Revolution narrowly avoided in Upington

Reading Bidet on the Airlink flight this morning from Johannesburg to Upington to judge Tops at Spar Orange River Winemaker of the Year with SA’s most active overseas wine taster Fiona McDonald (below).  Bidet was devoted to a campaign against government plans to ban alcohol advertising and when you check out the special edition of the Wanted supplement devoted to luxury watches, a bigger scam that single malts and exotic perfumes combined, the reason for Bidet’s enthusiasm is clear.  Four full colour glossy pages of ads for Jameson Select Reserve Whiskey and a further half page in the Upfront section.  “Well they would say that, wouldn’t they” springs to mind, as Mandy Rice-Davies might have said.  Who will pay for the editor’s La-Z-Boy recliner if not imported Whiskey?

IMG_1279

Gave up on the boring lecture from the Wine Lizard who was busy scoring points off the editor of the SA Medical Journal, Janet Seggie, for putting her decimal points in the wrong place than addressing the issues and turned rather to the more rational and readable Torque column of David Gleason. The difference between a professional and amateur is immediately obvious and David hit the nail on the head when he focused on the loss of advertising revenue by sport and cultural activities and… newspapers. Bidet should ask David to write about wine.

IMG_1281

Learnt from David that the unemployment rate in SA is 37% with is the same as the number of fortified Muscadels we scored blind this afternoon at the Upington winery of Orange River Cellars.  11 Muscadels out of 30 finalists.  7 Whites, 11 Reds and one museum class Viognier.  Although up here, a museum wine is anything older than current vintage.  Urban legend over lunch on the banks of the Groot Gariep insisted that the revolution will start when unemployment hits 40%. Which in wine terms is 12 Muscadels in a final of 30 wines.  So we missed the revolution by a single wine.  Phew!

IMG_1283