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Diners Club scandals continue to arrive thick and fast. It’s starting to sound like that old “knock, knock” joke: “knock, knock. Who’s there? Amos. Amos who? A mosquito. Knock, knock. Who’s there? Anne. Anne who? Another mosquito!”

This week’s scandal revolves around the super efficient Wade Bales, judge at the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Competition and manager of the Diners Club Wine Society (which conveniently offers stock of Diners Club Winemaker of the Year winning wines). Wade was in town last week presenting an eponymous wine show at the Melrose Arch Piazza and thought he’d stay the weekend to handle the retail aspects of the inaugural Cap Classique festival which took place last night and is repeated tonight at The Venue in Melrose Arch. This was one Cape incursion too many for the King of Jozi liquor retail, Solly Kramer, who lent on MCC producers and secured the shop @ show activity for his Norman Goodfellows operation. Solly owns Jozi bubbles, being the purveyor of the cheapest Champagne in town, specially imported for Norman Goodfellows by JP Colmant of Tribaut fame.

The star of last week’s scandal, Clayton Reabow, was in sparkling form at the MCC show and is quite clearly not letting the scandal get under his skin.

Clayton and the sacred thread

Clayton and the sacred thread

“Richard, the owner of Môreson and I were wondering if you’d like to visit the farm and see what we’re up to.” When someone gives you lemons, make lemonade, as they say at Liquifruit. The secret of Clayton’s equanimity was soon revealed – he’s obviously a Brahmin, judging by the Yajnopavita, or sacred thread, around his neck (see above). A pundit in the true and mystical (as opposed to Platter) sense of the word.

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Comments

 

Peter

November 24, 2009 at 6:18 am

I must be a bit doff, but I don’t quite get the ’scandal’ angle in this story. Are you spending too much energy trying to create news to fill up space or to capture visitor numbers to try to move your blog up the top ten rankings from its current position near the bottom ?

I plan to buy your book and Platter this week, then I can sit down with a bottle of the Cape’s finest and try to work out what all the fuss is about.

 

Matthew

November 24, 2009 at 8:17 am

Pete

It’s meant to be ironic. Buy a lucky packet and win a Diners Club scandal.

 

Peter

November 24, 2009 at 8:50 am

Matthew

I told you I was doff.

Here’s a plan for 2010. A reality TV show with all the wine journos locked together in a house, sharing a dormitory and voting each other off weekly (sighted not blind). In the interests of good taste, I suggest that the organisers skip the jacuzzi. Now that could just tear me away from Strictly Come Dancing !

 

Jane

November 24, 2009 at 11:42 am

Dear Peter
In terms of sorting out your wine reading matter needs, may I suggest you consider two WINE magazine offers running concurrently at the moment: subscribe now and get either a free copy of The People’s Guide or Platter’s. For more information, go to http://www.WINEmag.co.za.

 

Peter

November 24, 2009 at 12:21 pm

Jane

I already subscribe to WINE mag so I don’t qualify, sob (sob that I don’t qualify, not sob that I subscribe).

Made a fruitless journey to Maritzburg today to buy Platter and People’s guide. Not available in Exclusive, CNA and Woolworths, in spite of suggestions in electronic press that both are now freely available. When it comes to KZN I think book distributors are a little blinkered. “Good grief, do people actually read in KZN, I though it was only in the Cape”.

BTW, my captcha code for this message is FLUG, one letter change and it descibes how I feel – FLUGGED perhaps.

 

Sandy

November 24, 2009 at 4:59 pm

Have no fear Peter – existing subscribers can just extend their sub, or take one out as a gift! Choose if you want the Nov offer (People’s Guide) or Dec offer (Platter’s Guide) – or take both!

 

Kwispedoor

November 24, 2009 at 5:08 pm

If I extend my subscription right now – how long until I’ll receive whatever guide?

 

Sandy

November 26, 2009 at 8:33 am

Once your payment is received it will be posted to you … Happy Christmas from WINE!

 

Wade Bales

November 27, 2009 at 2:52 pm

Hi Neil,
We encountered more storms in Jhb than we could ever have imagined. However we thoroughly enjoyed our time there and promise to be back next year!!

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  • About

    Neil Pendock is South Africa’s leading Indie drinks commentator – he has no financial connections with any importer, producer, distributor, retailer, show, competition or restaurant.

    A columnist for the Sunday Times, Financial Mail, winenews.co.za and WINE magazine, he was voted “most trusted palate” by readers of WINE. An enthusiastic amateur, he has a healthy disregard for the anoraks, bowties and Emperors of drink and their new clothes, both locally and internationally.

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