wine
To anyone who has ever thought that whales and wine are vastly unrelated – except perhaps to say that drinking wine always ensures that a whale of a good time is had by all – a US-based conservation organisation has somehow made a connection which they hope would have extremely negative repercussions on the South African wine industry.
Canadian Paul Watson, the notorious and fervent environmentalist and animal rights activist who heads up the Washington state-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) from the helm of his eco warrior ship, has pleaded with the global public to boycott South African wine. His extreme call was prompted by the shooting earlier this month of more than 40 beached whales near Cape Town. The whales were euthanised as an absolute last resort after extensive, lengthy attempts to rescue them failed.
To make matters even more absurd, Paul has also issued a demand for local winemakers to band together and to somehow force the resignation or sacking of Mike Meyer. Mike, the director of South Africa’s Marine Coastal Management (MCM), apparently authorised the euthanisation of the whales.
Winemakers have greeted news of Paul and his ridiculous ban with outrage and disbelief. They justifiably want to know exactly how the killing of the beached whales is related to them and the wine industry.
Ironically, the South African wine industry has in past years made strides to adopt and adhere to greener and eco-friendlier guidelines. Earlier this year, Wines of South Africa (WOSA) even made it to fifth place on the 2009 Green List of the 50 most influential drinks companies, individuals and organisations that have “a strong environmental influence over many consumers”.
According to Decanter Magazine, one of the main missions of Paul and his CCSC is to stop illegal whaling. The society is especially fond of targeting Japanese whalers and Paul is notorious for his radical beliefs (such as that only those people who are “completely dedicated to the responsibility” of caring for the biosphere should have children) and for his encouragement of environmentalists to follow ‘monkeywrenching’ – which are tactics of sabotage, covert activity, and direct action – to get their point across.
Several respected industry experts, including wine industry commentator Michael Fridjhon, called Paul and the CCSC’s call for a boycott ‘outrageous’. “As I understand it they tried several times to get the whales back into the water but were unsuccessful. What were they supposed to do? Leave them to die in agony on the beach?” He also pointed out that the local wine industry has “impeccable credentials from a conservation point of view.”
After first denying the boycott, South Africa’s representative for CCSC, Herbert Henrich of Franschhoek later appeared in a televised debate about the issue, and responded to questions about why SSCS themselves didn’t get involved in the rescue of the whales. Wine.co.za cites him as saying that there were no protocols or equipment in place to ensure success of the rescue. “SSCS did not want to be part of a failed rescue where people could point fingers at SSCS and say they had stood by and done nothing.”
His words still don’t make it any clearer why exactly the SSCS, after their own deliberate inaction in the rescue attempt of the whales, decided to now point fingers at the wholly unrelated wine industry.
Ross Sleet, a winemaker at a well-known Stellenbosch winery, viewed the incident through rosé tinted glasses, but did say that it should be regarded as a warning of how quickly the industry could be threatened by unrelated events. He told Decanter: “I suppose it shows we are one of the most visible South African exports. Touch wood it hasn’t hurt sales…”
And hopefully it won’t!
Luckily not all the news this month smacks of sour grapes. A young Sommelier from the Western Cape has won the Chaîne de Rôtisseurs’ Jeunes Regional Sommeliers competition. Mortimer Bester (24) from Knysna, will represent South Africa at the finals in the United Kingdom this September.
Mortimer, who had never even tasted wine before beginning to work as a waiter at a well-known resort in Knysna in 2005, has clearly developed a taste for the industry. A quick study, he rose through the ranks and was promoted to Sommelier in 2007. His well-honed skill and talent also earned him the title of Best Wine Steward in South Africa during last year’s Diners Club International Wine List national awards.
Here’s to Mortimer for infusing this month with a touch of much-needed sweetness!