TOPS Soweto Wine Festival  
 
 
 
 
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Mzansi’s Wine Chic get ready for the 2012 TOPS Soweto Wine Festival.
 
2 AUGUST 2012, SOWETO, GAUTENG - The most anticipated wine festival of the year is only a month away. Get set to join Mzansi’s thousands of trendsetters, movers & shakers, wine, food and music lovers, the aspirational and inspirational, connoisseurs and newbies and all those who just want to have a fun night out, meet people and taste over 900 of South Africa’s fabulous wines at the 8th annual TOPS Soweto Wine Festival, in association with Food Network, happening from Thursday to Saturday 6th to 8th September at the University of Johannesburg in Soweto.

Mnikelo Mangciphu, co-founder of the TOPS Soweto Wine Festival, in association with Food Network, and owner of Soweto’s Morara Wine and Spirit Emporium says, “It’s bigger, it’s better, it’s Black and it’s beautiful. There will be no other festival like the 2012 TOPS Soweto Wine Festival! This year our focus is on providing a gorgeous, safe place for our valuable visitors to have fun, learn about wine, dine with friends in our TOPS Food marquee, and dance to live music and much more, not forgetting the over R 100 000 worth of prizes to be won. There are a couple new additions in the pipeline that are very exciting and will add great value to all who attend the festival.”

Headline sponsor TOPS at SPAR is the ‘all hands on deck’ as they bring big brand strength to the festival and its organisers in producing the best festival to date.

Says Mark Robinson, TOPS Group Liquor Manager, “The TOPS Soweto Wine Festival is synonymous to the values of TOPS at SPAR. You can expect a spirit of celebration and we want you to have fun and enjoy life - and that's why, from the moment you walk into the festival, you'll be captivated by the TOPS Soweto Wine Festival experience. With over 900 wines to taste you will be spoilt for choice.”

One exciting new addition to the festival is the associate sponsor, DStv channel, Food Network. The Food Network brand is renowned for its fresh approach to food programming and celebrates everything that is bold, fun and entertaining about the genre and is not your typical ‘how to’ cooking channel.

Associate sponsor, Food Network’s senior vice president of content and marketing U.K. and EMEA, Nick Thorogood says: “We’re excited to be on-board as Associate Sponsor of the festival this year. South African wine and food is tantalising, diverse and full of flavour, and we're pleased to be helping educate people within the Soweto region by showcasing the best of the best that the country has to offer.”

Nederburg is bringing two talented members of its award-winning winemaking team to Gauteng for the TOPS Soweto Wine Festival in association with Food Network. They are internationally trained Wim Truter, who makes the white wines, and Wellington Metshane, who is a senior member of the team making the reds. Both work under the direction of cellar master Razvan Macici.

They will present some of the exciting new developments that have been taking place at the famous Paarl winery, and also Nederburg’s entertaining and interactive Taste Theatre experience that explores the impact of various food flavours on wine.

Nederburg spokesperson Wencke Grobler says: “Whereas in the past we had one presenter, we have decided to bring two, so guests have more chance to interact with us, either at the theatre itself or at our stand.”

The Nederburg Wine and Food Taste Theatre Experience, which is free to visitors, is a taste adventure and will highlight the impact on wine and food pairing, made by the five basic flavours - sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (a Japanese term to describe a flavour that is intensely savoury).

Comments Grobler, “We want to show how something that seems as insignificant as a squeeze of lemon or a little extra salt added to your food can make a substantial difference to the way you experience an accompanying wine.”

Marilyn Cooper, co-founder of TOPS Soweto Wine Festival, in association with Food Network, a Cape Wine Master and CEO of the Cape Wine Academy, says “Now in our 8th year we are a tried and trusted wine festival worthy of the many fine wine exhibitors and big brands that we attract, so much so we are 90% to capacity. I would love to see more wineries dip their toes into this responsive market. It is unbelievably important and will contribute to sustainable sales now and most definitely in the future. Primarily due to educating this middle market, wine sales and consumption has increased for the first time after years in decline, and it all starts here.”

Ends
 
Dates: Thursday 6th September to Saturday 8th September 2012
Times: Thurs & Fri - 6 pm to 10 pm and Sat - 5 pm to 9 pm
Venue: University of Johannesburg, Main Hall, Soweto Campus, Chris Hani Road, Soweto
Tickets: R 120 per person
Ticket Availability: At the festival; Online from www.webtickets.co.za ; At Morara Wine Emporium in Soweto
More info - www.sowetowinefestival.co.za

Wine Exhibitors
Busi Yende on 011 024 3616 or email [email protected]
Sponsorship
Sharon Cooper on 074 461 0544 or email [email protected]
Media & PR
Viv Quann at [email protected] or 084 486 2136
 
 

TOPS Soweto Wine Festival in association with Food Network
It Starts with a Conversation

The idea of having a wine festival in Soweto was borne around a braai in Pretoria in 2004 between neighbours Lyn Woodward (an original member) and Mnikelo Mangciphu (co-founding active member). The two were drinking wine out of Soweto Beer Festival glasses, and several glasses later, thought what a good idea it would be to have a wine festival in Soweto.

It was also the right time to start introducing South Africa’s quality wines to the remaining 80% of our population. Wine should be a way of life for all South Africans. Eight years later, the Soweto Wine Festival is the pride of Soweto and the wine event not to miss on the annual South African wine calendar.
 
 

Soweto Wine Festival Owners
Marilyn Cooper Dedicated and Committed

Co-founding member of the Soweto Wine Festival is Mnikelo Mangciphu who is the owner/manager of the only wine shop in Soweto - Morara Wine & Spirit Emporium, which he launched after the first Soweto Wine Festival in 2005.

The other co-founding member of the festival is Marilyn Cooper who is a Cape Wine Master and is also the CEO of the Cape Wine Academy based in Johannesburg.

Mnikelo Mangciphu, one of the festivals' founding members and owner of Soweto’s first wine specialist shop, Morara Wine Emporium, says that this festival is dedicated to encouraging, educating and growing black wine drinkers in Mzansi.
 

Soweto Wine Festival History
Timelines of Success

2005:
The inaugural festival was held over three days at Ubuntu Kraal in Orlando West, was attended by 1500 members of the public and was officially opened by the then Minister of Agriculture Thoka Didiza. 82 wineries came to that first festival, filled with great excitement; many had never been into a township before.

2006 soweto wine festival 2006:
The festival moved to the present premises University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus, which has proved to be a far more suitable and more accessible venue, with larger safe parking. Over 3000 people attended the Soweto Wine and Brandy Festival, and all had a great time.

2007 2007:
The festival showcased 94 different wineries with over 800 labels to entice the 4225 visitors that came through our doors. It was also the first year we invited big brand sponsors to participate in the festival.

2008 soweto wine festival 2008:
The festival grew to 105 exhibitors with over 850 wines to taste and 4365 visitors to taste them. The hall was packed to seams, to the point we had to stop selling tickets early. This year we included an ‘edutainment’ element to the festival called the Pick n Pay Wine Class.

2009 soweto wine festival 2009:
The festival featured 103 wineries exhibiting with over 800 wines and 5520 visitors attending. 2009 was so packed that doors closed 2 hours after opening. We have learnt our lesson - Sowetans LOVE South African Wine!

2010 soweto wine festival 2010:
In the year that South Africa hosted the Soccer World Cup, the Soweto Wine Festival welcomed a sell-out audience of over 7,500 visitors to the 3-night event. Despite increasing capacity with the addition of a Platinum Wine Arena, organisers closed doors early on Fridy and Saturday nights.

2011 soweto wine festival 2011:
The 2011 TOPS Soweto Wine Festival attracted a record 8550 people over the 3 evenings - which is 1002 more people than the previous year! This popular festival just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
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