If wine tasting, house music and fabulous food sounds like a divine date, then you are in for a treat because TOPS at SPAR are taking you on a date to remember as they confirm that thirteen of South Africa’s leading wineries, all pioneers in wine excellence, will be showcasing their premium wines at the inaugural boutique TOPS at SPAR KwaMASHU Wine & Lifestyle Festival, happening on the 25 and 26 July 2014 at the K-CAP Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre in KwaMASHU, Durban.
These leading estates and producers exhibiting include Meerlust, Simonsig, Haute Cabriere, Rietvallei, Rupert & Rothschild, Ernie Els Wines, De Grendel Wines and La Motte alongside iconic household names such as Cederberg, Robertson Winery and Leopard’s Leap.
Durban Tourism and the KZN Film Commission have been instrumental in the launch of this festival. The festival media launch happening on Mandela Day at the venue will see media and VIPs unveil a special project undertaken to beautify the area near the venue, and especially created to inspire the children, which attend the primary school some metres away.
Phillip Sithole, Head of Durban Tourism, proudly states that The City of Durban is looking forward to the prestigious TOPS at SPAR KwaMASHU Wine and Lifestyle Festival to be held for the first time in our city.
“The Festival creates the perfect platform to celebrate the cosmopolitan lifestyle of Durban and we are pleased that at the same time our vibrant culture and ekasi lifestyle of our townships, will be reflected and experienced during the 2 day Festival in KwaMashu. We acknowledge that events of this nature also uplift our local communities and we value the training programmes associated with this event. We look forward to a successful event in the heart of our energy driven townships and we look forward to our locals being exposed to the art and lifestyle of wine which South Africa is famous for and plays an important role in promoting tourism.”
Bringing the heartbeat to the festival is avid believer in youth empowerment and flag bearer for House music, DJ Euphonik, who says it will be his aim to “put smiles on people’s faces” on launch night, Friday the 25th July, as he promises to play his unique upbeat music to guests and visitors whilst they learn the art of wine tasting. TOPS at SPAR KwaMASHU Wine & Lifestyle Festival media partner, Gagasi FM, will also be bringing DJ LeSoul on Friday night, while on Saturday the station’s DJ Vumar and DJ Sonic will be playing.
The art of wine tasting is not about drinking wine. It is about savouring, contemplating and discussing the characteristics of the wine with fellow tasters. “Tasting” involves using your senses to evaluate the range of perceived flavours, aromas and general characteristics of a wine. Tasting is done in five steps – smell, swirl, sip and savour and swallow, or when wine tasting, spit, to avoid getting too tipsy.
‘Disco-Wine’, meaning discover wine, is our term for the fun path to discovering wine as it is acknowledged that learning the art of wine tasting and etiquette can be intimidating, but these festivals are for everybody, from first-time toe dippers to wine connoisseurs. At the TOPS at SPAR KwaMASHU Wine & Lifestyle Festival, it starts with having fun as you ‘disco-wine’ in a non-intimidating environment in your own hood.
Education is a priority at the TOPS at SPAR festivals and the KwaMASHU Wine & Lifestyle Festival is no different. For those wishing to broaden their knowledge, take a free class on the art of wine and food pairing, presented by Busi Yende, manager of the North at the Cape Wine Academy. Busi will take visitors through the principals on ‘wine and food pairing’ and the reasons behind these in the most fun and entertaining way so that you can take this information home with you and amaze your friends and family.
In a commitment to education and employment TOPS at SPAR have sponsored the hospitality training and management of students who will be on hand to assist the wine exhibitors allowing wineries to focus on delighting the pallets of visitors and VIPs on the night. This training will give students expert front of house experience.
Says Mark Robinson, TOPS at SPAR Group Liquor Manager, “We are incredibly excited at launching the inaugural TOPS at SPAR KwaMASHU Wine and Lifestyle Festival, which will present South Africa’s finest wines to our KwaMASHU residents, friends and invited VIP’s. This festival promises to be a 5-star event on the KZN calendar and it all starts here!”
TOPS at SPAR invites KwaMASHU residents and friends, celebrities and invited guests to enjoy what sister-festival fans of the TOPS at SPAR Gugulethu and Soweto Wine Festivals already know, that when a sister-festival launches in your hood, scrap all plans and book your tickets quick because the stage is set to transform the K-Cap Film School into a soiree of wine, music, glamour and glitz, with visitors being treated to a VIP experience that the TOPS at SPAR wine festivals are famed for.
Public sale tickets for the TOPS at SPAR KwaMASHU Wine & Lifestyle Festival are limited and can be purchased through Webtickets – www.webtickets.co.za – at a cost of R150 per ticket.
