Who Els?
Ok, the title is a bit cliché but I just couldn’t think of anything Els 
Jokes aside. To those of you are who are not familiar with international golfing figures, allow me to introduce you to Ernie Els, perhaps South Africa’s greatest golfing export.
What does Ernie have to do with wine you might ask? Well, a fair deal these days. Besides his own Ernie Els wine brand headed up by winemaker Louis Strydom, he owns the Stellenbosch restaurant The Big Easy which opened its doors just two years ago.
I must confess that I’ve never tasted any wines from the Ernie Els collection, but am curious to know if the wines stand up to the reputation behind the South African golfing legend. Perhaps you’ve had the opportunity to taste some wines from the Ernie Els collection? If so, post your comments below and let us know!
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Dorp Street MCC and Champagne Festival
In keeping with last weeks Champagne theme, here’s your invitation to the inaugural Dorp Street MCC and Champagne Festival!
In 1971 South Africa’s premier wine producing region, Stellenbosch, released the country’s first wine modeled on the famous sparkling wines of the Champagne region in France. 39 years later, we have the privilege of announcing the arrival of the inaugural Dorp Street MCC and Champagne.
The event provides a platform for a small group of like-minded people (only 200 tickets available), who share the same passions, lifestyle, needs and desires to network and enjoy some fine exponents of this style of wine. It is sure to become a social highlight on the annual South African wine calendar.
Starts: 28 August 2010 18h00
Ends: 28 August 2010 21h00
Location: Black Horse Centre, c/o Dorp and Market Street.
Cost:
R400 per person for the Informal Tasting; additional R250 per person for the Formal Tutored Tasting.
For more information contact Inke Gouws on 079 268 3779; inke@inkegouwschampagne.co.za.
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Oldest Bottle of Bubbly Discovered!
Said to be the oldest drinkable Champagne in the world, about 30 bottles of Veuve Clicquot were brought up by divers from an 18th century shipwreck off Åland, an autonomous Baltic island between Sweden and Finland. The Champagne is said to date back to between 1772 and 1788.
The divers wasted no time and cracked open a bottle at the surface. How did it taste you might ask? One of the divers, Christian Ekström, was quoted to say:
“It was fantastic… it had a very sweet taste, you could taste oak and it had a very strong tobacco smell. And there were very small bubbles.”
A bottle has been sent to France for analysis, and according to wine experts, if the age of Champagne can be confirmed, each bottle would fetch around 69 000 USD at auction. Any bidders? 
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Cork Just Got Sexy
Recycled cork has never been this sexy. A Portuguese designer has created a line of sexy lingerie made from nothing but cork, and specially designed for use in strip-tease occasions. That’s right, that cork you popped last Christmas has now found its way into the underwear draws of the Eco-conscious eager to strip. The aim of the project is to raise funds for the protection of endangered forests.
To view the strip video’s and to order your own unique pair of sexy cork underwear, see the video below…
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
China Thirsty for More
China continues to show impressive growth in wine production, and is fast becoming the next wine ’super power’. Wine consumption grew by 5% in China back in 2006, and 4 years on consumption continues to grow. While regions such as France, Spain and Turkey experience shrinkage of their respective vineyard areas, China has increased by over 22%, 100 kha since 2002. China is now the second largest grape producer after Italy with 7,2 Mt in 2009, double production levels in 2002!
Could China become the next wine super power?
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Explore the Cape Winelands… On Your PC!
With the introduction of ‘Google Streetview’, you are now able to visually explore the Cape Winelands on your PC. I’m certainly not suggesting that this replace the real experience of the Winelands, however this technology can be great for ’sneak-previews’ and travel planning.
Click here to see the street view of the road to Delheim Estate, off Adam Tas road.
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Winemaker Focus: Stellekaya
Courtesy of BKWine TV, below is a brief interview with the Winemaker of Stellekaya, based in Stellenbosch. Ntsiki Biyela has been making quality wines at Stellenkaya since 2004, and describes how she became involved in winemaking.
From My Wine Cellar we wish her all the best in her young winemaking career, and we look forward to future creations from the talented winemaker!
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Midsummer Madness
Sweden’s infamous ‘Midsummer’ season is upon us. It might be the middle of winter down in South Africa, but up here in the Nordics it’s time to take some time off and relax in the warm summer sun. The midsummer weekend is particularly popular, and the trip to my local Systembolaget after work was near chaotic.
It’s great to see so much South African wine moving off the shelves, and I myself contributed by opting for my favorite South African ‘drinking wine’, Rijks Shiraz blend 2009.
To everyone up in the north, I wish you a restful summer break, and to everyone back in South Africa I hope you are enjoying the 2010 FIFA World Cup!
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Braai Time with WOSA
The European summer is here, and what better way to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa by having a truly South African braai accompanied by South African wines.
It was a pleasure to attend the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) event, held at Cliff Barnes restaurant in central Stockholm. The braai was delicious and authentically prepared.
Thank you to Maja Berthas of WOSA Sweden and the team for a thoroughly enjoyable evening, surrounded by good food and fine South African wine!
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
Wine Scores at 2010 FIFA World Cup
It’s 10 days after the official opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the tournament is well on its way in South Africa. About 3 million match tickets have been sold, and an estimated 200 000 international visitors are expected to attend the month-long event.
If every visitor were to buy just one bottle of wine, then wine sales are set to benefit greatly from the much anticipated tournament. That would mean an increase of over 16 500 cases of wine in just one month. Although, I’m willing to bet that international visitors are to buy considerably more than just one bottle of wine during the tournament.
Cheers!
Brandon Marc
