Posts Tagged ‘South Africa’
Passion on the Vine – a review
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
When one looks at a vineyard – you’re not looking at it in the same way as you would look at an orange orchard. Instead one sees a multitude of experiences past and of moments yet to come – moments of intimacy, memorable occasions, conversations and treasured friendships. Since time immemorial, vineyards have not only been the touchstone of certain regions, but have often been the lifeblood of local communities and the cornerstone of entire generations of families. Every vineyard contains a family, a history, a culture and a purpose. This was at least, the sentiment I had before embarking on a mission to New York City, where I would promote and sell wine’s connected to my family in some ways, and more importantly – wine from my country. During that time – having spent much time in preparation for the mission, I left with those stories and sentiments of culture and family fresh in my blood. But with every sales-call and wine event I began to feel further and further from the vineyard. Soon it was about laid in cost, case-discounts and what kind of Point of Sale material was on offer. I travelled the country in a rental car with a case of wine, a corskrew and a power-point presentation along the way having people from Westchester Wine Warehouse cruelly spit wine on my shoe after having left me waiting for an hour, sitting in cold-rooms of cellars in Maryland, helping do stock-takes in Ohio, presenting to Wholefoods buyers in North Carolina and pushing on-premise retail in Atlanta: and with every step I became a bit more confused and lost the focus of what I was doing. Having believed that wine was so important to my country and stepping into the States to tell the story of South African wine, it was very dispiriting to suddenly be faced with the fact that no one really cared so long as they could make a profit.
Tags: aid, Atlanta, Business, Culture, Energy, event, Food, friends, history, market, New York, philosophy, power, preparation, purpose, read, restaurant, restaurants, review, Sales, SC, South Africa, step, tasting, Travel, Vine, Wine, wineries, winery, world, writing
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10 Degrees South, Atl, Ga
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
This so far is my favorite restaurant in Atlanta. Incredible representation of South African cuisine and atmosphere. Part of the restaurant is an outdoor awning with design style very close to a restaurant on the Cape Town coast. Very rustic and breezy. I had the Kingclip fish, indigenous to South Africa, and it was nothing short of amazing – I’ve got to rate it up there with salmon as one of my favorites. My gf had ostrich, which seems like a stretch, but it was equally as tasty. Very fresh concept with exotic food – Love it! The Ferraris usually parked out front don’t hurt either — *****, $$
Tags: Atlanta, restaurant, review, South Africa
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Caveau Wine Bar, Heritage Square, Cape Town
Friday, May 23rd, 2008
Caveau is a good escape from Long Street’s chiaroscuro of either uber-pretentious or super-scummy dives… I swear I will never set foot in Miam Miam again but Marvel also grows a little old once you tire of becoming a human bolus being masticated against the gyrating bodies of every tourist and pick-pocket in Cape Town.
Caveau is a breath of fresh air for the city centre, with an urban-rustic feel to it, combining class and elegance with a laid back environment. The design, lay out and mood leave you feeling like you’ve stepped out of Cape Town and discovered a more modern Franschoek. On the three occasions I’ve been there I’ve shared a bottle of their 2004 Spice Route Mourvedre. Accustomed to the Cape’s usual Noble varietals it’s amazing to see how well other cultivars benefit from the Cape’s rich soils. This is a nice big red that has a faint bloody-Maryesque note on the nose. It’s great to see how this Spanish wine has done – bring on Tempranillo!
Tags: Cape Town, restaurant, review, South Africa, Travel, Wine
Posted in Restaurant Review, Travel, Wine Review | No Comments »
Kudu Coffee, Charleston, SC
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
This place rocks, South African vibe, outdoor patio, indoor chillin with lounge in the back — wireless access. Fans flowing in unison and friendly staff serve awesome teas and coffee from around the world. They also serve a few wines by the glass from
Tags: charleston, coffee shop, review, SC, South Africa
Posted in Wine | 1 Comment »
Warwick 2003 Three Cape Ladies
Saturday, September 15th, 2007
The Pinotage required to make this a Cape Blend offers spontaneous combustion of fruit profiles with undercurrents of sweet spice from the Merlot and a good gripping firmness from the Cab. Pinotage and Cab are the front-row of red fruit, delivering a patriotic and powerful mix of South African splendor. This wine is a super-trooper and drinks gloriously.
Tags: elixir, Pinotage, review, South Africa, Wine
Posted in Wine, Wine Review | 4 Comments »
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