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Planning a wedding is
not for the faint at heart. I can speak
from experience, since I am in the
process of planning my November wedding.
The challenge is to fit the planning
into one’s busy work schedule, while
being spoilt for choice living in
Stellenbosch.
Bridal couples from
around the globe are flocking to the
Cape winelands to celebrate their
special day, with an estimated R120
million being spent by bridal parties in
the region in the past year. Top-end
wedding co-coordinators attribute this
growth to the success of the winelands
becoming a truly outstanding wedding
destination and to the South African
industry pushing the boundaries of
wedding trends to create world-class
experiences.
Premium wedding
co-ordination company Wedding Concepts
hosted over 20 international couples and
1000 international guests in the Cape
last season alone. The bridal parties
travelled from the United Kingdom,
Europe, the United States, the Far East
and Australia.
According to
Christina Holt, managing director of
Wedding Concepts, the average number of
guests at an international winelands
wedding is 100 with bridal parties
spending between one to two nights in
the winelands, during a 10 to 14 day
stay in South Africa.
The winelands also
offers a wedding and honeymoon
destination in one and the chance for
quality holiday time with family and
friends playing golf, hiking up
mountains, enjoying a day at a spa,
visiting restaurants and of course
tasting wines and exploring the wine
routes and cultural spots.
Apart from the scenic
beauty of a wedding set against
vineyards, couples are attracted to the
Cape winelands because the venues are
willing to offer exclusive-use of the
grounds and accommodation. An increasing
number of wine estates are gearing
themselves for the big budget,
destination wedding market by offering
wedding packages that include
accommodation for 10 to 20 guests,
“Having a wedding on a wine estate
ensures that the day is yours,” says
Holt. “There are no outside factors that
detract from the day such as other hotel
guests, a time limit, or even another
wedding. In essence it’s the most
private and exclusive experience one can
get.”
Click
HERE for a list of wedding venues in
Stellenbosch, or visit
www.weddingconcepts.co.za |
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This month
I would like to welcome a new
member to the Stellenbosch
American Express® Wine Routes.
Peter Falke Wines is
situated on the slopes of the
Helderberg Mountains, on the
Annandale Road.
The winery
is owned and managed by the
Peter Falke family since 1995,
and they have just opened their
tasting room to the public.
Their signature range consists
of a Sauvignon Blanc and a
Cabernet Sauvignon. The Peter
Falke range focuses on sociable
charm, with a Sauvignon Blanc, a
Blanc de Noir and a Cabernet
Sauvignon. For more information,
phone 021 881-3677, or visit
www.peterfalkewines.co.za
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At last, a
dedicated Afrikaans wine website has
seen the light -
www.wynSA.co.za Stellenbosch
Wine Routes is proud to be the main
sponsor for this informative portal.
Visit the site for the latest wine
news, interesting articles, an
Afrikaans wine dictionary and many
more. You can even sign up to
receive the weekly newsletter. Uit
die boonste rakke! |
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This time of
year, most of our winemakers are
on hunting trips, returning with
biltong and wild camp-fire
stories. All of them claim to
make the best biltong, and that
is why the Stellenbosch
Hills/Agrimark Biltongmaker of
the Year Competition is such
a brilliant idea.
“Stellenbosch Hills was the
first cellar to combine these
proudly South African delicacies
with our cellar door Wine and
Biltong Taste Adventure. These
days the art of biltong making
is as specialised as the art of
making wine. Our aim was to
create an annual competition
that would combine two of South
Africa’s most popular products -
biltong and wine.” says PG
Slabbert, head wine maker and
general manager at Stellenbosch
Hills.
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Each year a
different Stellenbosch Hills wine
will be selected to serve as
inspiration for the entrants. The
winner’s biltong must complement the
chosen wine. This years choice is
Merlot, and prizes of R25 000 are up
for grabs. Potential entrants can
order the entry packs form
Stellenbosch Hills at a cost of
R100. This fee includes the entry
form, a bottle of Stellenbosch Hills
Merlot and delivery charges. The
closing date for entries is Monday
22 September, by which time 1.5kg of
biltong must be delivered to the
winery for the judging process.
For any further
information, contact the cellar on
021 881-3828 or visit
www.stellenbosch-hills.co.za. |
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At the
recent awards ceremony for the
inaugural Financial Mail Wine
Business Awards, held at
Gallagher Estate, Midrand, I was
awarded Brand Manager of the
Year. I believe that I have the
best job in the world – it is a
privilege to live, work and play
in Stellenbosch.
Awards
convenors John Woodward (of
Frogitt & Vonkel Private Wine
Merchants & founder of the
Jo'burg Wine Show) and Delarey
Brugman (owner of Alluvia Wine
Estate) were unanimous that the
awards definitely met their
initial goal. "The rationale
behind the awards was to shift
the industry's focus away from
the content in the bottle and
instead concentrate on the
contributions of those role
players throughout the value
chain. We felt that is was
important to acknowledge the
unsung heroes of the industry,"
mentions Woodward.
Bruce Jack of
Flagstone and Constellation was named
Personality of the Year in recognition
of his dynamic and vocal impact on
changing the traditional face of the
wine industry through his corporate deal
with Constellation. Jack has caused
quite a stir in the industry, first with
his innovative virtual winery approach
at Flagstone and then for the remarkable
deal he brokered with global wine
powerhouse Constellation, which included
selling Flagstone to the corporate giant
and agreeing to head up Kumala.
Kobus
Basson (Kleine Zalze), Carolyn Barton (Makro),
Annareth Jacobs (Stellenbosch American
Express® Wine Routes, Alan Pick (The
Butcher Shop & Grill, Sandton)
Stellenbosch based
champagne importer Inke Gouws was
crowned Young Achiever for her
contribution to the growth of the niche
champagnes in the country. In the
marketing category, agency Jack Russell
Design made quite an impression walking
off with both Best Trade Campaign and
Best Consumer Campaign awards for
Lourensford and Avondale respectively.
In the Design & Packaging category,
Lourensford Honey Liqueur continued
raking in the design accolades for its
sophistication through simplicity.
The award for the
Best Launch went to the Company of Wine
People for the launch of their Welmoed
4-pack. The judges found that this made
good strides into difficult, but key
markets. The clear and tangible impact
that this launch delivered with an
immediate 63% increase in sales clinched
the award for them. Kleine Zalze cleaned
up in the Business Awards division by
receiving the nod from the judges for
both the Wine Company of the Year and
Export Star categories for their
aggressive growth figures. In terms of
logistics, the award went to Vineyard
Connection, while retail giant Makro was
selected as Retailer of the Year and
Winesense received the Independent
Retailer award.
The Winery of Good
Hope achieved the honours for the
Sustainable BEE Deal of the Year for
their Good Hope's Land of Hope Trust
initiative, which impressed the judges
with its significant empowerment
construction. The trust was structured
around sustainability that started with
previously disadvantaged people in the
vineyards, but is set to have a
widespread impact on these families for
generations to come.
For the final
results, visit
www.winebusinessawards.co.za.
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In the largest combined
community drive between the winelands towns
of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek to date,
various sectors of the local community
joined forces to launch the Greater
Stellenbosch-Franschhoek 2010 World Cup
Marketing Campaign at Boschendal Wine
Estate on 20 June 2008. According to Peter
Swartz, Executive Mayor of the Stellenbosch
Municipality which includes Franschhoek,
Pniel and Kylemore, the 2010 FIFA World Cup
tournament offers the region a unique
opportunity of providing a unilateral
community action with far-reaching benefits
for all.
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“We have
heard, at length, about the
millions of visitors expected in
South Africa during 2010, the
billions of television viewers
and the millions of euros,
dollars and other currencies
people plan to spend during
soccer’s greatest showcase,”
Mayor Swartz said.
“It is, however,
not all just there for the taking. A
tremendous cohesive community effort
throughout the
Stellenbosch-Franschhoek region is
required to capitalize on the
opportunities of the 2010 World Cup,
as well as to ensure that the
tournament’s effect on the community
last far longer than the one month
of soccer.” |
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According to Gugu Ntuli
from the Stellenbosch-Franschhoek Steering
Committee, one of the major aims is for the
region to be selected as a base camp for one
of the 32 teams participating in the 2010
FIFA World Cup. “We know we have everything
a participating team and its supporters
could desire,” said Ms Ntuli. “There are the
world-class sporting facilities in
Stellenbosch, excellent accommodation in
both Franschhoek and Stellenbosch and close
proximity to the airport and Cape Town,
where many of the matches are to be played.
A team that has chosen your region as a
base-camp travels with up to 30 000 fans who
literally become ambassadors for your area
as a tourist destination. What’s more, up to
1000 journalists could follow the team that
are staying in your area, adding to the
numbers of potential visitors. These
journalists send back daily reports to their
country of origin, and if
Stellenbosch-Franschhoek features in this
reporting, this serves as a continual
advertisement for the region, with massive
long-term tourism benefits and contributions
to local economic and social development.”
The
Franschhoek-Stellenbosch 2010 Campaign plans
to secure involvement from big business in
the area to drive business opportunities by
sponsoring, donating and providing goods and
services. “It is important to stress that
the region’s 2010 Campaign will be driven
with a flat management structure
incorporating community involvement, as well
as those from academic, tourism and business
institutions.” Despite the excitement for
2010 and the tournament itself, it is of
vital importance that the
Stellenbosch-Franschhoek Campaign leaves a
long-term legacy to the benefit of the whole
community. Therefore the following objective
for a long-term legacy have been identified:
to create a Stellenbosch Soccer Academy, a
soccer team to compete on Vodacom level and
above; to see more Stellenbosch-Franschhoek
youth employed as a result of 2010; to
promote cultural and racial cohesion in the
region through sport and football
development; to see more youth further their
education and to see more entrepreneurs
emerging from the local communities.” The
date for the Stellenbosch Wine Festival has
also been confirmed for 1-5 July 2010, to
coincide with the semi-final in Cape Town.
Visit
www.stellenbosch2010.co.za for more
information. |
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Ticket sales for the
sixth annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival (31
July to 3 August) is now open at
www.computicket.co.za.
During the Wine Week various wine
farms – all featured at this year’s festival
- will host their own exciting events for
young and old to come and enjoy.
Some of the Wine
Week highlights include:
Friday, 25 July:
19h00 - Enjoy an evening at Delheim with
a performance by "The Mystic Trio” featuring
Valiant Swart, Ollie Viljoen and Peter
Mitchel. Tickets cost R280 p/p – all in aid
of Stellenbosch Child Welfare. Price
includes dinner, wine and show. Maximum of
200 people – booking essential. Tel: 021 888-4600
Saturday, 26 July:
11h00 - Donkey-Winetasting-Walk on
Polkadraai Hills. Enjoy a memorable wine
tasting of a different kind. Start off with
a walk over the Polkadraai Hills, be amazed
by the beautiful flowers and scenery and
become friends with Poppy and Glory, the 2
donkeys, who will carry your bags, the wines
and the finger food. With the 5km walk
through the vineyards, a little fitness and
comfortable shoes are required. At the end
of the walk and at a special selected spot,
visitors will be treated to fine Polkadraai
Hills wines and finger food. The way back to
the starting point is a mere 10 min walk.
R50 p/p and booking essential. Contact
Ingrid Bein on 021 881-3025 for more
information.
Tuesday, 29 July:
19h00 - Meet Maria le Roux (winemaker at Eaglevlei) & Neil Hawkins (winemaker at
Hoopenburg) at Eaglevlei for an
unforgettable evening. Together with top
chef, Herbie van Schalkwyk (The Vineyard
Kitchen at Eaglevlei), they will tantalise
your tastebuds with exceptional wines and
mouthwatering dishes. Booking essential -
contact Marie at 021 884-4713 for more
information.
Wednesday, 30 July:
10h30 - Wine and Cheese Experience / Wyne &
Kase in Glase. Johan Malan of Simonsig
presents an international cheese tasting
with the perfect wines to match. R250 p/p.
Booking essential - contact Maureen Basson
at 021 888-4915.
Wednesday, 30 July:
19h00 - Come meet Ken Forrester at his
popular 96 Winery Road restaurant. Enjoy a
five-course dinner matched to five Chenin blancs. Learn more about what inspires this
renowned wine personality in this
award-winning, Cape country restaurant
situated in the heart of the Helderberg
winelands. For bookings, contact Lisa on 021
855-2374.
Thursday, 31 July:
From 12h00 - Dornier, the creators of Farm
Cuisine and fine wines invite you for a
three-course wine pairing lunch at the
famous Bodega Restaurant in the ragged folds
of the Stellenbosch Mountains. R180 per
person and booking essential. For more
information contact 021 880-0557.
Saturday, 2 August:
10h00 - Devon Valley Vintners Wine Safari.
The safari trip includes stops at Sylvanvale
Vineyards, Stonehill Wines, Clos Malverne,
Stellekaya and Middelvlei where guests will
taste wines served with tapas. R180 p/p.
Booking essential - contact Althea: 021 883-2565.
Sunday, 3 August:
11h00 - Morgenhof Blending Experience: Come
and make your own wine at Morgenhof followed
by a delicious hearty winter lunch (two
courses). R200 p/p, maximum 20 people. For
more information contact Esmaralda on 021
889-5510.
For more
information, click
HERE.
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We look forward to welcoming you to
Stellenbosch for quality wines ...
quality times.
Until then!
Annareth Jacobs
CEO Stellenbosch American Express®
Wine Routes
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