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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Stellenbosch Wine Routes makes Drinks Business Awards cut again

Wine Route nominated for Best Contribution to Wine & Spirits Tourism – 2nd year in a row
Issued by:                                                                  Issued on behalf of:
Random Hat Communications                                     Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes




The pioneering Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes has made the sought-after shortlist for The Drinks Business Awards 2014 as a contender for the Best Contribution to Wine & Spirits Tourism title, for the second consecutive year.

This annual competition held by Europe’s leading drinks trade publication, recognises and rewards those companies achieving excellence amongst their peers across the global drinks industry. This year the wine route is up against La Motte Wine Estate in Franschhoek and Taste Hungary – all vying for the top spot when it comes tocreating authentic, personalised and compelling experiences for customers wishing to encounter their favourite wines and spirits on their home turf.

“This nomination could not have a come at a better time as it underlines our ongoing and increased efforts in positioning Stellenbosch as a multifaceted, unparalleled tourist destination on the world map, showcasing the area’s diverse, world class offerings on a global scale. Long gone are the days when people just valued Stellenbosch as a one day destination to taste quality wines. Nothing sells a place like the place itself, and lucky for us Stellenbosch has it all – the people, the food, the architecture, the culture, the arts and yes…the wines!” shares Annareth Bolton, CEO of the Stellenbosch Wine Routes.

This nomination follows on the recent success of the wine route’s experiential #Stellenblog initiative which they hosted in conjunction with Stellenbosch 360 as part of the duo’s yearlong international wine tourism campaign,Stellenbosch Experience.

This digital campaign saw some of the most influential international and national bloggers immersing themselves in a week-long bucket list itinerary to see-sip-and-savour the Stellenbosch Way of Life like the locals do. Theiruncovering and digitally sharing of the secrets and stories of South’s Africa’s oldest and foremost wine route with the world, caused quite a stir on social media networks.

On social media, the campaign reached almost 4.7-million users, showing up in timelines over
37.7 million times. During the campaign period, the #Stellenblog hashtag was used in 4 700 tweets by almost 1 000 users. The international PR value is estimated to have exceeded R9 million to date.

“The web and social media have levelled the playing field somewhat, making it possible for destinations like Stellenbosch to take advantage of new trends and use digital marketing to inspire travellers to visit,” shares Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, former CEO of Cape Town Tourism and owner of Destinate, an international tourism marketing agency and the driving force behind the Stellenbosch Experience campaign. “Word of mouth through social media is now the most powerful tool for any destination marketer today and we are tapping into local pride using citizens and bloggers to share Stellenbosch’s story with the world,” she added.

Other exciting wine tourism projects lined up for Stellenbosch Experience include an exciting Winter in the Winelands programme in June, which will encourage South Africans to swap their hibernation for a sensory Stellenbosch sojourn during the quieter winter months.

The winners of The Drinks Business Awards 2014 will be revealed on 3 June at the London Wine Fair Olympia.


For more information on the Stellenbosch Experience campaign visit StellenBlog at http://blog.wineroute.co.za/or contact Mariette du Toit-Helmbold at experience@wineroute.co.za or phone 083 225 5955.

NEDERBURG FLASHES ITS FEATHERS IN VILAKAZI STREET

ISSUED BY                           DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)
FOR                                        NEDERBURG WINES

Vilakazi Street, Soweto.

Vilakazi Street in Soweto was literally painted red when Nederburg Wines recently partnered with four of the historic precinct’s top restaurants to offer an invited group of Jozi fans an exclusive experience.

 Nederburg banners.
Nederburg, which will again be the official wine sponsor of MasterChef South Africa - season 3 is to be broadcast on M-Net on Thursdays from August 14 to December 11 - showcased some of its ultra premium offerings. These included wines from its Heritage Heroes and Ingenuity ranges, paired with local “Kasi” cuisine. 

Table setting at NexDor.

The first stop was the new Thrive Café where dressed-to-kill guests indulged in bubbly and snacks on arrival, followed by a sampling of Nederburg’s eight-way 2011 Ingenuity White` and three-way 2011 Ingenuity Italian Red blends.

Zakhe Mvunyiswa, Shenaaz Smith and Ntabiseng Matseba with Nederburg wine ambassadors Lungi Mandla and Tumie Mosiea

The long-standing Sakhumzi, located just across the road, was the next crowd pleaser, offering dishes such as traditional dumplings, samp, mogodu (tripe), beef stew, grilled chicken, spinach and pumpkin. Brimming with true township flavour, these were paired with The Young Airhawk of 2012, a barrel-fermented Sauvignon blanc, as well as The Motorcycle Marvel of 2010, a Rhône-style blend of mainly Grenache, Carignan and Shiraz.

Nederburg Cuveé Brut was served on arrival at Thrive Café.

These wines form part of the winery’s Heritage Heroes range, conceived to honour some of the passionate personalities who shaped its heritage. 

Nederburg marketing intern, Blue Masoka, and Melissa Diedericks, Nederburg’s SA brand manager.

Three more wines from the range; The Anchorman of 2012, a wooded Chenin blanc, The Beautiful Lady Gewürztraminer, also of the 2012 vintage, and The Brewmaster of 2010, a silky blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, were the show-stoppers at the super trendy NexDor. These wines were selected to suit a classy combo of chicken cordon bleu and stuffed fillet of beef, served with butternut, spinach and creamy potatoes as well as malva pudding for dessert. 

Zakhe Mvunyiswa, Shenaaz Smith, Ntabiseng Matseba, Nomonde and Mam Sifiso.

Restaurant Vilakazi, located further up the road, also served The Anchorman, The Beautiful Lady and The Brewmaster paired with dishes including a curry lamb casserole, tripe, mushroom spinach, chakalaka, dumplings, and fruit salad and ice cream for dessert.



“We wanted to show our Gauteng consumers who are familiar with our well-known offerings, such as Baronne, just why our top-tier wines are so sought-after,” said Melissa Diedericks, Nederburg’s brand manager for South Africa.  

Zakhe Mvunyiswa, Mmabatho and Tumie Mosiea.

Wines from Nederburg’s Ingenuity and Heritage Heroes ranges are now available from the four participating culinary hubs in the heart of Orlando West.  To book at any of these restaurants or for more information, please contact:

o   Ross Paton, Thrive Café, tel: 011 536 1838, e-mail: ross@paton.co.za
o   Sakhumzi Maqubela, Sakhumzi, tel: 011 536 1379, e-mail: dine@sakhumzi.co.za
o   Thabang Makwetla, NexDor, tel: 011 039 7631, e-mail: thabang@nexdor.co.za
o   Sipho Tshabalala, Restaurant Vilakazi, tel: 011 057 1290 , e-mail: dine@restaurantvilakazi.co.za  

Restaurant Vilakazi.

Zakhe Mvunyiswa, Mmabatho and Tumie Mosiea.

Shenaaz Smith, Kutloano Lebeloane, Lerato Lebeloane and Ntabiseng Matseba.


Tebogo Lebese and John Hunidzarira.

Dineo Mofokeng and Futhi Dali.

Zinhle Zondo and Zandile Nxumalo.

Nomfundo Sekati with a gift from Nederburg; a bottle of Heritage Heroes The Brewmaster 2010.

Hlompho Molaba, Thulani Zingithwa and Tumi Makhetha with promotion ladies.


Beverly Levette.

Nederburg’s Ingenuity and Heritage Heroes ranges are now also available from Pick n Pay in Maponya Mall in Soweto, as well as from Makro Crown Mines. 


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