When it comes to marketing, whisky runs rings around wine. Remember when Wine magazine celebrated a big birthday shortly before it crashed and burned? Johnnie Walker owned the back cover. The same guerilla marketing thing happened at the SAA on board wine selection with give-aways miniatures of whisky. So how sweet to be handed a tasting glass at WhiskyLive this evening engraved WineX. Bernard Gutman, the genial face of Glen Grant, was the one to notice. Whisky Live is sponsored by FNB while WineX is a RMB enterprise. RMB owns FNB so this could explain the sharing of banking resources.

Or is impresario Michael Fridjhon expanding? Brandy and wine are already firmly in the domain of this most enterprising entrepreneur. Good luck if he has, for this is the market to go for: aspirational, enthusiastic, well-heeled. Although not too many black diamonds on show at the Cape Sun this evening.

Some interesting offerings. In addition to Glen Grant – stunning Major’s Reserve and a complex 10 year old – the Checkers Private Barrel Co. was showcasing amazing component single malts you’ve never heard of. Maven Marsh Midleton was the guru leading the tasting, last seen at Bascule Bar flying the Johnnie Walker Kings of Flavour Tardis. Confirming that whisky wonks are versatile and not tied to a single brand, but rather spreading the luv around.

Huge crush of punters at Kavalan – a Taiwanese whisky produced by the King Car group. No relation to the Tardis. Talk about drink-driving and make this my cynical entry into the Brandhouse Responsible Drinking Media Awards, why don’tya. Also huge interest in local potation Three Ships with the five year old of Andy Watts getting rave reviews from passing wonks. Fortunately the show is running for another two nights, so plenty of time to revist the wee drams we skipped.