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Jorge Monteiro has been head of ViniPortugal for less than a year and in that time has seriously shaken up the marketing of Portuguese wine. Perhaps the most visible change was the scrapping of the protection racket by which three UK supermarket chains were paid to list Portuguese wines. One of them, Majestic, then had the cheek to demand a marketing discount from the producers of the Portuguese brands they stocked. Jorge called their bluff and offered to present in-store tastings and promotions at his expense, but was turned down. Confirming it was all about making easy money rather than marketing a category.
Some PR practitioners are better than others. In addition to her substantial natural assets, Nicolette Waterford has access to helicopters. So when she stopped by at Doolhof to talk wine tourism on International Malbec Day earlier this week, she choppered in like Hilary Clinton. How cool is that!
Helicopter by Hermes, for the PR with everything
Browsing the internet this morning, I nearly swallowed my veneers when I saw Platter pundit Angela Lloyd described as “a Cape winemaster” in a depressing story on the dearth of SA icons by Ant Rose in Decanter magazine. Like most serious SA tasters, Angela is a glorious amateur – no MW or CWM “qualifications” I’m afraid, Ant. Where’s the excitement? asked Ant noting that “the Cape is the only New World giant without any icon wines to its name.” Well Ant, if you want excitement, hanging out with Ange and the Platter pips is a sure way to miss the jol. Give me a call next time and I’ll take you to the Alexander Bar.
But how typical of the colonialists at Decanter to commission a soutie to write an in-depth story on SA icon wines. They should call it “terroir by tourist.” The story appeared five years ago this month, so has anything changed. Are there any icons out there?
Vince Taylor
A shot of reality returns to the fluffy Cape Town foodie scene on Thursday after the excesses of last night’s Eat Out Awards with Spit or Swallow’s annual Box Wine Awards at the Penthouse on Long, which confusingly has an entrance at 115 Loop Street. A case of Drink In rather than Eat Out, which is what most people seem to be doing at the minute.
A R50 cover charge gives you a chance to dress up like Magnum PI, a sub-Riedel wine glass specially designed for wine box spigots, snacks and a chance to be a wine judge for an evening. No Tasting Academy Competency Certificate required, or even a bowtie. Be there at 6pm, or be square (like a box wine)! I wrote about Box Wine in Food Weekly yesterday.
The news that Len Maseko, wine writer (and acting editor) of the Sowetan, is to resign over the Eric Miyeni column in that organ, is yet another body blow to the SA wine press. Ironically Eric was fired over an attack on the sainted editor of City Press, a newspaper that for a shining moment had a wine writer of its own, gorgeous Greg Landman.
Greg Landman, former City Press wine writer
While my friends in the Douro fry eggs on their bald pates, in steamy Hong Kong its not clear how much more climate change can be tolerated without a mass migration to the poles. First Lady of HK wine, Debra Meiburg MW was at VinExpo last week and attended the latest climate change presentation “the current effects of climate change in California’s Napa Valley.” Like many things in France, it started an hour late. By way of coincidence, I wrote about the issues in the Sunday Times yesterday.
Debra and Cape Town artist Luan Nel at the China Club on Saturday
Came across an interesting story in the May edition of Prestige magazine in the BidVest lounge at George Airport yesterday which claimed that Hugo Boss is the most popular fragrance in the SA cellar. Then I realized I was the author. Duh!
The big surprise when Elizabeth Taylor left for the silver screen in the sky in March was the size of her estate – estimated at $1 billion, thanks to the range of 11 celebrity perfumes made by Elizabeth Arden. Perfumes are nothing to sniff at.
Malcolm Gladwell’s tipping point has arrived between local and international wine competitions with the news that the Decanter World Wine Awards awarded 31 gold medals to SA wines this week while the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show could do no better than 25, on presumably more entries. Since the Decanter judges included more than one fifth of the world crop of Masters of Wine, the most reasonable conclusion would be that the “best” SA wines no longer enter Old Mutual.
OM judge Neal Martin in action
The royal wedding in Westminster Abbey later this morning is unlikely to reverse the declining fortunes of SA wine exports to the UK as the Independent reported yesterday the bride’s favourite tipple is Jack Daniels and those Crack Baby cocktails served at Boujis nightclub in South Kensington. Served in a test tube at £8 a pop, this shooter is a blend of Vodka, Champagne, passion fruit and raspberry liqueur. They seem to be quite lethal if the photos of best man-to-be Prince Harry falling into the gutter after eight Crack Babies, is any indication. There may be an opportunity for MCC producers to suggest a Champagne substitution and reverse the 27% slump in exports of SA sparkles to the UK in the first quarter.
Business Report blames the December Cape Town tourism meltdown on the much publicized Anni Dewani honeymoon murder. Yet ironically, the influx of UK journos to cover the tragedy had a positive result for at least one producer: Boer & Brit. As Stefan Gerber, the Boer in the equation, says “one of the reporters came out to visit us and we got increased coverage in the UK and in particular, a story in Decanter. Our exports are now flying.” Although quite why the self-styled “best wine magazine in the world” should be employing crime reporters, is not revealed. There may be scams aplenty in SA wine, but really…
Stefan Gerber, Nicky vd Walt and Zander van Niekerk
