Ex Animo Wine Co.

I first met David Clarke a few years ago when I traded him lessons on wine (he is a sommelier, after all) for Afrikaans lessons. He’d just moved to SA – married to an Afrikaans-speaking local and he wanted to improve his local lingo. Packed schedules eventually got the better of us both and we only really had a few lessons, but his incredibly knowledge and honest, down-to-earth love for wine stayed with me. Back to present day, David and his wife Jeannette have started Ex Animo Wine Co. and they’ve been bloody busy since. They had their first trade show in early March and it was packed to the rafters with some of the most exciting and enjoyable wines I’ve encountered in ages.

First, a bit of an intro for Ex Animo. I think of them as “not just another wine company”. In their own words: “…work with and represent a select group of producers who are passionate about vineyards and aspire to reflect them in the cellar.” and “Our aim is to get South Africans to drink better wine, thus quality ‘in the glass’ is paramount.”. 

This vision translates into Ex Animo sourcing some of the most exciting, talked about and paradigm-shifting wines, wineries and wine-makers to be involved with. Each partner reflects the core idea that David and Jeannette have in mind: getting SA to drink better wine through service, knowledge and education. It’s impossible to miss the love these two have for the wine industry and it’s hard to not get excited when chatting to either of them about wine. Their trade show was a collection of the new, the unexpected and in some cases (I’m looking at you, Testalonga El Bandito), the downright incomparable. The complete list of producers featured at the trade tasting is at the end of the post. Choosing out special mentions is tricky (the merits of the likes of Julien Schaal, Testalonga El Bandito and Thorne&Daughters is no surprise to anyone), so I’ll just go for the ones I enjoyed the most – which is also tricky because the wines were all exceptional in their own way.

Craven Wines – I fell in love with their Pinot Noir last year, while continuing a stormy and tumultuous relationship with the heart-break grape. I still love it as much as the first time I tasted it. I also had the chance to taste their Clairette Blanche, which I found fresh and fascinating.

Lammershoek – They brought the longest wine list to the show and I worked diligently through all of them. They make a Hárslevelü (the only other winery I’m aware of that makes one is Lemberg in Tulbagh), the unusual nature of the wine is quite noticeable though it’s probably not to everyone’s taste. As recent self-appointed champion for rosé and Blanc de Noir wines, the LAM Rosé 2013 was a great find, good strong acidity and just the faintest hint of spice from the Syrah with a great finish. The Bush Vines Chenin Blanc was by far my favourite though, good body and a complexity that makes it moreish and engaging.

Spioenkop – Elgin based producer, crazy Belgian Koen Roose makes wines in more a French style (though I wouldn’t presume to try and box their wines in too tightly). The vibrant, cool climate Pinotage 2013 stuck with me, an elegant wine made more like a Pinot Noir than it’s progeny normally is.

I adore what Ex Animo are doing, I think it’s exciting to see people with the knowledge and the (ugh…I hate this next word, but in this case it is authentically appropriate) passion of the Clarke’s doing their bit to breathe new life into industry, adding to the mix in ways that ultimately means that we – the wine consumers – are in for a treat.

The Ex Animo Trade Tasting was held on the 9th of March, 2015 and feature the following producers: Craven, Intellego, JH Meyer Signature Wines, Julien Schaal, Lammershoek, Restless River, Skinny Legs, Spioenkop, Testalonga El Bandito, Thorne & Daughters, Trizanne Signature Wines. The Ex Animo website will be launched soon. For more information, contact David or Jeannette.

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Winestyle Summer Winedown 2015

Early Autumn is creeping around the corner slowly and the lovely people from Wine-Style have just the event to wind down summer. The Wine-Style Summer Winedown 2015 has it all. Gorgeous setting, all the wines you could wish for and the makings of a most fantastic, enjoyable and wine-filled day out. Block out 20-21 March in your diaries, because you don’t want to miss out on this indulgent day of relaxation.

Hosted at the gorgeous Tintswalo Waterfall in Kyalami, the Summer Winedown promises to be more than just another wine event. The focus is on a lazy day out, celebrating the end of summer and lazing about with family and friends, enjoying the music, the vibe and (of course) the wine.

Normal entry is R120 per person but there are EARLY BIRD TICKETS available at R85 pp until the end of February. Tickets can be booked via Webtickets.

Grab your tickets, grab a few extra for those slow-poke family and friends who are always forgetting to do things and meet up to wave goodbye to summer in the most stylish way.

• Venue: Tintswalo Waterfall – Kyalami, Gauteng
• Date: 20t^h & 21st of March 2015 (Friday 6 -10pm & Saturday 12-7 pm)
• Dress Code: White with a touch of Bright
• Tickets: R86 (Early Bird) or R120

For more information, check out Winestyle’s website or contact Kalinka or Theshni

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Nederburg Estate, Paarl

Are you (like myself) a professional procrastinator? Or did the speed with which 2015 took off leave you reeling and not noticing the days ticking by towards the 14th of February? Is Januworry posthumously eating away at your February budget? Or are you just not that good at the morantic missions associated with the month of luuuuurve? Never fear. You can still save your heart-shaped-candied bacon. Picnics are still THE romantic go-to activities. And Nederburg has an excellent one lined up for tomorrow. (Pssssst…and because they have such huge lawns, they still have space available…if you book now!)

The Red Table at Nederbug is dishing up a fantastic al fresco Valentines dining experience until Sunday the 15th of February. They are lunch only, with one exception on Valentine’s day where evening picnics are a go.

The picnic consists of a generous amount of delicious cheeses, preserves, crackers and bread, two salads (one with butternut, beetroot and feta and the other a spectacularly fresh mango salsa styled salad), a mouth-watering individual quiche and a delectably decadent chocolate brownie which may or may not be laced with love potion, because I definitely fell for the chocolate treat on the spot. I wish I could have paid more attention to the details of each treat but I was too preoccupied with depositing said treats in my mouth.

Each picnic also comes with a bottle of Nederburg Premiére Cuvee Brut, a perfect picnic bubbly: crisp, fresh and delicious.

Picnics are R250 pp (order and pay 24 hours in advance) and you can book on 021 877 5155 or email The Red Table directly. Space is still available thanks to the expansive lawns, but don’t leave booking a moment longer as bookings are filling up fast.

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#SecretStellies – The Setting

‘Tis the season and all that, but if you’re like me and you’re struggling to get into the Christmas spirit (but you also desperately don’t want to be a grinch) then I may have just the solution for you. You see, while I love and have always loved the Festive season, I must admit that this being a grown-up gig has taken some of the magic out of the whole thing. Work, deadlines, last minute crises. And let’s not talk about the anxiety of figuring out leave and holiday arrangements. Bah! Humbug! Hardly things that make me want to wrap myself in tinsel and sing Fa-la-la-la-laaaa. So how do we combat The Grinch at this truly lovely time of year? What could we do to dust off the anxiety and “meh-ness” of 2014 and get ready to have some summer fun in the gorgeous winelands? Lucky for you all, I have a secret. It’s called #SecretStellies and it might just put you in the summer festive season mood.

#SecretStellies is a little project dreamt up by Lydia from Beau Joubert. I could write endless posts about the endless talents of this remarkable wine-lover but for now, just take note of her marvellous idea: Secret Stellenbosch. The idea is to showcase the real hidden gems of the area. With nearly 150 wine farms on the official Stellenbosch Wine Route, there is more than enough to see and do to keep any wandering wino busy for months. Visitors are often drawn to the bigger, more well-known farms simply because they’re hard to miss. Of course they also offer quality wines, activities and are well worth a visit. But smaller wineries that may not have the word-of-mouth presence of the more popular ones are often skipped. #SecretStellies aims to uncover these secret treasures of the winelands and give the public a little insight on what they may be missing.

The first #SecretStellies day out was organised with military precision and focused on the Polkadraai Hills area of Stellenbosch. We simply had to make our way to Beau Joubert – the first of three stops – and the rest would be taken care of by The Amazing Lydia.  At BJ we were treated not only to a tasting of their wines and a nice gab about the whole #SecretStellies concept, but we were among the first people ever to taste the very first MCC from Beau Joubert. And let me tell you, it certainly was worth the wait. If you’d like to know more, keep an eye on the Beau Joubert Twitter feed. After sampling their mind-bogglingly fantastic value for money wines (seriously, most of them are R100 or less at cellar door. I highly recommend the Chenin Blanc, the Shiraz and the “Free-run” Merlot Rosé.) we took a leisurely stroll down the road to the neighbouring Bein wines, where they had a special experience waiting for us.

Bein Private Cellar is exactly the type of winery that sits at the heart of the #SecretStellies idea; a small operation run by Luca and Ingrid Bein – Swiss veterinarians who fell in love with South Africa and moved here to study and make wine. Their focus is Merlot and they produce a fantastic selection. Bein also offers an unusual winelands experience: a donkey walk. The donkey walk takes visitors on a walk through the vineyards, up to a lookout point and picnic spot. The donkeys carry delicious picnic fare and when you reach the top, Ingrid and Luca unpack the spread and the wine and a little feast is had, overlooking the magnificent surroundings. A good time was had by all, relaxing under the trees and digesting not only the nibbles but the view. You only have to chat with the Beins for 5 minutes to uncover their love for South Africa and their enthusiasm for wine. A visit to Bein Private cellar and a donkey walk should be on everyone’s summer to-do list.

Once we rolled ourselves back down the hill (after being fed beyond elegant sufficiency with the lovely picnic) we were loaded into and onto a bakkie and whisked off to Saxenburg for a Safari Wine tasting. And no, this is not some metaphoric comparison of the Saxenburg wines with The Big Five. Oh no. The tastings are held in a game camp with zebra, antelope and other wild game trotting about around you. No rhinos, elephants or wild cats of course, but if you sit back and stare into the veld, it’s difficult to imagine you’re in the winelands and not at a luxury game lodge.

We indulged in a tasting of Saxenburg’s finest, including their truly fantastic MCC (at R180 a bottle it really is a brilliant buy – unfortunately the label design does let it down immensely as it does not visually present itself as a near-R200 bottle of bubbles, but DO give it a try if you encounter it at your local. It gives the other bubbles in that price class a real run for their money!). Saxenburg has a great selection of wines, from a creamy Chardonnay to a supremely elegant Cabernet Sauvignon which on their own make the estate worth a visit.

And with the view of zebras in the distance (and the kerfuffle of finding of an ostrich egg next to the camp), our #SecretStellies day ended. I’ve always known that Stellenbosch – in fact, all the winelands areas – are a heady mix of the historic, the well-known, the crowd-pleasers, the small and obscure. The #SecretStellies adventure reminded me that the hidden gems must be discovered and talked about. A little exposure will hardly turn them into commercial punters but rather serve to share the secrets they hold with the world. And when that happens, everybody wins.

So if you’re short on some summer Christmas cheer, I recommend a visit to one of these secret spots. It might be just what the doctor Santa ordered . Ho, ho, ho!

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A Particularly Gorgeous Meme Example

I have a soft spot for memes.  I love them. They tickle my funny bone in the best way and they are EVERYWHERE.  Condescending Wonka, Bad Luck Brian, Skeptical Baby, Grumpy Cat… the list is endless. If you’re not sure what I’m on about, do click over to the Memesly.com list of popular memes. But be warned, you may lose hours of productivity…

With the rise of meme hilarity on the internet, people have (as one does on the internet) started making their own memes. Meme generators are everywhere, where you can choose or insert an image and add a caption. Knowing this, I did a little giveaway on the SuperFANS mailing list. We were generously given 5 more double sets of tickets to pass on to deserving SuperFANS (in addition to our previous Magic of Bubbles giveaway). And the winners were chosen through trial by meme!

Here are a few of the best entries I received. A fantastic exercise in MCC driven creativity.

First up was a classic Doge meme:

Then a spectacular cat gif, which really clinched the tickets for the entrant:

A touch of Gatsby never hurt anyone:

And a bit of wrestling action, underlining the important difference between Champagne and our local offerings:

Batman educating Robin on that selfsame difference:

And finally, Ned Stark pointing out important MCC drinking etiquette:

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Magic of Bubbles

Summer is upon us, dearest winos and readers, and few things are as summery and refreshing as the Magic of Bubbles. Whether your taste is expensive and French or divine and local, we are heading into bubbly season. And there’s no better place to get your fizzy on than at the Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival.  The festival takes place on the lawns around the Huguenot Monument on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November. Read on, because I have two double tickets to give away…

The festival promises to be nirvana for those who seek the pleasure of bubbles. Not only will classic French Champagne – the likes of Piper Heidsieck, Champagne Guy Charbaut and Veuve Clicquot – be represented, but also some of the best MCC South Africa has to offer: Pierre Jourdan, Morena, Môreson, La Motte, Boschendal, Leopard’s Leap, Noble Hill, Plaisir de Merle, Anthonij Rupert Wines, Graham Beck Wines, Krone, Pongracz, Simonsig, Steenberg and Villiera. A veritable who’s who of the precious liquid.

Some of Franschhoek’s star restaurants will also be there to ensure festival goers are well fed with delicious menus. Bread & Wine, The Salmon Bar, Haute Cabrière, Le Franschhoek, L’Ermitage, Restaurant at Grand Provence and Mont Rochelle are only a few of those who will be fuelling the hungry Champagne-seekers.

The theme of this year’s festival is Black & White, with the focus on parasols and panama hats. There is even a ‘Best Dressed’ competition, with the best dressed couples on Friday and Saturday walking away with a 2-night safari at Ngala Safari Lodge.

Is your mouth watering yet? Are you thirsty for some luxurious treats? Tickets are R200 pp and are available through Webtickets. But how about you try your luck instead? The fabulous folks from MasterCard and the festival have given me TWO DOUBLE TICKETS to give away for entry to the festival on SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER. To enter, you need to:

1. Comment on this post and describe to us why you love the precious, fizzy liquid this festival is all about. Be creative, put your heart into it and make me feel the love. Best entry wines.
2. Share this post on Twitter and/or Facebook. You can share the link in your own tweet, or copy and paste the one below:

The Magic of Bubbles awaits! Enter to win double tickets to the #FHKBubby festival http://bit.ly/1xd3SQD

Competition closes Friday 14 November, winners will be chosen and notified via email/Twitter. Please note, tickets will not be transferrable for the Saturday, so ensure you are available the Sunday.

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Haut Espoir

This past Thursday, wine lovers from all over SA joined up virtually – via the Twittersphere (a twitter wine tasting!) – to swirl, sniff, sip, gurgle, gulp and imbibe in a handful of Haut Espoir offerings. The Incogvino SuperFANS were offered their pick of Haut Espoir wines a few weeks ago. Rob and his team put together two fantastic “Fan Boxes” for the SuperFANS to choose from. One was a Shiraz vertical box, with vintages from ’05-’09 (of which ’08 and ’09 are unlabelled and unreleased) and a bottle of Gentle Giant 2009 to round it off. The other box was more a mixed bag: Shiraz 2007, Gentle Giant 2009 (two bottles), Chardonnay 2010, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 and a very special, not-released-commercially, botrytis Semillon Solera white port. Orders were put in and records were broken. Our SuperFANS have always been partial to buying a few bottles of wine when the Fan Boxes come around, but this time they outdid themselves. 73 Fan Boxes were sold. Most of those in the first two days of the offer.

Orders rolled in, invoices were sent off, EFT’s went flying and deliveries were dispatched all over the country. The date was set and the SuperFANS were prepping in all earnestness for #TasteHautEspoir. The Twitter tastings have come a long way and they have become events where wine drinkers gather, prepare special dinners to pair with the wines being tasted and invite friends to join the experience. #TasteHautEspoir was no exception. Here’s what went down, in tweets and images:

Breathing @hautespoir for tonight’s @WeAreIncogvino #TwitterTasting pic.twitter.com/wS1EFvn5n6

— samuraibunny (@samuraibunny) September 4, 2014

All set up and ready for thirsty super fans , #tastehautespoir is almost ready to roll. pic.twitter.com/IBFp9QYytQ

— Rob Armstrong (@rambowine) September 4, 2014

Previously on #TasteHautEspoir … When pepper autocorrects to people, one of the greatest Twitter wine moments pic.twitter.com/v1rI7YLuQl

— Incogvino (@WeAreIncogvino) September 4, 2014

@WeAreIncogvino behold the enabler. #TasteHautEspoir pic.twitter.com/GUmcDWkili

— Antony Stiglingh (@AntonyStiglingh) September 4, 2014

#TasteHautEspoir pic.twitter.com/zHgwGTBWiX

— Ross Murray (@RossMurray12) September 4, 2014

Note book of questions ready. Also, I brought out the big glass. #tastehautespoir @WeAreIncogvino pic.twitter.com/x3L1MiHAhs

— Lydia Coetzee (@greenlydia) September 4, 2014

#tastehautespoir on your marks…..get set ….. pic.twitter.com/cHufY5vb2E

— Rob Armstrong (@rambowine) September 4, 2014

#tastehautespoir @Tankerhoek ok, Wine ous East London on THE STARTING BLOCKS!

— Rosemary (@rersomewhere) September 4, 2014

Ladies and gentlemen… It’s time for #TasteHautEspoir – your hosts, @andyhadfield & @rambowine! Buckle up! pic.twitter.com/CayRyTRVWG

— Incogvino (@WeAreIncogvino) September 4, 2014

It seems like a lot of wine for the 2 of us, but we’ll give it our best shot! @Pauladca #TasteHautEspoir #WineOClock pic.twitter.com/2X67shyksI

— Brian Arentsen (@Bargainstein) September 4, 2014

“@WineOuEL: @Tankerhoek wine ous at the ready! pic.twitter.com/rUQ6AyiCgg” 1st timers!!! #TasteHautEspoir

— Tim (@Tankerhoek) September 4, 2014

Our Shiraz 500 litre Barrels sitting nicely #tastehautespoir pic.twitter.com/2n4IvUNqU0

— Rob Armstrong (@rambowine) September 4, 2014

Some more barrels for the superfans #tastehautespoir this is the chard and gg room pic.twitter.com/xV7fJNBVXU

— Rob Armstrong (@rambowine) September 4, 2014

Wine ready and first course ready to go- just waiting on guests #TasteHautEspoir pic.twitter.com/3NSq89yeZh

— Karen H (@CandidKar) September 4, 2014

This. #TasteHautEspoir @WeAreIncogvino @rambowine pic.twitter.com/ngNIPzLyNl

— Lydia Coetzee (@greenlydia) September 4, 2014

Our #TasteHautEspoir dinner. Steak done to perfection with mushroom sauce to blow your mind. Thanks @AntonyStiglingh pic.twitter.com/M7S1UUr8Qd

— Marthèlize Tredoux (@Konfytbekkie) September 4, 2014

Bargie’s Rump & Chorizo Trinchado ready to complement the ’07 Shiraz. #TasteHautEspoir Busy cooking & wining eve…. pic.twitter.com/6Fh3LQ4N0F

— Brian Arentsen (@Bargainstein) September 4, 2014

So what’s everyone think about the #TasteHautEspoir Gentle Giant ’09?

— Incogvino (@WeAreIncogvino) September 4, 2014

@WeAreIncogvino the GG is drinking beautifully. “Christmas Cake in a glass” is @Pauladca‘s angle. Cloves & cherries…. #TasteHautEspoir

— Brian Arentsen (@Bargainstein) September 4, 2014

The GG09 is a very clean wine. Great balance, soft finish and just a really fresh feeling left for such a complex wine #TasteHautEspoir

— Marthèlize Tredoux (@Konfytbekkie) September 4, 2014

Gotta say, I am SERIOUSLY impressed with the food you guys have put on. We need to have meet ups. Where you cook. #TasteHautEspoir

— Incogvino (@WeAreIncogvino) September 4, 2014

Witness… The REAL Poor Man’s Decanter. Shiraz 08 brewing. Bow, people! #TasteHautEspoir pic.twitter.com/K5zfPaM9fx

— Andy Hadfield (@andyhadfield) September 4, 2014

Tastes awesome with homemade ravioli w chorizo,coriander pesto&mush!Beaut w white pepper taste of 06 #TasteHautEspoir pic.twitter.com/4eqLFKCEVw

— Karen H (@CandidKar) September 4, 2014

Spot the spittoon #tastehautespoir pic.twitter.com/WduDvHATYL

— Wine (@WineOuEL) September 4, 2014

#TasteHautEspoir third course with a spicy prawn soup with the 07 shiraz cant wait pic.twitter.com/oQZvN37Atu

— Robert Obree (@RobertObree) September 4, 2014

The vertical shirazes are going down a treat #tastehautespoir pic.twitter.com/2x1su18j2Z

— Rob Armstrong (@rambowine) September 4, 2014

Righto. Everyone’s been waiting for it… NEXT! Time for the Shiraz 2007 on #TasteHautEspoir

— Incogvino (@WeAreIncogvino) September 4, 2014

@rambowine that is impossibly well priced. It is face-smashingly good. At that price my face is prepped for much smashing #tastehautespoir

— Antony Stiglingh (@AntonyStiglingh) September 4, 2014

@Konfytbekkie Also love the fact that they don’t rush their wines to market. Mature, flavour packed & ready to drink. #TasteHautEspoir

— Brian Arentsen (@Bargainstein) September 4, 2014

Here at Incogvino JHB HQ, someone just said re #TasteHautEspoir Shiraz 07: Menthol cigarette doing the cha cha on my tongue. Yes. That.

— Incogvino (@WeAreIncogvino) September 4, 2014

With all due respect: this Shiraz 07 kicks the GG09’s butt… Wow. Wow. #TasteHautEspoir

— Xivoni (@xivoni111) September 4, 2014

This Shiraz knows my secrets. Every sip is like a conversation with an old friend. #TasteHautEspoir

— Lydia Coetzee (@greenlydia) September 4, 2014

@rambowine that’s daylight (lowers shades)…ROBery. I’m here all night. Norequests. #TasteHautEspoir

— Antony Stiglingh (@AntonyStiglingh) September 4, 2014

This is happening right now. #tastehautespoir pic.twitter.com/90wkp5XXE3

— Lydia Coetzee (@greenlydia) September 4, 2014

@WeAreIncogvino @rambowine Thanx all #SuperFans, been a fun wine engagement! The GG rules the roost! #TasteHautEspoir pic.twitter.com/NAvvujTQdn

— Brian Arentsen (@Bargainstein) September 4, 2014

Haut Espoir is a boutique wine farm in Franschhoek, entirely family run, with the focus on making the best wine possible (and a spot of buchu brandy on the side). They’re also known for their conservation efforts, restoring fynbos on the farm, their BWI accreditation and simply for crafting truly fantastic wines. Even in an industry that is built on passion, you will be hard pressed to find a more passionate team than Rob and his family. For more information, visit their website or follow Rob (@rambowine) or the farm (@hautespoir) on Twitter.

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Haut Espoir Shiraz 2007

Yes, you guessed it. The time has come for another #SuperFANS Twitter tasting. We’ll be hashtagging it tomorrow night (Thursday 4 September) with SuperFANS from around SA, digging into their Haut Espoir stash and sharing thoughts, opinions, tasting notes and sprinklings of white people.. err… pepper… (you had to be there).

For those not in the know, SuperFAN Twitter tastings are a fun li’l thing we do every two months or so. Our gobsmackingly fantastic member farms treat us to a special fan pack, filled with liquid treasure. We then pick two or three wines from the packs and set them aside for tasting on the night. A date and time is agreed upon by all the SuperFANS and on the night, we take to Twitter from all over the country. We sniff, swirl, squint, tweet, type, drink, hiccup and gulp our way through the wines and the whole thing plays out real-time, online.

Our lineup for tomorrow night’s tasting is as follows:

2009 Gentle Giant
2007 Shiraz
Bonus round: 2008 Shiraz (to do a mini “vertical” tasting and compare years)

Last time around, we did #TasteLithos, possibly our most interactive tasting yet. 15,236 saw #TasteLithos and the potential reach was 26,958. That’s not half bad. And I think that #TasteHautEspoir will be topping those numbers.

If you’re NOT a SuperFAN, but you want to see what all the fuss is about, follow the hashtag #TasteHautEspoir from 19:00 on Thursday 4 September. If you have some of the Haut Espoir up for tasting lying around, feel free to join in! We’re not exclusive or snobby, we think we’re pretty cool. And if you want to become a SuperFAN and be in on the action with special fan packs, events and tastings, roll on over to our contact page and give us a shout, and we’ll add you to the list. No spam, nary a newsletter or unwanted content. Just super content.

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FNB Whisky Live Showroom

While this website has its roots firmly planted in wine, the content and appreciation is definitely not limited to said precious liquid. We here at Incogvino do not discriminate between alcoholic beverages and especially not against whisky. Or whiskey. Whichever you prefer. With that in mind, it’s nearly time for the net FNB Whisky Live festival. These annual events are held in Cape Town, Durban, Nelspruit, Sandton and now also Soweto. To celebrate the upcoming FNB Whisky Live Showroom in Soweto, we’re giving away two sets of double tickets to two Incogvino winos (Whiskiers? Whiskos? Whiskocvinos?)

The 2014 FNB Whisky Live Showroom in Soweto will take place at the Walter Sisulu Hall from the 15th to the 17th of August. Moving to a slightly smaller venue than the 2013 event, this promises to be a bit more intimate a setting for whisky lovers, but also means tickets will be limited. To make sure you don’t miss out on this event you can a) enter our Incogvino Twitter competition (details below) or b) secure your place by booking online.

Attendees can look forward to an impressive line-up of international whiskies, including Glenlivet, Bains Mountain Whisky, Balblair and Glenfiddich, to name only a few of many. This event is a great one for anyone to attend, whether you’re a long-time connoisseur or if you’re just starting on our journey of whisky appreciation, it will be a great opportunity to learn, enjoy and indulge.

Tickets for the festival are R150 if you book online and R170 at the door (if there are any left!). Ticket prices include a complimentary tasting glass (of course, how else would you taste the marvellous offerings?), a 2014 SA Whisky Handbook (that will come in handy!), a 500ml bottle of Valpré Spring Water (the key to a good whisky festival is hydration…), 15 tasting vouchers (that’s a lot of whisky) and a bonus 10% discount on any purchases made at the Showroom’s Whisky Shop OR on the Whisky Shop website.

Sound good? Keen to go? Feeling lucky? Then it’s competition time!

Entering for a chance to win one of two sets of double tickets to the FNB Whisky Live Showroom in Soweto (on the Friday 15 August) is as easy as falling off a whisky barrel. All you need to do is:

1. Tweet us @WeAreIncogvino using the hashtag #WantToWhisky and tell us why you want to whisky in Soweto on the 15th of August. Go nuts, be creative or just express your love for whisky in one crazy tweet.
2. For a bonus entry, comment below and tell us your funn(i)est whisky story. 

Entries close on Wednesday morning at 11:00. Winners will be contacted via Twitter and email. Please ensure that you will be able to attend the event in Soweto on the 15th of August. 

*Images and event information courtesy of Tribeca Public Relations*

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CWG Auction Showcase 2014

For the most part, I feel that day-to-day winos don’t really think much about wine auctions. Personally, I’m not too phased by the amounts spent on wine at auctions, it’s just that I don’t have that type of cash to spend (at least, not all at once), so the word “auction” inspires a mental separation of sorts. A bit of “that’s nice” and then I move on to something more relevant to me. Like the bottle of bubbly in my fridge. I started taking notice of the Cape Winemaker’s Guild auction last year when I attended my first CWG Auction Showcase. It was exciting, engaging and excellent. It’s almost time for the 2014 CWG Showcase, so let me tell you a bit more about what to expect.

But first, let me tell you about the Cape Winemakers Guild. It is made up of 45 members, representing arguably some of the top winemakers in the country. Not only are they often on the forefront of innovation and promotion of South African wines, but they also have a development trust supporting social development in the winelands, as well as a protégé programme which allows young, aspiring winemakers to work alongside the guild members, all masters in their field.

2014 will see the 30th CWG auction, so this has been around for a while. A well-known event in industry, the auction itself has enjoyed a growing popularity in the public eye over the past few years.  This is likely due  to the public tasting of the auctions wines, serving to not only introduce consumers to the guild and their wines but also drum up some excitement for the auction itself.

Last year’s auction smashed previous records, bringing in more than R8 million. 82% of the wines on offer were bought by local buyers, of which the biggest spender was Alan Pick of The Butcher Shop and Grill in Sandton. He shelled out R1 357 600 to claim his share of the loot. The auction also raised a shade under R200 000 on they day for their protégé programme, including a R60 000 price fetched for  a special 18-litre once-off blend called the 2011 Members’ Reserve at the Charity Auction.

Some of my personal highlights from the 2013 showcase included the following wines:

• AA Badenhorst Family White Grenache – Vuilgoed 2012
• Vriesenhof Pinot Noir 2008
• Saronsberg CWG Viognier 2011
• Mullineux Family White Blend 2011
• Boplaas Ox Wagon Auction Reserve Potstill Brandy 8 Year

The 2014 CWG Auction Showcase will be held in Cape Town on Thursday 21 August at the CTICC and in Johannesburg on Wednesday 27 August at The Atrium, Nedbank Head Offices. Tickets are R170 pp and includes a tasting glass. You can book for both events on WebTickets. Wines that have been selected for the auction will be on offer from the 45 member farms (see the full list below).

For more information, check out the Cape Winemakers Guild website or contact their head office on 021 852 0408. Images courtesy of GC Communications.

CWG member farms are: Kanonkop, AA Badenhorst Family Wines, Mullineux Family Wines, Paul Cluver Estate Wines, Hermanuspietersfontein, Nitida, Beyerskloof, Groot Constantia, Overgaauw, The Drift Fram, Boplaas, Hartenberg, De Grendel, Rust en Vrede, Kaapzicht, Edgbaston, Cederberg Private Cellar, De Trafford, Saronsberg Cellar, Cape Point Vineyards, Le Riche Wines, Spier, Jordan, Cape Chamonix, Boschkloof, Vriesenhof, Villiera, Grangehurst, Kleine Zalze, Simonsig, Steenberg, Waterford, Ataraxia, Louis Wines, Ernie Els, Boekenhoutskloof, Tokara, Neil Ellis, Lanner Hill, Luddite Wines, Bouchard Finlayson, Rijk’s Private Cellar, Graham Beck, Strydom Vineyards, Teddy Hall Wines.

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