Cape Weekly Digest | Wednesday, 24th February, 2021
Our curated roundup of local news & events for wine tourism
Hello,
How is everyone’s week so far, good I hope? Mine was interesting, dare I say rewarding. And by rewarding I mean, the my get stuff done attitude I’ve adopted really paid off, I’m hoping it will follow through to next week.
South Africans are being encouraged to travel locally & discover their own back yard while international travel is off the table, and I love the idea. South Africa is a huge country with many options available to us. Visit our pristine beaches, amazing desserts and mountain ranges unique enough to rival any foreign destination. We have this and more in our back yard but unfortunately we don’t explore it enough. Come on guys show some love to our local landscape, and as the famous saying goes ‘local is lekker’.
Internationally, Fiona Beckett tells us about the trouble with online wine tasting and the Wine Curmudgeon recommends some wines to drink with the rolling blackouts in Texas, something we might take note of when we experience our own load-shedding.
Without further ado, here’s this week’s newsletter.
- Shirley
Cape News Roundup
Tourist in your own country: Fall in love with South Africa again - Travel in South Africa is becoming an irresistible prospect since international trips are still rather a cliff jump thanks to the pandemic. South Africans have an opportunity to explore their own country like never before. Seeing that February is the month of love, here are a few reasons to make you fall in love with South Africa all over again. Read More…
100 Of The Most Influential Names Of The Wine Industry And Numerous Celebrities Will Speak At WineFuture - We're only five days away from the virtual conference Wine Future 2021. Not only do we have a killer schedule with some of the wine industry's most progressive leaders, but there is an all-star line-up of celebrities joining us as entertainers and speakers. Read More…
Music, Wine & Food At Muratie - Relax in a gorgeous garden setting under ancient oaks at Muratie this Saturday, 20th February at 12pm for lunch and some amazing background music by the super-talented Stander Gang. Due to current Covid regulations this is not one of Muratie’s usual popular music events. It is a much needed #supportlocalartists initiative introduced by music-lover Rijk Melck. Read More…
Luke Dale Roberts reimagines The Shortmarket Club as an upmarket grill - After the nationwide lockdown and the forced closure of many a restaurant, Luke Dale Roberts and his team have been hard at work adapting to the current times — and re-evaluating their offerings to cater for the change in the wants, needs and requirements of fine-dining patrons. First it was delivery boxes of gourmet goods, then it was The Pot Luck Club at home, and just last month, The Test Kitchen reopened with their new concept, The Test Kitchen Origins. Now, the team has a new reason to celebrate, having opened The Shortmarket Grill in November last year — a transformation of the famed The Shortmarket Club. Read More...
Launch of Groot Constantia Vintage Vault - Groot Constantia, run as a non-profit company with a view to conserving the site for the South African people since 1993, has launched the Vintage Vault as a means of sharing older wines with the public at large. Wines across the range in quantities varying from 200 to 1,500 bottles have been kept back from the 2002 vintage and will be released on an occasional basis for sale. Read More...
International News Roundup
The trouble with wine tasting - Zoom tastings have been hugely popular during lockdown for understandable reasons. Unable to travel or get to tastings in person, it's a good way to keep up with new releases or learn more about a wine region. Read More...
Somontano: regional profile plus 10 top wines worth seeking out - Relatively young, and still in a hurry to show the world its potential for quality wine production, this mountain-influenced region in Spain’s north is keen to maintain its own individual identity, as Miquel Hudin discovers. Read More...
A Brief History of Mulled Beer and How to Make It at Home - Mulled wine has been enjoyed for thousands of years. Even the Romans were known to drink hot wine peppered with different spices. Today, especially in colder months, you’ll find the drink at bars, restaurants and home kitchens around the world. Read More...
Wine to drink during rolling power blackouts - Three wines to drink during the Texas’ rolling power blackouts — because that’s when you really need quality cheap wine. The weather in Dallas for the past 10 days has been exceptional – record, almost sub-zero cold and more snow in a couple of days than we usually get in a couple of years. Read More…
California Pinot Noir and yoga ‘hideaway’ listed for sale - If you’ve dreamed of getting away from it all on your own vineyard then this Pinot Noir property in northern California could be of interest. Tucked away at the northern end of Anderson Valley just off Highway 128, it’s not the sort of estate that comes with a grand mansion or a swish outdoor swimming pool. Read More…
Wine Releases
Trizanne Signature Wines Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018 Elim WO: The new vintage of Trizanne's Reserve white from Elim is now available. Vintage 2018, while widely considered inferior in the traditional areas of the Cape, was a stand-out for Elim. Trizanne's Syrah from 2018, also from Elim, won the Best Red Wine at last years' Trophy Wine Show. Read More…
Rare Meerlust Red Promises Drinking Pleasure - Respected 18th-century Cape wine estate Meerlust in Stellenbosch has once again honoured its commitment to self-imposed exacting standards of quality in winemaking by declassifying its world-renowned flagship Bordeaux-style blend Rubicon from the 2019 vintage. Read More…
Events
26 February, 11 March, 25 March: Stellenbosch Street Soirées (45min ex Cape Town) - Taking place every second Wednesday between November and March, the pop-up offers wine, local food and music. Drostdy Street is closed to traffic and stalls are set up to showcase Stellies street culture, lifestyle and charm. For information: +27 21 886 4310, info@wineroute.co.za, www.wineroute.co.za; Entrance is free, but wine tasting tickets cost R150pp.
Discover South Africa with these great SPECIALS at 11 glamping locations - Experience a Meerkat safari in the Klein Karoo, roaring lions in Hoedspruit and elephant sightings by boat on Lake Jozini. You'll find wide-open spaces, hiking trails, cycling routes, unique farm adventures and fresh mountain air on a glamping trip to one of 11 magical AfriCamps Boutique Glamping camps dotted around the country. Read More…
Discover the sweetness of prickly pears and figs Workshop at Babylonstoren - Our farm’s bountiful late-summer produce includes two Babylonstoren favourites: figs and prickly pears in all colours and varieties. R700 p.p., 24 February 2021, 10:00 – 15:00, Presented by Liesl van der Walt & Maranda Engelbrecht. Please meet us at the Farm Shop. BOOK NOW. Only 20 places available.
Don't miss out Tacos and funky tasty Street food. Tuesday 23rd February from 5pm to 9pm Mountain Manor Guest House, 17 Breda Street Gardens Cape Town.
Spier Light Art 2021 - Call for proposals - Spier is proud to announce the third edition of Spier Light Art, to be exhibited throughout the historic Stellenbosch wine farm from 26 February to 28 March 2021. Designers, architects, light-, sound- and video artists - as well as students and institutions - are invited to submit expressions of interest for projects and video-based artworks that are engaging to all age groups. Read More...
Warwick Wine Estate Picnic - Warwick Wine Estate would like to invite you and your family to come join us for a scenic picnic overlooking our beautiful dam. We have a variety of seating options for you to choose from, be it a lawn spot, hidden picnic POD or our majestic Forest Courtyard. Read More...
Community Shout Out & Local Listings
Join us at the Noodle Kitchen on Wed, 24 February Prepare for the Food Fanatics Chefs to ‘Wok’ your socks off! Click the link to book. Take-aways available.
GoDrive-In - Aaaaaaand we're back! Did you miss us? We'll be screening the classics in the most classic way every weekend - Friday to Sunday. Check out what we have lined up for our movie lovers… Tickets available via Webtickets
De Spekboom Restaurant - We are running our famous Braai Burgers from today together with our Dinner menu. Don’t miss out on our drink specials as well. WhatsApp for reservations +27 62 506 6038
Here's wishing you all a great week ahead. If you're planning on eating healthy this week, how about adding some salmon to your menu. We make it super-easy for you to order a variety of delicious, finest quality Salmon products! Visit us at www.salmonlady.co.za or mail us at lindie@salmonlady.co.za
How can Verve Caterers & Events assist you in making your next occasion successful and stress-free? Chat to us today on +27 72 233 2002 or www.verve-caterers.co.za
More from the Local Listings section
For next weeks community updates, please email us your update by the 2nd of March for inclusion in our next newsletter.
And Finally The Tweet of The Week…..
What’s your favourite wine saying?
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