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Mzansi’s Wine Chic get ready for the 2012 TOPS
Soweto Wine Festival. |
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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.”
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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 |
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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. |
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Soweto Wine Festival Owners |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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! |
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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. |
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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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