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South Africa's leading independent drinks commentator…
 

Vindaba Vapours

Posted: December 15th, 2011 | By Neil Pendock


Mixed signals from Vindaba, the wine tourism conference scheduled to run in parallel with Cape Wine 2012 next September. WOSA media apparatchik André Morgenthal is quoted by the Whale Cottage blog as claiming that Vindaba will be a “stand-alone self-funded event, which will not be funded by WOSA” from their R25 million honey pot. But quite why a producer would pay R20K for a 2x2m stand at Vindaba when they already pay for a stand at Cape Wine 2012 is moot as there will be “free flow access” between the two exhibitions. Certainly a Vindaba presentation doing the rounds paints a different picture of WOSA’s involvement:

What kind of partner gets a free ride? It will also be interesting to see the reaction of Michael Fridjhon, owner of Cape Town WineX, to the news that the public will have access to Vindaba on the last day as this will imply access to Cape Wine 2012. Last time WOSA tried this, it cost them plentsch as canny Michael nobbles any competition at the CTIC in a generous window around his own wine show.

Vindaba stands will be organized geographically, so perhaps Cape Wine 2012 will be organized by wine style or else the two shows will be mirror images of each other. Style is, after all, how people buy wine. As Tesco knows and arranges bottles on shelves accordingly, Sharon feels like Shiraz tonight, not Stellenbosch, a town that dings no dongs in her world. But quite why multi-appellation brands like Two Oceans, Obikwa, First Cape, Tall Horse and KWV would pay over R2900 a square metre for a geographically grouped show which does not apply to them, gives this commentator the sneaking suspicion that Vindaba has appointed WOSA as show organizers – a sure recipe for expensive disaster based on their unfortunate track record. As these major brands are the only ones with advertising money to spend at the minute, alarm bells should be ringing for the Vindaba partners. A fiasco is predicted.

Stop Press: Su Birch, WOSA CEO, tweets that consumers will not be allowed into Cape Wine 2012 – so Michael wins that one and the above Vindaba slide is incorrect. Quite why punters would go to a wine tourism exhibition and not be able to taste wine, is not explained. Confusion upon confusion! The Vindaba partners need to investigate this thoroughly as it’s not too late to pull the plug.

  
 
 

Comments

 

Producer A

December 16, 2011 at 7:43 am

Could we please have some clarity? We are planning to exhibit, and have uncluded this in our budget, but were told public could move between Vindaba and Cape Wine, tasting the experience. Friends and clients are even coming to Cape Town from overseas for this experience. Please, someone, what is going on here?

 

Anton

December 16, 2011 at 7:45 am

Misrepresentation rooles!

When the Vindaba doedie presented to the Vignerons de Franschhoek, she emphasized free access between Vindaba and Cape Wine.

If this free access is denied to the public, which winemakers will pay the exorbitant charges for her biodegradable stands? Another fine WOSA mess.

 

pieter de waal

December 16, 2011 at 4:46 pm

You are quoting Whalecottage. Is that the VonUlmenstein woman – who has been thrown out of FEDHASA? Thrown out of Cape Town Tourism? Is being sued by Cape Town Tourism for defamation and libel? Is barred from more restaurants than you can shake a stick at? Hardly a credible source Neil!

 

Neil Pendock

December 16, 2011 at 5:05 pm

Pieter

Su Birch confirmed on Twitter that WOSA is not giving Vindaba any cash but they do seem to have seconded Andre Morgenthal as a salesman for stands for the show. Perhaps he gets paid commission.

Anyway, he should have fun spinning the fact that Pieter Public will not be allowed entry from the Vindaba hall into Cape Wine 2012 next door.

 

towable water tubes

December 20, 2011 at 8:51 am

This is nice topice.Vindaba stands will be organized geographically, so perhaps Cape Wine 2012 will be organized by wine style or else the two shows will be mirror images of each other. Style is, after all, how people buy wine.

 

Pieter de Waal

December 20, 2011 at 1:54 pm

Neil

As it may be inferred that the comment above was made by me, please note that it was not. There are more than one Pieter de Waal in the South African wine industry, but as I did offer my services to assist as Project Manager for Vindaba earlier this year (unsuccessfully, you may recall, as you were one of my referees), some people may believe that this comment may have come from me. So just for the record, I distance myself from the comment made under a name almost similar to mine (my name, however, has capitalisation).

I have little idea as to the current state of Vindaba, so much so that I do not even know who was ultimately appointed as Project Manager. I have done a Google search to try and find out, as I cannot recall receiving an update from WOSA regarding this, but have not been able to find an authoritive statement on the appointment.

Furthermore, I cannot recall ever meeting or having had any communication with Ms Von Ulmenstein, and while I may have heard of her and sometimes read her blog, I would refrain from making comments regarding the validity of her opinions or statements. It would therefore be appreciated if the Pieter de Waal who made the comment would identify himself and his credentials for making such statements.

Wine tourism has been talk-shopped for ages, but having recently acted as tourist guide for a group of 24 Canadian visitors for the second year running, I again realised that there’s still huge scope for improving the marketing of our wine tourism offering. We spent two weeks on the road visiting many wineries as far afield as Boplaas in Calitzdorp and Bramon in Plettenberg Bay, and I can confirm that what the winelands of the Cape have to offer is unique and world-class. Well done to producers such as KWV/Laborie, Graham Beck, Springfield, Bramon, Klein Roosboom, Steenberg, Fairview and Spier who made our experiences memorable, while turning the Canadian visitors into future ambassadors for our wine tourism offering.

Please feel free to contact me directly if any further clarification is needed.

Regards

Pieter de Waal
Owner: Hermit on the Hill Wines
Secretary: Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group of South Africa (SBIG)
Registered Tourist Guide and involved in all other matters vinous.
083 357 3864
pieter (at) dw.co.za or pieter (at) hermitonthehill.co.za

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  • About

    Called "South Africa's most influential wine writer" by DrinksBiz (NZ), a "wijngoeroe" and "beminnelijk maar snoeihard" by De Telegraaf, a "Master of SA Writing" by Ernst Gouws and voted “most trusted palate” by readers of WINE magazine, Neil Pendock is South Africa’s leading Indie drinks commentator.

    An "enthusiastic amateur", he owns a small farm on the Paardeberg which used to supply a few grapes to Swartland Winery, a producer he never wrote about. After two decades in the spittoon, he retains a healthy disregard for the anoraks, bowties and Emperors of drink and their new clothes.