In the Old South Africa, Black people were forced to carry passes, colloquially known as dompas (stupid pass) as part of influx control, a cornerstone of the Apartheid political system. In the empowered New South Africa, dompas have been superseded by Dom Pérignon, the flagship grande marquee bubbly from Moët.

In fact at last week’s Mining Indaba at the Cape Town International Conference Centre, we invited a dusky director to lunch at the Round House but she was less than enthusiastic when we were unsure whether Dom P was featured on the wine list of Joakim Hansi Blackadder, the restaurant’s stunning Swedish sommelier.

But Dom P is so last season for luvvies as Princess-to-be Charlene Wittstock (from either Benoni or Bulawayo, opinions are divided) will be downing Dombeya when she marries Prince Albert of Monaco in July. Su Birch, WOSA imbongi-in-chief, hit the nail on the head when she observed “The selection of a South African wine for a royal wedding is yet another endorsement of the great quality our top wineries can offer.”