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Welkom.
Welcome. Willkommen. Bienvenido. Bemvindo. ようこそ
The
Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes website is now available in
five languages – English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese. We
also sponsor the Afrikaans website,
www.wynSA.co.za.
Click
HERE to visit our very
informative site. |
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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/SA Hunter Biltongmaker of the Year Competition
is such a brilliant idea.
“Stellenbosch Hills was the first cellar to combine
two proudly South African delights with the Wine and
Biltong Adventure to be enjoyed in the tasting room.
The art of biltong making nowadays is as specialised
as the art of wine making. Our aim was to create a
competition where two of South Africa’s most popular
products – wine and biltong – could be combined,”
says PG Slabbert, winemaker and manager at this
cellar.
This year’s competition is much bigger than previous
years, especially because SA Hunter, South Africa’s
foremost hunting magazine, has joined us as media
partner in this competition.
“We support Stellenbosch Hills’ aim of an annual
competition that combines two of South Africa’s most
known products, biltong and wine. This competition
suits our readers perfectly,” said André van Dyk,
editor of SA Hunter.
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Wine was made since 1659 in the Cape and the history of biltong goes
back almost to this date. The word biltong was derived from two words,
“bil” meaning hind quarters and “tong” meaning strip – thus meaning a
piece of dried meat from a strip of the hind quarters of the animal.
Biltong making was a means of preserving meat, but today it is made
simply because people love it. The basic flavouring substances used were
vinegar, salt, sugar and coriander and all these aromatic substances
were readily available in the Colony, thanks to the French Huguenots who
made wine and vinegar from Cape grapes. Today the art of biltong making
is as specialised as the art of wine making. |
Biltong is a healthy bite because it’s high in
protein and iron and low in fat. And we all know the
health benefits of a glass of wine a day.
Each year a different Stellenbosch Hills wine is
chosen to be the inspiration for entrants. The
winner’s biltong must complement this chosen wine to
the best. This year the choice of wine is Pinotage,
South Africa’s own indigenous red wine. Pinotage was
chosen for two specific reasons – this year is the
50th celebration of the first commercially bottled
Pinotage in the country, as well as the fact that
this year is the 350th celebration of the wine
industry in South Africa. All biltong entries must
be made from game and prizes of R60 000 worth are up
for grabs. The judging will take place from August
20-21 after which six finalists will be announced. A
prize winner’s lunch will take place on Wednesday,
September 9 in Stellenbosch where the winner and a
second and third prize will be announced.
Prospective rivals can order entry packets at a cost
of R150. This includes a bottle of Stellenbosch
Hills Pinotage, as well as delivery costs. Contact
(021) 881 3828 or visit
www.stellenbosch-hills.co.za for more
information.
Participants must register before July 24. The
closing date for entries is Tuesday, August 11 when
1 kg of biltong from all participants must be
delivered at Stellenbosch Hills for judging. |
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Regular and social golfers are
invited to participate in the
"Give me a Chance" golf day
on Friday, 22 May 2009, at the
Stellenbosch Golf Course. All
funds raised during the event
will be in aid of the young
beneficiaries of the "Give me a
Chance" Children's Foundation.
The game will consist of a
4-ball alliance with 2 scores to
count and two starts beginning
at 12h00. The cost per 4-ball
will be R2000 per team and
includes green fees, live
on-course betting, tickets to
the 3 course prize-giving dinner
with wines from 10 selected,
prestigious estates supporting
the charity, live entertainment
as well as fun prizes for
various target shots as well as
the overall winner.
Partners are welcome to attend
the dinner at an extra cost of
R130.00 per person, which
includes a complimentary bottle
of wine. Bookings can be made to
Katherine Berchulski via email,
hope@givemeachance or
contact (021) 885 8104 before 19
April 2009. For further
information on the "Give me a
Chance" Children's Foundation
visit
www.alluvia.co.za. |
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THE Wine Routes
continues to create
ambassadors for
Stellenbosch and our
wine industry. In April
we hosted eight students
and one lecturer from
the University of
Johannesburg’s School of
Hospitality and Tourism.
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The aim is to give these
young tourism and
hospitality students a
real feel for
Stellenbosch through a
wine course, tour of the
old part of the town and
visits to wineries and
local restaurants. By
creating a lasting
impression of
Stellenbosch and our
cultural, food and wine
experiences, we trust
our brand will be top of
mind when these
energetic people become
influential young
professionals in the
hospitality industry.
And judging by the
enthusiastic response by
Diane Shackleford, these
biannual exercises are
helping us wine the
right friends in the
right places: “The four
days spent in
Stellenbosch taught us a
great deal and the
experience and memories
are something that
cannot be replicated. I
would like to say thank
you to Stellenbosch Wine
Routes, STH, the
wineries and people
involved for making this
the best learning
experience I could have
and for showing me that
my future in the
industry is wide open
and has so many routes I
can follow, most of all
this entire trip taught
me that you can never
know enough about wine
and there’s always
something new to learn,
something else to see
and more to taste.” |
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As if showcasing
more than 500 wines
under one roof is
not enough, the
Stellenbosch Wine
Festival
literally goes the
extra mile to extend
its Winelands
hospitality even
further with its
‘Wine Week’,
attracting
fun-loving visitors
to South Africa’s
oldest and foremost
wine route between
24 and 31 July.
Participating wine
farms will open
their cellar doors
for a week long
feast of unique
attractions leading
up to the 8th annual
Stellenbosch Wine
Festival which takes
place from 30 July
to 2 August.
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The preceding
Stellenbosch Wine
Week offers a
wide-ranging
kaleidoscope of
family-friendly
activities including
adventurous day
trips, restaurant
specials, exclusive
winemaker dinners
and rare vertical
and varietal wine
tastings, all
blended into one big
barrel of fun.
Thrill-seeking
travellers can sign
up for a full-day
tour of the
Winelands on a
bicycle or set off
on a scenic donkey
hike and wine picnic
on the Polkadraai
Hills, whilst
special area visits
to selected farms on
the five different
sub-routes - Greater
Simonsberg,
Stellenbosch Berg,
Helderberg,
Stellenbosch Hills
and Bottelary Hills,
will give you
insight into the
diversity and
delights of the
Stellenbosch
Winelands. |
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Marrying all
passions of the
Boland, the Wine
Week programme also
celebrates the
complementary effect
wine and food have
on each other with
special dinners
hosted at signature
Winelands
restaurants ranging
from five-star crème
de la crème and hot
new dining spots to
the more rustic, all
time favourites and
winter-inspired
cellar meals .
Tantalising
newcomers on the
Stellenbosch Wine
Routes include
Simonsig’s eclectic
Cuvée restaurant and
the magnificently
appointed restaurant
at Delaire Graff
Estate who will both
cook up a special
food and wine menu
during the Wine
Week. Other rare
dining experiences
include a sublime
twelve-course food
and wine evening
hosted at the
renowned 96 Winery
Road restaurant and
a special organic
food and wine
pairing at the newly
transformed
Waterkloof cellar
and chic new tasting
centre overlooking
False Bay.
Separating the boys
from the men, Alto
Wine Estate will
host a ‘Gentleman’s
Club’ evening
complete with steak,
Port and cigars.
Volkskombuis
restaurant in
conjunction with
Neethlingshof Estate
will add melodic
charm to a three
course feast of
tripe and bredies
when the legendary
Ollie Viljoen and
singer Niël Rademan
bring out their
instruments. Those
wine enthusiasts
looking for a more
hands-on encounter
can sign up for wine
blending sessions at
Lovane Boutique Wine
Estate and
Apprentice
restaurant while you
can also roll up
your sleeves for
tutored vine pruning
sessions at Simonsig
Estate.
Various art
exhibitions will
also be showcased
during the
Stellenbosch Wine
Week, including a
spectacular art
installation
commemorating 350
years of winemaking
in South Africa by
world-renowned
landscape artist,
Strijdom van der
Merwe, which will
take centre stage at
Simonsig Estate.
Various special
accommodation
packages in and
around Stellenbosch,
ranging from budget
Winelands sleepovers
to luxury rest and
relaxation amidst
the tranquility of
aristocratic vines,
are available to
make the
Stellenbosch Wine
Week and Wine
Festival more
accessible to
upcountry visitors
this year.
For a complete Wine
Week Programme and
more information on
the Stellenbosch
Wine Festival;
accommodation
specials and
packaged tours,
click
HERE.
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I am off to London for the
London International Wine Trade
Fair
from 12-14 May at Excel. I will
be representing Stellenbosch on
stand L50 – if you are
exhibiting or attending, come
and say hallo, and have a glass
of the best Stellenbosch has to
offer! Visit
www.londonwinefair.com
for more information.
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Christa Naude will be attending
Indaba in Durban from
9-12 May. We are sharing a stand
with the Cape Winelands District
Municipality, so do pop in for a
glass of wine. For more info,
visit
www.indaba-southafrica.co.za.
I will also be promoting
Stellenbosch at the annual
Joburg Wine Show at
Gallagher Estate, from 29-31
May. To all our Gauteng readers
– we look forward to having a
glass of wine with you. You
cannot miss our stand at the
entrance to the show! Visit
www.wineshow.co.za
for information. See you there! |
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Until next time, enjoy planning your
next trip to Stellenbosch! Cheers!!
Annareth Bolton
CEO Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes
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