Matthew du Plessis

Oh geez. That looks… adventurous. Just goes to show, though: some airports are their own worst e-n-e-m-a.

Deon

Pendock must either kak or get of the toilet and investigate the Diners Club scam. As expected, Mike Froud has f*cked it up deluxe – the winner does not have sufficient stock to qualify.

Ray Hartley

So, which button did you press?

Anetha

Further to Deon’s comment, I think the compulsory 250 x 12 cases of available stock in order to qualify for the Diner’s Club Wine maker of the year should be revisited – it sadly excluded Magna Carta from the competition, along with a couple of other top white blend producers!

Wine Guru

Phoned the farm to buy said wine. NO STOCK. They, actually a nervous sounding girl, said to try Carolines… NO WINE, said to try WINE CONCEPTS… NO WINE!!! I smell a big rat! Where are the 250 cases of 12 of this wine. I want my share!!!

Wine Guru

Hmmmm, plot thickens. Just phoned Hermanuspietersfontein Vineyards… they have enough stock. Funny that! Its good to see that some wine folks play by the rules. The sweet man that answered all my questions thought I was planning on buying all his stock… shame. Anyhow, those of you who’d like some honest wine… 028 316 1875. Die Bartho 2007.

Wine Guru

The sword of Damocles is hanging over my head
And I’ve got the feeling someone’s gonna be cutting the thread
Oh, woe is me, my life is a misery
Oh, can’t you see that I’m at the start of a pretty big downer?

I woke up this morning with a start when I fell out of bed
And left from my dreaming was a feeling of unnameable dread
My high is low, I’m dressed up with no place to go
And all I know, is I’m at the start of a pretty big downer…

Sha-la-la-la that ain’t no crime
That ain’t no crime

Duncan Savage you need peace of mind
And I want to tell you that you’re doing just fine
You’re the product of another time
And feeling down, well that’s no crime…

The sword of Damocles is hanging over my head
And I’ve got the feeling someone’s gonna be cutting the thread
Oh, woe is me, my life is a mystery
Oh, can’t you see that I’m at the start of a pretty big downer?

Sha-la-la-la that ain’t no crime
That ain’t no crime

Shaggy Wino

It wasn’t me!!!

Tantalus

Ask Enron clients about auditors.

Dejavu

So, the news that the Savage has stepped down from the Diners Club title is running rampant through the grape vine like a brettannomyces plague. I am almost sure I read about this on page 32, paragraph three in Sour Grapes. Come on guys, live by the sword etc etc. It should be interesting to see a white blend from Kakamas (Chenin and Palomino – innox maturation) triumph! Go Koos go!

Tantalus

Winemag suggest they are now looking for a replacement winner, huh ??

Hollow victory, new winner should just politely decline.

Bet Diners Club are underwhelmed.

Anetha

Could not agree more! What is it with our industry and competitions? Oy!

voetstoots

It is one thing to enter for a competition when you know you don’t have enough stock, but another thing when the entry details of the competition states a minimum of 250 cases x 12 when the results are announced, but on the next page the rules states that a minimum of 250 cases x 12 sould be available at the time of judging. Which one do you apply to.

Go Savage go!!

Joubert

I think that the by line should read- Diners Club dealt a Savage blow. Word on the street is that the entry was planned sans wine in sufficient numbers. How devious. How sad. Corrupt politicians, corrupt police and on. Isn’t in the least bit suprising that we now have corrupt windmakers, allegedly. Why is Savage so quiet? I think I’ll stick to selling hot dogs. At least its honourable. Voetstoots- semantics is just a game.

Dejavu

Voetstoots? I is wunder why is you say this. Cos why, have the winemaker made like a confession?

Fed Up

Enough now, people! Let the winemaker lick his wounds. Seems like the hullabaloo is over. Go back to your pathetic existences and worry about your own inadequacies.

Piet Lamprecht

The saga takes another turn:

2008 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year competition annulled

WINE magazine announces on behalf of Diners Club International that the2008 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year competition has been declared invalid and the prize withdrawn.

This follows the decision by Duncan Savage of Cape Point Vineyards to step down as this year’s winner. A condition of entry was that the winning winery should have 250 twelve-bottle cases for sale in South Africa on announcement of the result and it subsequently emerged that Cape Point was unable to comply with this. After due consideration, it was decided not to appoint a replacement winner.

In future, wineries participating in any competition convened by WINE magazine will be subject to an audit by an independent authority to ensure that minimum stock requirements are met.

Anetha

This is the best end to a sad incident – great decision, as any runner-up taking the position would still merely remain exactly that. Duncan made his statement – check it out on the Wine Mag website!

John Kukard

Didn’t Duncan say in Wine Magazine that he didn’t have enough wine? and this was before the competition…

Sneaky Fred

Three final points before this blog is hopefully finally closed!!! Can Duncan Savage really have made an “honest mistake”. The competition rules are clear! He entered a wine with insufficient quantities. He has been deservedly penalised. Next, Chris Eedes screwed up monumentally. He failed to audit the wine stock levels. Not all wines needed to be checked on… surely just the top three would have suficed. Slap him on the wrist and a few other places too. And finally, another rumour, but a goody, and one easily checked… please Duncan Savage and Chris Eedes…answer me this: Did Duncan Savage donate wines to Chris Eedes’ wedding celebrations? Cosy.

Frans van Tonder

Perhaps Miles Mossop of Tokara can explain why he stabbed his friend Duncan in the back by initiating and driving the storm in the Diners Cup. Seems to be sour grapes from the Wine Guru…

tantalus

This is not about winemaker egos, it’s about the credibility of the competition and the Cape wine industry. Unfortunately there are still unanswered questions.

Joe Public would prefer to trust competition results rather than assume them to be a cynical blend of obfuscation and fraud.

Here’s the challenge Mr. Pendock – publish the competition rules, and how the rules were applied and monitored. If the rules were broken then let’s know who broke them, how and why.

Sweeping the ‘hullabaloo’ under the carpet might be very South African but it is not constructive.

Journo

Hi everyone, I too read that the winemaker didn’t have enough wine and that was ages ago. Diners Club should take back their wine competition and bring back the integrity is had under independant auspices. Wine Mag has hashed up the last two results of this awesome compo. Surely we shouldn’t wait for no. 3. Duncan should hang his head in shame that he has spoiled the chances of legitimate entrants for this years compo. Shame on you and your cheating! Shame on you! Aside from that, I had a really nice bottle of Cape Point Vineyards Semillon last night. Hmmm, did it have additives? Now I’ll never know.