6 Sep 10

Book review: My friend the mercenary, by James Brabazon

John Maytham in conversation with author James Brabazon at The Book Lounge, Roeland street

The Book Lounge hosted the launch of My friend the mercenary, by James Brabazon, the title referring to Brabazon’s friendship with Nick du Toit. Nick du Toit was one of the mercenarys involved in the failed coup of Equatorial New Guinea, which reached the world news due to the alleged involvement of Mark Thatcher, son of Margaret Thatcher.

The story of the coup attracted a lot of attention to the book, but the majority of the work is about Brazabon’s commission to film the rebels in Liberia. Brabazon hired du Toit as a bodyguard and quickly realised on entering the warzone how important he would be in keeping him alive.

After three weeks, Brabazon was informed there was no more money left to continue the commission. Du Toit and Brabazon decided to carry on anyway with a view to selling the documentary later. Afterall they were aleady right in the middle of the warzone.

During the book launch, John Maytham from Cape Talk radio commented how he found it difficult not to become judgemental about Brabazon while reading, an observation I found strange until I read the book myself.

Brabazon was descriptive during the action scenes and begged the question as to when a journalist stops observing and becomes a participant in the war. I felt that Brabazon was on a fine line in filming the war. It was one thing to witness and write about the execution and butchering of a prisoner by the rebels. Was the line crossed when Brabazon filmed it?

On leaving Liberia, Brabazon was invited to film the coup of Equatorial New Guinea. He was excited by the prospect of filming this exclusive, but it was the passing of his grandfather that caused him to miss this opportunity and probably several years in jail.

If you want to know what the war is like in Liberia and the role of mercenarys, this is the book for you. Parts of the book are descriptive and graphic and therefore not for sensitive readers.

My friend the mercenary can be purchased at The Book Lounge, Roeland street for R220.

0 Comments Posted in The Arts by Lesley Cox
Tagged Cape Talk, Equatorial New Guinea, James Brabazon, John Maytham, Liberia, Nick du Toit, The Book Lounge

1 Sep 10

Fairview welcomed food bloggers to their farm

Donald Mouton introduced the 900 goats at Fairview

Donald Mouton has worked at Fairview for 11 years. His dedication to the well-being of the 900 goats is a credit to why Fairview’s cheese tastes so good.

The three different breeds begin mating through March, April and May and with a gestation period of five months we were blessed to meet the pregnant ladies, newborns and kids of three weeks old.

Pregnant ladies, waiting patiently to give birth

“Goats are very maternal. When a kid is born and needs cleaning, if the mother is about to give birth to her second, the other goats will assist the newborn”, Mouton explained as we walked amongst the pregnant ladies and a newborn who had just arrived.

A newborn being cleaned up on arrival

The newborns stay with their mother for three days to ensure they receive all their nutrients and then move onto a blend of mothers milk and formula from a bottle. This was a busy time of the day as all the kids needed to be bottle fed.

Once they reach around 15kg, the kids move into a play area where they need to learn to eat grass – several jungle gyms were scattered for amusment but the arrival of five food bloggers created the most excitement as they scrambled towards us trying in earnest to meet their visitors.

One week old goats scramble to greet food blogger Nina Timm

Our next host was Bruce Rowbotham, with nineteen years experience in the cheese industry (seven years at Fairview), he dressed us in sterile clothing and toured us through the cheese factory. With spotless surfaces and smiling employees, Rowbotham explained the processes of making the different Fairview cheeses.

In the packing area we met Jimmy, a blind employee who was working alongside his colleagues packing the cheeses, he was an inspiration to all of us.

Hila Jonker, Maryke Truter, Charles Back, Nina Timms and Linda discuss the benefits of blogging over lunch in the Goatshed restaurant

During lunch in the Goatshed, owner Charles Back and CEO, Chris Davis, brainstormed with us about the influence of blogging and social media marketing. The food blogging contest of creating a recipe with Fairview camembert cheese was the first of it’s kind and we discussed how to move forward.

“It’s fascinating to see that bloggers have real faces and not just something in cyberspace” joked Back as he went around the table asking everybody about their blogging styles.

The three bloggers receiving the most votes for their creativity with Fairview camembert cheese were,

Nina Timm www.my-easy-cooking.com
Hila Jonker www.addtotaste.blogspot.com
Linda, www.thesquashedtomato.blogspot.com

The recipes were prepared by the Goatshed chefs and judged by the Fairview team. Congratulations to the winner Hila Jonker, who was presented with a R1000 voucher for the Goatshed restaurant.

Thank you very much to Maryke Truter, sales and marketing manager for Fairview cheese who gave us a warm welcome and hosted us throughout the day.

3 Comments Posted in Tourism news, Wine news by Lesley Cox
Tagged cheese, Fairview, goats, Goatshed

30 Aug 10

Encounters Documentary film festival – RFK In the Land of Aparteid

Encounters Documentary Film Festival 2010

Larry Shore & Tami Gold directed this important historical documentary on a subject which many of us in the audience knew little about. On June 4, 1966, Bobby Kennedy arrived in Johannesburg with his wife Ethel and travelled for six days around the country, giving talks and meeting a combination of leaders and ordinary people. The documentary RFK In the land of aparteid, takes us through his whirlwind tour of South Africa.

Kennedy was invited by NUSAS (National Union of South African Students), Ian Robertson based in Stellenbosch University. One can only imagine how controversial his visit would have been at the time as we watched orginal footage of meetings with Chief Albert Lutuli – Nobel Peace Prize winner and banned ANC President. I walk past his statue on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront often and knew so little about him. Lutuli mysteriously died in a train accident a year after Kennedy’s visit.

A visit to Soweto was full of surprises as Kennedy made a last minute request to visit the home of a lady who was standing in her yard. During an interview 44 years later, the family recalled how Kenny entered their simple home and was gracious and charming.

The documentary brought to life the comparrisons observed by Kennedy between the aparteid regime and the Civil Rights movement in the USA, and I was not suprised to learn that Kennedy was assasinated two years following his tour of South Africa.

Steven Markovitz (Encounters) facilitated the Q & A with Justice Albie Sachs

Following the documentary, Steven Markovitz chaired a Q & A session with Justice Albie Sachs. Before taking questions from the audience he recalled some apartied history between 1961 and 1966 ( the five years prior to Kennedy’s visit), and what a heart warming wonderful man Albert Lutuli was. There was a contingent from the Stellnbosch region in the audience, many of whom had attended Kennedy’s speech back in 1966 and shared their stories.

If you have missed any of the doumentaries and would like to purchase the DVDs, please check the Encounters website for contact details, www.encounters.co.za

0 Comments Posted in The Arts by Lesley Cox
Tagged Albert Lutuli, Encounters documentary film festival, RFK In the land of aparteid, ripple of hope, Stellenbosch university

25 Aug 10

Nico van der Merwe – wine tasting

Nico van der Merwe presents his range of wines to Tom & Barbara Wilson (from USA)

I have guided private tours around the Cape winelands for seven years, and it was treat to have an appointment with Nico van der Merwe for my guests from the USA.

We started with his white Bordeaux, a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon. Selected hand-picked grapes were pressed and cold fermented together. After cellaring for 12 months the end result, a wonderful dry white wine with excellent fruit and long finish. Approximate retail price of R80 per bottle.

The Cape Elements was one of my favourites with a blend of Shiraz (45%), Cinsaut (40%) and Grenache (15%). Soft tannins and lots of fruit and spice. Partly oaked in French and American oak for 12 months made this wine drinkable now and for another two years. Approximate retail price of R75 per bottle.

Range of wines offered by Nico van der Merwe

After tasting his Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend and 100% Syrah, we finished with his signature, the Mas Nicolas 2005.

The Mas Nicolas 2005 has 50% Shiraz and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes sourced from two vineyards with low yields in different parts of Stellenbosch. The wine had a well balanced fruit and tannin structure with an aging potential of 10 years.

Nico’s wines are available for from retail at Carolines Fine wine stores and Vino Pronto. For further information regarding these wines, please contact either Petra or Nico van der Merwe on Tel 021 881 3063 or email nvdmwines@vodamail.co.za

It is good to try wines from smaller producers and less easy to find – you will be rewarded with your efforts.

4 Comments Posted in Wine news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Mas Nicolas, Nico van der Merwe

23 Aug 10

Encounters documentary film festival – The 16th man

Encounters Documentary Film Festival 2010

Directed by Clifford Bestall it was a powerful 50 minutes in the Labia last night as the audience interchanged between laughter, cheering and wiping their eyes as memories resurfaced in the cinema.

Written by John Carlin (author of Playing the Enemy), a combination of interviews with well-known superstars such as Francois Pienaar, live footage of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and lesser known heroes brought the audience in touch with all their emotions.

‘Mandela was our 16th man’ said Pienaar as he explained how he had to bite his lip so hard during the national anthem in the final to prevent himself from crying with emotion.

Morgan Freeman was the perfect choice to narrate this documentary. His oscar nominated role as Nelson Mandela in Invictus gave him the knowledge and passion to take the viewers on the journey from the freedom of Nelson Mandela to the victory of the Springboks on June 25, 1995.

There were balanced interviews from Koos Botha (former leader of the Conservative Party), who was against the end of aparteid, and Justice Bekebeke, a former activist from Upington who was against supporting the Springboks in the final. Bekebeke was supporting the All Blacks and could not understand why is family supported a team who represented their miserable past.

There was a brief Q & A after the fim lead by Nodi Murphy of Encounters with Gail Berman, the researcher for The 16th man and most of us were surprised by the amount of work and cost that goes into making a documentary. Berman spent around 4 months going through archive footage and negotiating the best prices for the pieces to be used in the feature. She advised everybody in the audience to store carefully their home movies as you never no when a director may be looking to write a documentary on Cape Town and willing to pay in dollars for their work.

The Encounters Documentary Film Festival 2010 is running until Sunday August 29. The 16th Man will be screened again on Friday 27 August at 7pm at Nu Metro cinema on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. This documentary is a ‘must see’!

The Encounters documentary film festival is now in it’s 12th year and brings a selection of one hour local and international features for two weeks every August. They are in urgent need of sponsors for future festivals, so please contact them directly if you are able to offer support. www.encounters.co.za or Tel 021 465 4686

0 Comments Posted in The Arts by Lesley Cox
Tagged Clifford Bestall, Encounters documentary film festival, Invictus, Labia, Morgan Freeman, Playing the Enemy

20 Aug 10

Encounters documentary film festival, State of Mind

Encounters documentary film festival 2010

Last night we saw State of Mind as part of the Encounters documentary film festival at the Labia on Orange st.

Directed by Congolese filmaker, Djo Tunda wa Munga, this documentary was filmed in the Democratic Replublic of Congo (DRC) and portrayed a trauma counselling workshop with vicitms from the war.

The aim of the documentary was to influence foreign policy and the expenditure of aid money to be budgeted for trauma counselling. While new hospitals, roads and infrastructure are vital, is it also important to heal the people so that the country and move on in a positive direction.

Eighty year old Albert Pesso used his psychomotor technique while vicitims revealed shocking stories of rape, slavery and abuse. It was difficult to know if his technique was successful, but provided food for thought in the value of trauma counselling post civil war.

Eighty hours of film was edited to produced this 50 minute documentary which was followed by a panel discussion chaired by Steven Markovitz, producer of the documentary. The panelists included Gerrit van Wyk (Clincial Psychologist) and Sarah Crawford-Brown (Trauma counsellor) who shared their experiences of counselling victims of abuse.

The movie will be screened again at the Nu Metro, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront on Wednesday August 25 at 8.45pm. Tickets cost R39 each and available from the Nu Metro or Computicket. This documentary is worth seeing.

2 Comments Posted in The Arts by Lesley Cox
Tagged Albert Pesso, Djo Tunda wa Munga, Encounters documentary film festival, Gerrit van Wyk, Sarah Crawford-Brown, Steven Markovitz

20 Aug 10

Holistic Lifestyle Fair – Observatory

Outdoor section at the Holistic Lifestyle Fair, Observatory

On the first Sunday every calender month, Observatory embraces the Holistic Lifestyle Fair. Only a 15 minute drive from Cape Town and ample parking, there was an eclectic array of stalls offering crystals, jewellery, therapies and everything you can think of which will improve your lifestyle.

Yasmin Osman sells homemade curry and samoosas

Don’t eat too much breakfast and save yourself for the variety of homemade food on offer.

Marcel receives hand reflexology treatment

A variety of therapies available, including reflexology, tarot reading, numerology, and eyebrow threading. For those not wishing treatment in public it was the ideal opportunity to get to know some therapists and make an appointment in their treatment rooms during the week.

The date for the next Holistic Lifestyle fair is September 5 from 10am – 4pm

0 Comments Posted in Holistic Cape Town, Tourism news by Lesley Cox

16 Aug 10

Comrade Golderberg – Encounters documentary film festival

Nodi Murphy (Encounters) and Denis Goldberg

Comrade Goldberg was the documentary shown as part of the Encounters documentary film festival which runs for two weeks at the Victoria & Alfred waterfront and Labia.

Denis Goldberg sat in the audience with moist eyes as this 55 minute documentary showed his life story, a white, jewish, activist for the ANC trying to over throw the aparteid system. A trained engineer, Goldberg was valuable to the ANC for his knowledge of making bombs and sabotage. For his beliefs he paid with a 22 year prison sentence in Pretoria.

Written and directed by Peter Heller, this moving documentary shows a mixture of interviews and amateur footage how Goldberg missed out on life with his wife and children, a sacrifice for cause he believed in.

Following the feature, Denis Goldberg took to the stage for a Q & A facilitated by Nodi Murphy from Encounters.

“I believe you need to change things by doing, not talking. I was prepared to blow things up to change or over throw the government”

The National party offered political prisoners freedom, in exchange for a signed declaration that they will nolonger use arms against the government. Goldberg was the only political prisoner to accept this and was duly released on February 15, 1985 at the age of 52 years.

Inspite of his efforts for the ANC and the 22 year prison sentence, Goldberg was outcast by some of his comrades for sigining the declaration.

I recommend this documentary which lasts for 55 minutes and will be screened again at the Numetro, Victoria & Alfred watefront on Friday August 20 at 6.30pm. Q & A will follow, plus an opportunity to purchase his memoir, The Mission: a life for freedom in South Africa.

The Encounters documentary film festival is running from August 12 -29. There are a variety of topics being screened at 6.30pm and 8.30pm every evening at the Labia and Nu Metro (V&A waterfront). Tickets cost R39 each. Please check their website for details www.encounters.co.za

0 Comments Posted in The Arts by Lesley Cox
Tagged Denis Goldberg, Encounters, Labia, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

10 Aug 10

The Marginal Safari by Justin Fox – book review

The Marginal Safari by Justin Fox

Justin Fox, editor of the Getaway magazine, launched his book, The Marginal Safari at the The Book Lounge, Roeland street.

During June & July in 2004, Fox, sets off with a few supplies and his surf board to trace the border around South Africa by car. He describes the landscape, villages and colourful characters he meets on route, portraying a true South Africa.

This epic journey was very personal as Fox views areas where his father, the late Revel Fox, created their architectureal design. Indeed also, because at the start of his journey, his father was ill and he was unsure as to whether he should leave Cape Town.

Mervyn Sloman, Henrietta Rose-Innes & Justin Fox

Mervyn Sloeman, owner of The Book Lounge, asked Fox why it took so long to publish his book! Fox admitted the editing took longer than expected.

“It was difficult to decide on which pieces to leave out”

What sets this book apart from other non-fiction travel writing, is that Fox has researched the areas he travelled through and written about historical events which occurred at the towns. I enjoyed reading this book very much.

The Marginal Safari was published by Umuzi, an imprint of Randon House Struik (PTY) ltd and is available from The Book Lounge for R220.

1 Comment Posted in The Arts by Lesley Cox
Tagged Getaway magazine, Justin Fox, Random House Struik, The Book Lounge, The Marginal Safari, Umuzi

5 Aug 10

Fragrant Herb Baked Camembert – made with Fairview camembert cheese

Fairview camembert cheese

Fairview wine estate are connoisseurs of wine, cheese and marketing and have orchestrated a wonderful competition involving their camembert cheese and Cape Town bloggers.

My entrant recipe is a simple dish designed for a group of friends as a shared starter while we wait for the braai.

Fragrant herb baked camembert cheese

Remove the Fairview camembert cheese from packaging. Place some rosemary or thyme on the top of the camembert, and drizzle extra virgin olive oil. Wrap in grease proof paper and place in a small baking dish. Bake at 160 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Pull open the grease proof paper and serve immediately with fresh bread and Fairview spicey jams.

I would recommend serving this with the Fairview Viognier Special Late Harvest.

This always sets the party going, and thanks to Fairview wine estate for encouraging exposure to Cape Town bloggers.

Please vote for my recipe (number 3) at http://www.blog.fairview.co.za/?id=788

This competition has highlighted some wonderful Cape Town food blogs and delicious recipes utilising Fairview Camembert cheese.

9 Comments Posted in Restaurants, Wine news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Fairview

28 Jul 10

Cape Town Book Fair July 31-August 2

Cape Town Book Fair July 31 - August 2

This is the weekend for book lovers as the Cape Town Book Fair (CTBF) open their doors at the Cape Town International Conventional Centre (CTICC) on it’s fifth anniversary.

Director of the CTBF, Claudia Kaiser was excited to pay tribute to book lovers by rewarding those with a bookshop loyalty programme a 50% discount on the R60 entry fee. Just show your loyalty card when purchasing the ticket.

There will be a wealth of local and international authors and publishers hosted at stands throughout the venue. Surrounding the hall they will offer breakaway panel discussions in smaller rooms for a limited audience. The programme of events is listed on their website and it is wise to book your space as soon as possible. www.capetownbookfair.com

Pick n’ Pay will be hosting a Chefs Theatre with chefs and food writers demonstrating and promoting their books. Please check the website for the timetable.

Children are not left out. Check the website for the timetable of story telling and book launches for the young generation.

Doors are open to the public this Saturday & Sunday from 10am-6pm and on Monday from 10am-4pm.

0 Comments Posted in The Arts by Lesley Cox

21 Jul 10

The Wheel of Excellence at the V&A Waterfront

The Wheel of Excellence

The 50 metre high Wheel of Excellence is located on the canal site of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (opposite the Caltex petrol station), offering panoramic views of Cape Town. The current price of R70 for adults and R40 for children between 3-12 years, I found a little expensive for 20 minute ride.

There are 36 enclosed cabins of which 2 are accessible for wheel chairs. During less busy periods, the operators allow couples and families to have their own cabin.

36 enclosed cabins, 2 are wheel chair accessible

We climbed into the cabin and were greeted with piped music and a voice over explaining the rules for safety in the cabin. The wheel glided leisurely for four cycles, stopping intermittenly for guests on get on and off.

View of our new stadium from The Wheel of Excellence

Apart from Table Mountain, we saw a wonderful view of the new stadium, and the workings of the dry dock. The time passed quickly and soon it was our turn to disembark.

The wheel of excellence will be here until the end of this year when it moves on to another country.

1 Comment Posted in Tourism news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Table Mountain, The wheel of excellence, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

20 Jul 10

Bastille Celebrations in Franschhoek, July 17-18

Berenice & Jimmy Louw from Constantia, attended the Bastille celebrations on Sunday

“We love atmosphere at the Bastille celebrations and have been coming for the last three years” beamed Berenice Louw from Constantia as she savoured the spicy prawn curry with her husband Jimmy.

The marquee was a vibrant setting as visitors feasted on the treats of Franschhoek, surrounded by red, white and blue balloons and decor. A live band entertained the audience who were spoilt for choice with all the delights on offer.

Nick Davies presents his MCC wines from Morena at the Bastille festival

Amongst some familar faces, La Petite Ferme, Moreson, Pierre Jourdan, Bread & Wine and Porcupine Ridge I met Nick Davies of Morena who specialises in Methode Cap Classique (MCC). Davies produces an array of dry, zesty MCC wines and offers visitors a more personalised insight with his champagne tours at his farm in Franschhoek.

Sunday was the quieter of the two-day celebrations as Darielle Robertson of DNA events confirmed an attendance of 3,155 visitors on the Saturday and closed the marquee for further entry. At 1pm attendance was at 1017 visitors with no queue outside and everybody was able to flow easily through the marquee and taste the food and wine.

Glenwood battled hard to retain their trophy

A quick break from the marqee to watch the finals of the barrel rolling competition, sponsored by Porcupine ridge. Sixteen teams entered and some were eliminated during the heats on Saturday. Teams of two from each vineyard lined up for the finals, focused and eager to win trophy.

“We have the best barrel rollers in the wine region” chanted Ludwig Maske of La Cotte over the loud speaker. Maske was laying down the gauntlet for a possible future competition against vineyards from Paarl and Stellenbosch?

The teams made it look easy, but clearly being young and fit helps. Well done to Mont Rochelle, the winners this year.

Franschhoek steel band

The Bastille festival is now in it’s 16th year and held every year on the weekend closest to July 14th – when in 1789, locals stormed the Bastille in Paris and was a contributing factor in the French revolution. Franschhoek is where 150 french hugenots arrived between 1688 – 1700, giving the area it’s affintiy with France. The Bastille festival is also important for attracting several thousand visitors in winter to an area which is usually quiet this time of year.

The main road in Franschhoek was a hype of activity as shops and restaurants were draped in red, white and blue. In front of the townhall, the Franschhoek steel band entertained passers by with their energetic calypso music and collected signatures in celebration of a very important birthday. Happy 92nd birthday to Nelson Mandela.

2 Comments Posted in Restaurants, Tourism news, Wine news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Bread & Wine, Franschhoek, La Cotte, La Petite Ferme, Mont Rochelle, Morena, Nelson Mandela, Pierre Jourdan, Porcupine Ridge

16 Jul 10

The impact of Fifa on Cape Town – my thoughts

Cape Town stadium in Greenpoint

During the two year run up to the world cup, international visitors quizzed me during tours about our preparations. Were we worried about crime or terrorism? Would the stadium be ready? Will our roadworks be completed in time? Do we have enough electricity?

Their enquiries were fuelled by their home media and an international arrivals airport which looked like nothing more than a building site. Not to mention the road works on hospital bend on the way to their hotels.

I remained upbeat, calm and confident that everything would operate professionally and that South Africa could put on an event that would compare with anybody in the world.

Thankfully I have been proved right. While the global recession and us being a long haul destination has reduced the number of anticipated visitors, those who did venture the long trek have been nothing short of full of praises.

During tours in between the games, international fans described their excitement on the fan walk and admiration for the stadium. Many guests attended games around South Africa and four years ago in Germany and commented how the fan walk enhanced their soccer experience.

England fans along the fan walk

Houses, businesses and cars draped national flags with the obvious number of duel citizens bearing the South African flag alongside their mother country. Strangers spoke excitedly to each other in supermarket queues about the games and more females now understand the offside rule!

Cape Town was blessed with mostly sunny days with crisp blue skies while she was wall-wall with international film crew – all conducting their reports and interviews with backdrops of Table Mountain and the ocean. In between the matches, media entered the game reserves (call that a job??), and filmed animals in the wild. How can anybody not want to come here?

With the number of smaller countries qualifying we have improved our geography and knowledge of international flags and anthems. As teams departed the competition, the street vendors had fewer flags and scarves to sell, being reduced to Spain and Holland for July 11.

Cape Town also proved they could host international celebrities and leaders as dignitries made last minute plans to support their country in the Quarter and Semi-finals. I am sure that Angela Merkel enjoyed the warm hospitality of dining at Helen Zille’s home after the Germany V Argentina match as she must tire of formal enterntainment.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris Hilton, Mick Jagger and Morgan Freeman were amongst the many celebrities who graced our shores and it should not be under estimated their influence on twitter with several million followers.

All good things must come to an end and now we have returned to school and work with many exciting stories to share about matches we attended or watched on big screens, and the international visitors we met during these uplifting 4 weeks. Thank you very much!

4 Comments Posted in Celebrity news, Soccer news, Tourism news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Angela Merkel, Helen Zille, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Morgan Freeman, Paris Hilton

15 Jul 10

Warwick wine estate – big 5 wine safari

Tom, Stewart, Piet (guide), and locals from Stellenbosch enjoy the wine safari

Learning about viticulture made a refreshing addition to the wine tasting experience at the Warwick wine estate. Guests boarded a jeep and were treated to drive through the vineyards. The fleece blankets were very welcome on this crisp afternoon with a bright blue sky. Inspite of no foliage during this time of year there was still plenty to see and learn about. Both Piet and KPG (guides at Warwick), paused on route and explained the importance of viticulture on the final bottle of wine.

Many visitors have already seen cellars and were keen to be given an overview of the purpose of trellising, pruning, harvesting and canopy management. The biggest surprise was the age of the vines. Guests were amazed that it takes a few years before grapes are suitable for the production of wine. The subject of yield provided a whole new understanding in the final price of a bottle of wine.

Sakkie demonstated the importance of selecting the right shoots for pruning

Piet and KPG took a break at the top of the hill for guests to enjoy a glass of Warwick wine and absorb the view. Being a working farm we were lucky with the opportunity to observe pruning and Sakkie took a moment to explain with pride to his international visitors the importance of selecting the right shoots for pruning.

Education can be fun and Piet and KPG entertained the guests by equating five grape varieties with the big five animals. The king of the vineyard is Cabernet Sauvignon (therefore a lion), and the Cabernet France an elephant (for it’s thick skin) – to find out the rest, please go on the tour.

Soccer fans from USA, mother and son absorb the beauty of the view at the top of Warwick wine estate with their guide KPG

During spring and summer it will be easier to see the differences between the grape varieties by looking at the shape of the leaves and grape bunches, however this is the type of tour I would take throughout the year to observe the changes in the vineyard during the seasons.

After the tour, guests sat on the deck outside the new tasting room and tried all the wines available.

The tour takes around 45 minutes and price is R60pp. It is advisable to book in advance as the tour is weather dependent. Tel 021 884 4410

0 Comments Posted in Tourism news, Wine news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Warwick

6 Jul 10

Second food and wine bloggers meeting

Pieter Fereira (bubbles) and Pete Goffe-Wood

Pieter Ferreira (bubbles) and Pete Goffe-Wood

Pieter Ferreira (Bubbles), kicked off the second food and wine bloggers meeting last week with his thoughts on the value of twitter and blogging. Ferreira paired his bubblies and Graham Beck wines with a selection of treats prepared by chef Liam Tomlin of Chefs Warehouse, the venue for our meeting.

Bubbles Ferreira started tweeting less than a year ago. At first he found his tweets useful in recalling his trip around the USA, and today used for harvest reports and travel, food and wine related news. Ferreira believes that a tweet should be newsworthy and not an exclamation about the sunshine in Cape Town as an example. Gradually he found that customers interacted with his tweets and this lead him to writing his blog.

“A blog should be on a website, live, and informing all the customers with your news”

Ferreira has made wine at Graham Beck for 20 years and clearly an authority on methode cap classique. Early in his career he earned the nickname ‘bubbles’, hence his twitter is @bubblesferreira.

Our second speaker, Pete Goffe-Wood impressed strong views on the value of blogs which review restaurants. His main concern being, a restaurant may receive a poor review by a blogger not equipped with the background cooking knowledge to write a precise critque. Goffe-Wood writes his blog for venting his opinions, such as corkage and guests not showing up for confirmed restaurant reservations. He prefers opinionated blogs which show some personality, rather than recipes and facts, both of which he can look up.

Pete Goffe-Wood is a judge for the Eat Out top ten award, runs kitchen cowboys and Wild Woods restaurant in Hout Bay.

The food and wine bloggers clubs meets every month, where two guest speakers present their views on twitter and blogging for 30 minutes each and then exchange information and questions with the 20 attendees. Please contact Chris von Ulmenstein for further information, email campsbay@whalecottage.com

1 Comment Posted in Restaurants, Uncategorized by Lesley Cox
Tagged Eat Out, Graham Beck, Kitchen Cowboys, Pete Goffe-Wood, Pieter Ferreira, Wild woods

29 Jun 10

Helen Zille addresses Cape Town press club – The impact of Fifa on Cape Town

Helen Zille addresses the Cape Town press club

At the Kelvin Grove, Newlands, Helen Zille welcomed the Cape Town press club and international journalists visiting Cape Town for the Fifa world cup. Sporting jeans and a Bafana Bafana soocer shirt with Zille on the back, she introduced herself briefly to allow the majority of time for questions from local media and international journalists.

“The biggest impact of the world cup on Cape Town has undoubtly been international perception of South Africa”.

Zille gave personal accounts of the comments she had received from international business people and media. Many interviews and international reports have been conducted with Table Mountain, the stadium,and the ocean in the background which will show the world the beauty of Cape Town.

Zille is not celebrating yet. She is a realist and we are only half way through the world cup. Zille will congratulate herself and others, only at the end of the world cup. In the meantime she is thinking about the 2011 and 2019 elections and the local issues of toilets. Domestic issues do not stop for the world cup.

A working day for Zille can start around 5am and finish anytime in the evening. She is not afraid of hard work and only stops if one of her children need her. Although they are grown up and independent now, they are her first priority.

The Cape Town stadium was not her first choice. Zille preferred to upgrade the Newlands stadium. However, with a combination of concerns about logistics and Fifa dictating an ultimatum of build on Greenpoint or Cape Town could not be a host city, Zille relented.

“I did not want to deprive Cape Town of being part of the world cup”

Cape town stadium in Greenpoint

The new stadium in Greenpoint was built so quickly as with Fifa they were able to bypass any red-tape to meet deadlines. This is not the same for local housing projects and Zille expressed her frustations of working with bureaucrats, gate keepers and the people who constanly raise objections.

The world cup courts have proved to be successful but have had a negative effect on local court cases. Due to a high police presence there have been few incidents, so magistrates have been tied up in these specially set up courts with relative little work, causing even further backlog for domestic cases.

As a child, Zille never involved herself in sports, but the Fifa world cup as shown her the positive influence that sport impacts the nation and individuals. Zille would like to look at developing young talent in sport.

When questioned by an international journalist about the shortfall in international fans and hotel occupancy being only 80%, Zille replied

“I am very pleased to hear that hotel occupancy has reached 80% as that is better than I expected. The fewer international visitors has meant that more Capetonians have been able to attend the matches which is something I am proud of”.

As always, Zille received a strong applause from the audience.

0 Comments Posted in Soccer news, Tourism news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Cape Town press club, Fifa, Helen Zille, Table Mountain

28 Jun 10

La Capra – new range of lifestyle wines from Fairview wine estate

La Capra - new range from Fairview wine estate

La Capra (goat in Italian) is a delicious new range of wines from Fairview wine estate. Priced between R35 and R42 per bottle, these lifestyle wines were produced for early enjoyment and a comfortable atmosphere.

La Capra was inpired by the legend Atilla Balebos, a bohemian character known for celebrating life – rustic, outdoors, music, and hard work! These values were the theme behind the creative launch of La Capra at Wembley Square in Gardens last week.

Bridget Back and Glenda van Blerk with musicians at launch of La Capra range of wines from Fairview wine estate

Bridget Back, dressed like a romantic gypsy, gave us a warm welcome to her caravan for the wine tasting. In this cosy setting, I relaxed with fellow blogger Glenda van Blerk and Fiona McDonald, while Bridget presented the wines; their viticulture and philosophy. The Chenin Blanc had an elegant fruity nose and a surprising creamy finish. The strawberry nose on the Pinotage rose was a delight, while the reds we so approachable it was difficult to select a favourite. The Cabernet Sauvignon was fruity with a soft finish. The Merlot was fuller-bodied having spent 12 months in French and American oak barrels.

La Capra label represents the inspiration behind the wine. Of course there is a goat! This time the goat is doing a balancing act with symbols representing the philosophy of La Capra. First, three oak barrels (quality wine), followed by a globe (travel), a violin (music and celebration), a farmer (hard work), a fork (the Goatshed restaurant), cheese (have you tasted Fairview cheese?), and finally a band.

There is something for everybody in this range, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage rose, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Merlot and Malbec. Currently available in Pick n’ Pay stores, and on special at Fairview wine estate with any six bottles for R200. Fairview wine estate is around 45 minutes by car from Cape Town, an ideal spot for couples and families looking for a picturesque setting for a tasting or lunch. Tel 021 863 2450

4 Comments Posted in Wine news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Bridget Back, Fairview, Glenda van Blerk, La Capra

25 Jun 10

Holland V Cameroon

The stadium looked like it had been painted orange

One could be forgiven for thinking the stadium had been painted orange yesterday as fans arrived last night covered in orange wigs, scarves, shirts and various array of national costumes. Looking closely, speckles of red, green and yellow were dotted around as Cameroon fans waved their flags and banners.

I talked to some of the fans around me and all were locals so it is difficult to say how many ventured from the Netherlands for the match.

The spirit of the game is not the same when the outcome has already been decided. On previous matches in the group, Hollands’s success to round 16 was confirmed and Cameroon knew they were going home after the match no matter the score. It was natural that the Dutch players did not want to risk injuries and yellow cards.

As fans exited the stadium to Bob Marley’s Could you be loved, they swapped cameras and took photos of each other in their costumes. There is something about a football match that encourages men to wear fancy costumes and dance!

The next few games should be entertaining as the remaining countries battle for the knock-out rounds.

0 Comments Posted in Soccer news by Lesley Cox

23 Jun 10

Portugal V North Korea

School children attend the match

While there was a noticable absence of Korean fans at the stadium, there was an abundance of excited well-behaved school children. Smartly dressed in their school uniforms they cheered when their Manchester United hero, Christiano Ronaldo ran onto the pitch.

One of the teachers explained they had entered a recycling competition and won 90 tickets for their school to attend this match.

The school children was all together at one end of the stadium

Situated all together at one end of the stadium, the youngsters were not disappointed when Portugal went on to score seven goals, five of the goals right in front of their goal area.

Cape Minstrels along the fan walk

It made a pleasant change to attend a match for a 1.30pm kick-off. All previous matches were at 8.30pm. The spirit of the fan walk in daylight was festive with muscians on route and a dominance of Portuguese flags and red and green colours.

During the match, the North Korean team fought back as hard as they could, but it was not to be their day. The Portuguese fans trumpeted their vuvuzelas and continued their celebrations long afterwards on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

The next game is on Thursday at 8.30pm – Holland V Cameroon

1 Comment Posted in Celebrity news, Soccer news by Lesley Cox
Tagged Christiano Ronaldo, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

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