Wine Diva

Following on from their successful inaugural show last year, The Jo’burg Wine Show returns to Gallagher Estate in June 2007 with media partner, Beeld.

According to AMPS 2005/2006 Beeld’s readership has the highest percentage (19.9%) of wine drinkers of all daily newspapers in South Africa, while its weekend publication Naweek-Beeld sees this number increase to 20.8%. As a result, Beeld has partnered with the Jo’burg Wine Show 2007 as part of an ongoing strategy to become increasingly involved in events that complement the interests and lifestyles of their current readers and potential target markets.

The location of the show also lends itself to the Beeld readers, capturing both the Johannesburg and Pretoria markets.

“What we value about The Jo’burg Wine Show is that although the focus is on wines, other lifestyle orientated elements such as food, accommodation and destinations have been included,” says Gavin Rheeder, Marketing Communications Manager, Beeld. “This is great for all our active wine-drinking, entertainment, and keen holiday readers.”

Feedback from 2006 confirms that The Jo’burg Wine Show not only provides a content-packed wine show for consumers but delivers real value for exhibitors, with more than 76% of exhibitors stating that they fully achieved their objectives in 2006 and the majority re-booking for 2007.

“Since our launch event last year, The Jo’burg Wine Show has more than doubled in size. Our Boutique Corner is well supported by smaller wine establishments and we are looking forward to hosting some of the larger estates such as Durbanville Hills and Lanzerac,” says Barney Essenhigh of Highwood Exhibitions. “Popular features such as the food and wine pairing demonstrations in the ‘Friends for Dinner’ theatre, wine blending and tutored wine tastings will again form a large part of the Jo’burg Wine Show,” he explains.

The Jo’burg Wine Show offers a fresh look at wine in a casual and unassuming setting with features for all, from the novice wine-drinker to the most sophisticated palettes. The aim is to stimulate the domestic wine market through a fun, interactive and educational event. Local and international wines will be brought to the Gauteng wine market. Visitors to the show are able to purchase wine directly from exhibition stands while Frogitt and Vonkel will once again offer their home delivery service. Entertainment throughout the three-day event includes live music, a restaurant and sushi bar as well as a virtual golf driving range and a Boules court.

The Jo’burg Wine Show will take place at Gallagher Estate from Friday 15th June to Sunday 17th June 2007. Tickets cost R90 at the door or can be purchased from Computicket. For more info visit www.wineshow.co.za

Backsberg has become the first wine producer in South Africa and one of only three in the world to gain Carbon Neutral status by sequestrating its carbon emissions.

Proprietor, Michael Back, who joined the family business in 1976, is passionate about the environment, believing that each generation is the custodian of the land for a limited period of time only.

“Care for the environment means care and concern for succeeding generations. As custodians of the land, it is our duty to understand and recognise potential threats, and to mitigate against them for the benefit of the next generation,” says Back whose forward thinking has already rescued several plant species from extinction by reserving 10% of his land for non-development and preservation of the endangered “Fynbos” biome.

Backsberg has completed a comprehensive carbon audit initiated to understand the carbon emission consequences of its farming and wine making activities. The carbon audit reviewed all activities from overall energy consumption, to CO2 emitted during fermentation. The level of detail considered in the audit allows Backsberg to deliver a range of Carbon Neutral fruit and wine to clients, both domestically and internationally.

The carbon standard applied at Backsberg follows the Kyoto Protocol on Green House Gas emissions. The scientific nature of the carbon audit allows Backsberg to understand the magnitude of the sequestration solutions it needs to seek and develop, in order to reduce its carbon footprint and maintain a status of carbon neutrality going forward.

The sequestration solutions developed by Backsberg will involve a greening program within the nearby village of Klapmuts. This program will be managed by the internationally respected Jeunesse Park, CEO of Food and Trees for Africa, the non-profit national greening organisation driving the Carbon Standard offset program in South Africa. This collaboration will see Backsberg use the Food and Trees for Africa Carbon Standard logo.

“We are indeed proud to be associated with Food and Trees for Africa,” said Back, who believes that a whole new market sector with the emphasis on care, not only for the wine and the consumer, but also care for the environment is about to open.

“Backsberg will now deliver to wine lovers throughout the world, fine wines, individually crafted within our wine making philosophy of producing wines with a high level of “drinkability” which are also Carbon Neutral,” added Back.

(more…)

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