SA to occupy centre stage on top Canadian wine fest

Ranked among the most important North American wine shows, attracting as it does leading wine trade and media and consumers from all over Canada and the US, the festival is featuring South Africa is its theme country. This is the first time in the 27-year history of the show it is according special showcase status to South Africa. This means that of the 17 wine-producing countries exhibiting over 1100 wines, the lion's share of attention will be devoted to the South African contingent.

Franschhoek's Reuben Riffel, who took top honours in the 2004 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant Awards, winning both chef of the year and restaurant of the year, will be ensuring a genuine South African flavour is imparted to the foods served to accompany Cape wines.

Canada is among South Africa's most important wine export destinations. Last year export volumes grew 40% on 2003, despite the strong rand and very fierce competition from other countries all fighting to maintain or build market share in the face of a global wine glut.

Veteran wine writer, judge and consultant, Dave Hughes, is to present an overview of the South African wine industry, entitled 'Alive with Possibility' and for which tickets have already been sold out. His talk will explore the advances made by the industry in the 11 years since the advent of democracy and also focus on the regional and varietal diversity of the winelands. He will also present a tasting of John Platter South African Wine Guide five star wines and preside over a mini-auction of rare Cape wines, when the organisers of the Nederburg Auction, lending their full support to the initiative, will be staging their first satellite version of this event in its 31-year history.

Among the South African luminary labels appearing in Vancouver are Beyerskloof Pinotage, produced by international prize-winning winemaker Beyers Truter, who has twice won the coveted Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande trophy for the world's best blended red wine on the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London and Vergelegen, made by André van Rensburg, another winner of this esteemed trophy. He continues to amass rave reviews for his wines all over the world.

Says Suzanne Morton of Wines of South Africa (WOSA), the organisation arranging the visit: "That South Africa is to occupy centre stage is a clear affirmation of the growing respect accorded our country as a wine producer of excellence. We'll be showing to prominent members of Canada's wine trade, media and to consumers, offering them a selection of our very best wines, chosen to reflect a broad spectrum of styles. In addition, our producers will be taking part in a range of seminars, discussion panels and workshops designed to give visitors a close and in-depth understanding of our industry and its unique qualities."

Other areas of focus will be Cape blends and the increasingly popular South African interpretation of French varietals Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc and their versatility with food.

The WOSA team will also be taking an extensive selection of beaded jewellery and other hand-made artefacts produced by mostly women in work-creation projects based in the Western Cape, while African dancers and musicians, now resident in Canada, will be performing for the 20 000 visitors expected to attend the festival.

"We want to give visitors a vivid and compelling insight into the multi-faceted flavours of the country," says Morton.