Thursday’s Cape Legends trade show at the Lookout at the Cape Town Waterfront contained three IEDs (improvised explosive devices):
Resurrection of the VOC brand after the Dutch branch went bankrupt on December 31 1799;
Launch of Earthbound, the only Fairtrade organic wine brand in SA;
The pioneering presentation of wines by cultivar.
All the pay-to-plays like RMB WineX, Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival and the like present by brand, which makes comparative shopping onerous. So how ironic (but pleasant) to spend Friday afternoon putting the omelette back together again with Super Shelley (below) at the Gallery.
For November’s exhibition is Fleur du Cap & Vygies. Jan Vlok, world expert on vygies and vetplante, has chosen seven:
Koeispene (Glottiphyllum regium)
Haaibekkies (Gibbaeum pubescens)
Sonskynvygie; Sunset Mesemb (Drosanthemum bicolor)
Ghaap (Hoodia grandis)
Sosatiebos
Spekboom and
Sterretjiebos
While our pleasant task was to match them to the 7 wines in Fleur du Cap’s garden: a bracing Sauvignon Blanc 2013, a rich Chardonnay 2012 (our favourite white), green pea Semillon 2012, peachy Viogner 2012, savoury Merlot 2010, white peppery Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 and opulent Noble Late Harvest 2011 which is available by the glass at Societi Bistro where we celebrated kuddly Kamil’s 30th last night. Below you see him, somewhat overwhelmed by the surprise waiting for him in the snug.
What fun to pair vygies with bloggers, too. Even when a vetplant would be more appropriate. Imagine Fustilugs von Ulmenstein with a haaibekkie (doubly appropriate when one of your multiple personalities is a whale and the Latin name is pubescens, given his well-known fear of pubic hair which so easily blocks the showers of his dirty guest houses).
Fustilugs has such an aversion to pubics, he demanded one of our humorous blog posts be taken down forthwith by the Sunday Times last Women’s Day. Happy to report it’s still flying, bringing many minutes of mirth and joy to new generations of pubic topiarists. Confirming just how hard it is to censor the truth in SA, especially on the interwebs. Way to go, Fustilugs!
Meanwhile Naas Erasmus, baas of Cape Legends, reports great interest in his wines in Peru where they’re listed in the Wong chain of supermarkets. Wong, founded in 1942 by Chinese-Peruvian Erasmo Wong (no relation to Naas), now operates 79 stores in Lima. We sent our intrepid South American reporter Andy Rompel to last month’s trade show, but alas the S180 (R720) entry fee was way beyond budget. Especially when advertising on this blog is barter-based: wines for words. As Andy commented “Not worth it. Don’t tell Fridge, otherwise he’ll up the price for WINEX.”
