The wine exhibition scene in Johannesburg has been seriously shaken up by the news that the Stellenbosch Wine Route is to return to Johannesburg after an absence of many years. Well to Hyde Park actually and the Las Vegas-style mansion of the late Marino Chiavelli, according to Christa Naudé of American Express Stellenbosch Wine Routes.

Christa Naudé

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from Sanlam, the mountains (Helderberg, Simonsberg, Jonkershoek etc) have decided to come to Mohammad Moneybags in Gauteng for a two night show on November 9 and 10, two weeks after WineX in Sandton.

And who can blame them, after the recent collapse of another distributor The Ultimate Wine Company who went down the plughole owing Stellenbosch producers like Blaauwklippen, Kaapzicht and Stellenbosch Hills many millions of Rand. The farmers have decided to cut out another layer of middlemen and deal directly with retailers and the public in the most lucrative market for SA wine, Johannesburg, City of Gold.