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Wow, what a relief to
have finished another successful
Stellenbosch Wine Festival! Bumper
attendance and record wine sales in
excess of R400 000 herald the 6th
Stellenbosch Wine Festival which took
place from 31 July to 3 August 2008.
Despite heavy
downpours on the first two days of the
festival, the weekend was everything but
a washout with over 12 500 people
attending over the four days, the same
number as last year.
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Wine sales
soared by R100 000 over last
year’s record of R300 000 with
more than 500 wines on offer
from 100 wineries, all members
of the Stellenbosch American
Express® Wine Routes.
The festival
also made a difference this year
in terms of raising funds for
the Clover Mama Afrika project
that assists women to generate
income and look after abused,
abandoned, orphaned and HIV
affected children as well as the
elderly in their respective
communities. All the proceeds,
some R33 000, of the star
studded entertainment in the
Clover Festival Café was donated
to this empowerment initiative.
The festival
also took massive strides
towards minimising its carbon
footprint this year with
practically every scrap of waste
either turned into compost or
collected for recycling with the
help of Close the Loop, a local
company specialising in organic
waste and local entrepreneurs in
Kayamandi.
We are
delighted that even the
inclement weather could not keep
wine lovers away from tasting
the wonderful wines from our
Stellenbosch producers and that
people did not only taste the
wines but also purchased wine
from our festival shop. |
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The festival which
attracted both local, up-country and
overseas visitors again this year,
managed to reach the full spectrum of
wine consumers from the connoisseur to
the occasional drinker across all age
profiles over the four days of the
festival by dedicating different events
to different target markets. Wine
workshops, a food demonstration kitchen
and top notch entertainers ensured
plenty of variety to suit all tastes.
Our Connoisseur
Evening on the Thursday created a
relaxed environment for the wine
enthusiast to interact with the
winemakers at the festival, while
families with children could enjoy the
family oriented activities on the
Sunday. Saturday was the most festive
with a bumper attendance of over 7 000
people, largely representing the younger
wine drinking culture.
With the excellent
turnover in wine sales, the Stellenbosch
Wine Festival has become a successful
business venture as well as promoting a
wine culture amongst loyal festival
visitors who represent a cross section
of consumers who are keen to learn more
about wine. |
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Talking
about wine festivals - wine
lovers should not miss out on
the inaugural Rola Motor Group “Foot
of the Helderberg Festival”
which takes place along the R44
between Stellenbosch and
Somerset West from Friday 10
October to Sunday 12 October.
Twenty of
Stellenbosch’s top wineries are
participating in the festival
which takes the form of
tailor-made events and
programmes at each of the
wineries. In addition lots of
fun activities like the
“Os-innie-Bos” party on Friday
evening with Hempies du Toit at
Annandale Wines, a golf day at
Stellenbosch Golf Course, a
Family Fun Festival at Somerset
College on Saturday, a mountain
bike race and the Foot of the
Helderberg Walk for the more
sporty types and “Music under
the Oaks” at Eikendal Vineyards
on Sunday afternoon, will
entertain the crowds.
Tickets
cost R50 each and can be
purchased at any of the
participating wineries. Funds
raised will be donated to Round
Table, Somerset West. |
For the
full programme check out the
website
www.thewesterncape.co.za.
Participating
wineries are: Dornier, Blaauwklippen,
Stellenzicht, Kleine Zalze Wines,
Annandale, Alto Estate, Bilton, Rust &
Vrede, Ernie Els Wines, Guardian Peak,
Hidden Valley Wines, Uva Mira Vineyards,
Eikendal Vineyards, Somerbosch,
Longridge, Ken Forrester Wines,
Grangehurst, Peter Falke Wines,
Webersburg Wines and Avontuur Estate.
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The results of the 2008
ABSA Top 10 Pinotage Competition has been
released, and this year showcase Pinotage
masters who have in the past twelve years
proved their expertise with many Top 10
winners, with some making a glorious return.
2008 Absa Top 10 Pinotage
wines (in alphabetical order): Anura
Pinotage 2007, Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage
2006 (Stellenbosch), Beyerskloof Reserve
Pinotage 2006 (Stellenbosch), Cloof Pinotage
2005, DeWaal Top of the Hill Pinotage 2006
(Stellenbosch), Fairview Primo Pinotage
2007, Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2004,
Simonsig Red Hill Pinotage 2006
(Stellenbosch), Stellenzicht Cellarmaster’s
Release Pinotage 2005 (Stellenbosch) and
Tukulu Pinotage 2006. Well done to all our
members, who have once again made us proud!
The
2008 Absa Top 10 Pinotage winners. In front
from left are Guy Webber (Stellenzicht),
Robert Emslie (Absa), Pierre Wahl (Rijk's)
and Lance Bouma (Anura).
Behind from left are Samuel Viljoen (Tukulu),
Christopher van Dieren (Cloof), Beyers
Truter (Beyerskloof), Debbie Thompson (Simonsig),
Daniel de Waal (DeWaal) and Erlank Erasmus
(Fairview)
Presentation packages of
the 2008 Absa Top 10 Pinotage wines will
soon be available for sale from
Wine-of-the-Month-Club. Call (021) 657-8100
or email
wineclub@wineofthemonth.co.za. For full
results, visit
www.pinotage.co.za |
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Blaauwklippen
is one of the oldest working
farms in South Africa, boasting
more than 325 years of history.
The farm is also a pioneer when
it comes to the making of
Zinfandel. To celebrate the
release of their second vintage
2008 White Zinfandel and to pay
tribute to beautiful and
desirable objects from the past,
they will be hosting a Vintage
Fair on the 4th and 5th of
October.
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The
Fair will be a festive fusion of
traditional Cape and German
cultures. Blaauwklippen workers will
also use the fair as a platform to
sell their handmade crafts. Some of
these items include wire cars,
swings, bead work, wooden crosses,
wreaths, and much more!
Activities at the farm during the
fair will include: Coach rides,
antique carriage exhibition,
traditional Paulaner Beer Garden,
exhibition of yesteryear artisan
talents of a farrier and black
smith, activities for children, live
music, special wine tastings at the
wine centre, traditional menu at the
Blaauwklippen restaurant, antique
and collectables fair in the Manor
House, as well as an exhibition of
vintage cars. |
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ENTRANCE: R10
per car, proceeds will go
towards establishing an
aftercare facility for school
going children to complement the
existing crčche.
For more information, visit
www.blaauwklippen.com, or
call (021) 880-0133. |
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Stand
a chance to win fabulous
prizes from Stellenbosch by
simply completing our latest
survey. Click
HERE to enter!
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Prizes up for grabs :
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One night’s accommodation
for 2 people sharing at
L’Avenir Country Lodge,
breakfast included. Subject
to availability. |
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One 6 bottle mixed case of
red wine from Groenland. |
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Dinner and wine tasting for
2 people at Wijnhuis
Restaurant. Subject to
availability. |
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September is a busy month in my office.
Stellenbosch Wine Routes will be attending
the following wine shows and auctions :
5 & 6 September – Standard Bank Soweto Wine
Festival
10-12 September – WineX Cape Town
19-20 September – Nederburg Auction
23-25 September – Cape Wine 2008
27 September – Cape Wine Makers Guild
Auction |
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I hope to see you at one of these
events.
Until then!
Annareth Jacobs
CEO Stellenbosch American Express®
Wine Routes
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