Our preferred brand of energy drink

Damn, life in Cape Town just got a whole lot harder. Not only do we have to subject ourselves to the Stormers gleefully whipping some Waratah butt tomorrow, but we’ll have to do it through a cloud of flinty, soft, mesmerising 1682 bubbles send over courtesy of one of our very favourite brands, Steenberg Vineyards.

How can you resist the hypnotic effect

Somehow they knew that it was a weekend of celebration and delivered the only combination of liquid joy catalyst that really matters.  We’re not really sure what to do now. This box filled with laughter is staring at us with its one good eye from across the office and there are still tasks to be done before the taxis outside start their Friday afternoon war. Do we cradle one these precious babies in an ice bucket now or not? Rough call!

Thanks guys!

Steenberg Twitter tasters

We’re still staring lovingly at greasy, toasted cheese and ham sandwiches and neat espresso shots after last night’s Steenberg Twitter tasting. Wine tasting via a live Twitter feed is nothing new internationally, but it was one of the first times the idea had been put to the sword in South Africa and we were stoked to have been a part of it’s creation.

The conversation online was lively [more so the further down the range we got], and the feedback very useful for the Steenberg team.

The tasting pack

Tweet of the night came from @HarryReginald: Sipping on some Steenberg Semillon 09 Lovely waxy texture, taught acidity. Like tackling a girl in a tight dress onto a freshly waxed floor.

We didn’t realise that firing off more than a certain number of Tweets in an hour would overheat the system like a ceased, white-hot, glowing AK-47 barrel, but now we do.

Brad winding up the audience

The main reason for using Twitter was to open the Steenberg brand up to new audiences to enjoy and experience…and as a tool to do that, it was a great success. Here’s to more to come.

Our equipment setup last night

Check out more great pics [like these] and summary post from Cape Town Girl who was one of the organisers of a small, tight team to follow the action online.

Also check out Harry Reginald’s wicked blog post summary of the night. Great stuff.

Steenberg’s Twitter feed

Steenberg’s Twitpics

Not your average 'chop and dop'

We’ve always wanted to be involved with a Twitter Tasting so are particularly looking forward to one of our favourite wine estates, Steenberg, hosting their annual tasting of flagship wines – on Twitter.

The live event takes place at 18h00 on Tuesday 23 March and the cool thing about it is that you can buy the pack of four Steenberg wines [which includes recipes and suggestions for the snacks that will be paired with the wines on the night] from the farm, invite your friends around to your place [to help you compare notes and drink the wine] and follow the entire thing live on Twitter.

The pairing will be hosted by Steenberg winemaker JD Pretorius and chef Brad Ball from Steenberg Vineyards, who will share their tasting notes via updates on Twitter while welcoming your online feedback and comments as the tasting progresses. Much like visiting the farm, the event is meant to be fun, tasty and a laid-back affair for those that can detect asparagus in a Sauvignon…and those that just know that wine is made from grapes.

The special Steenberg Twitter Tasting box costs R560 and can be ordered now from the estate by sending a mail to Lida [lida@steenbrg.co.za]

Follow Steenberg on Twitter here

Box-wyn

We spotted this Jam Jar wine in Pick n Pay over the holidays and wondered what on earth it was. Truth be told – the words ‘jam’ + ‘jar’ + ‘red wine’ don’t exactly make us want to part with R40 for shits and giggles, but apparently this innovative Cape wine is making quiet a stir in the US.

Look…our personal wine hot list right now includes the Steenberg 1682 Pinot Noir MCC, the Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve 2008 and the classy design of the Warwick ‘Black Lady’ Syrah – so we’re hardly the target market for a sweet Shiraz called Jam Jar. But there is something to be said for wines that bank on being less ‘snobbish’ and toning down the la la speak.

Our statement last year that ‘it’s not about the taste, it’s all about the branding’ drew a shocked response from certain individuals from the local wine industry [who almost literally threw rotten eggs with they eyes as we left the podium at a conference].

But here once again is proof that 95% of people don’t give at rat’s ass about whether the stuff spent 3 or 5 months on the lees or if it matured in French or American oak. They just wanna have a lekker time around the braai with something that tastes like juicy grapes and gets them mildly hammered. So although we don’t think we’ll be lifting a sweet glass of Jam Jar to our lips – well done to Cape Classics for getting their feet dirty with a product that makes wine more accessible to everybody.

Press release

South African Jam Jar hits US sweet spot

Cape Classics has released Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz 2009 nationally in the USA and this unique semi-sweet red wine has literally hit the American consumer’s sweet spot.

Now this ground-breaking phenomenon has been unleashed on South African taste buds. Jam Jar, made from grapes grown in the Paarl region, is unapologetically accessible and populist. Its evocative packaging has a nostalgic “retro” feel with a red and white checkered screwcap, inspired by traditional jam jar lids. The unique recipe is working and the wine is “selling like wildfire” in the USA. The wine has been launched in South Africa and is available through Pick ‘n Pay, says Andre Shearer, the South African-born founder and CEO of Cape Classics. “We have never had the luxury of releasing a wine that has depleted such a significant case volume in its first month of release, even though it only had a limited release in certain US markets to start. We even had people ordering the wine untasted, based on the name, packaging and style description alone.

This is testament to a market need, as well as great packaging and marketing,” Shearer said. Outlets that have ordered the wine in the USA include several independent wine retailers and major restaurant chains, as well as HEB which is a $12 billion privately held grocery chain in Texas. The suggested retail price in the USA is a modest $11.99 per bottle. Locally, Jam Jar is available exclusively through Pick ‘n Pay (initially in the Western Cape, but with national distribution to follow) and retails for R39.99. “Pick ‘n Pay has made a solid opening order, which displays faith in the capacity of the brand,” Shearer says.

Jam Jar is crafted in a lighter style than a typical Shiraz, and strikes a balance between sweetness and acidity, making it a refreshing aperitif as well as a versatile partner for both savory foods and desserts. The wine is punted as “sweet perfection…Simple, pure and honest!” Jam Jar differs from traditional sweet or dessert red wines like Muscadel in that the sugar levels are much lower (about 50 g/l). Also, unlike most dessert wines, the grapes are not late harvested nor do they undergo botrytis. Texturally, the wine is lighter in style than most dessert wines. Shiraz grapes were an obvious chose for this unique wine. “Shiraz has such a fruity intensity and lends itself to richness and fun. It is also a very well known varietal in the USA, due to the massive Australian marketing machine,” Shearer says. The target market is people who are new to wine, as well as existing wine drinkers looking to expand their horizons. “Many people talk dry and love something much less dry. Jam Jar appears sweet at first but finishes very smoothly and richly. Both Cape Classics and Pick ‘n Pay believe that the style of product is unique, the packaging brilliant and the prices excellent for the great quality,” Shearer says.

Wine consumption generally has a snob-value, but that has not been a factor in the USA and Cape Classics does not believe it will negatively impact on South African sales of this accessible wine. “Jam Jar was born out of the realisation that there were not a lot of options available to consumers seeking quality sweet red wine. This fresh, fruity, semi-sweet Shiraz aims to fill that void,” Shearer says. “One taste is all it takes! Thankfully, snob value has not been in any way an association for this brand. It is a truly people-centric brand.”

Established by CEO André Shearer in 1991, Cape Classics is the preeminent importer of South African wine into the USA, proudly representing 18 of the Cape’s finest estates and labels. Nearly 25% of all bottled wine from South Africa available in the US bears the Cape Classics seal. Visit www.capeclassics.com or email info@capeclassics.com for more information. [thanks Doug]

Lekkewyn