WOSA hijack Northern Cape Cultural Patrimony

WOSA may have failed miserably marketing bottles of wine to the USA – the latest SAWIS numbers have sales of bottled wine stateside down a massive 13% over the past year, but at least they are directing their largesse at the US art scene rather than blowing it on expensive restaurant meals for themselves and their friends. The latest winning marketing ploy is a poetry writing competition with an all expanses paid 10 day trip to the Winelands for two lucky winners.

The world's first restaurant in the Northern Cape

The world’s first restaurant in the Northern Cape

The poetry competition doubles as a marketing drive for the Poetics iPhone app of Seth Indigo Carnes, a New York poet and successor to Patti Smith, known by his abbreviation SIC. Most suitable. R10 on iTunes, to enter the competition, make a wine poem using the Platter-approved adjectives “? does ice dream hot touch spiral is delicate my ing instrument or this sense to what !” If you’re under R35, you also stand a chance of winning R15K at the Veritas Young Winewriters Competition, too – a powerful incentive to take up permanent residence in SA.

But alas, as we’ve come to expect from WOSA, facts supplied to US wannabe poets are somewhat suspect. SIC says “we have over 15 different wine routes, where eco-tourism, outdoor adventure tourism are booming in our winelands. We have many unique culinary specialties like biltong, droëwors, koeksisters, rooibos tea, rusks, smileys, waterblommetjies and so much more. All are delicious and need to be experienced to get the flavor of the Cape. We love the outdoor life and are passionate about our “braais” (BBQ’s). The earliest archaeological evidence of a braai is to be found in South Africa at the Sterkfontein caves – making South Africans the original braai masters! Food and wine are a way of life in the Cape region. We have a great wine touring country and most wine estates have restaurants with incredible vineyard, mountain or ocean views.”

Well the planet’s first restaurant with a binnebraai was the Wonderwerkgat in the Northern Cape. Let’s hope the marketing department at the Orange River Cellars corrects WOSA and invites New York’s wannabe poets to experience the real deal of skilpaadjies and skaaptjops rather than smileys and nik naks.