Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Klink Wine Tourism Awards winners named
THE KLINK Wine Tourism Awards were announced this week, where winners in 15 categories, having been nominated earlier this year, were recognised for excellence. Amost 15 000 voters submitted their choices online. Focusing on cellars which offer a genuine welcome and memorable experience, Delheim, Muratie, Weltevrede, Overgaauw and Hartenberg were in the running, and Delheim was the worthy winner.
Among other category winners are Long Table at Haskell ( for casual dining) Robertson Wacky Wine Weekend (best wine route event), Segway at Spier ( most unusual wine farm attraction) and Grand Dedale at Doolhof (best wine farm accommodation). The Restaurant at Waterkloof took the award for best gourmet restaurant and Van Loveren for best food and wine pairing. The Spice Route is celebrating its award as overall Supanova winner, along with that of new attractions.
The Klink awards, which honour the best in all spheres of wine tourism, are the brainchild of Monika Elias who also publishes the travel guide The Wine Tourism Handbook. This is available in print copies and as an e-book.
● Good news for conservation organisations is always welcome, particularly at a time when we read that an elephant is being killed every 15 minutes in Africa and our rhino population is being similarly decimated. The Wilderness Foundation runs an array of environmental educational projects aimed at protecting lions in the wild, rhinos, sharks, elephants and leopards on the continent.
From this month they will benefit to the tune of R3 from the sale of every bottle of wine in Graham Beck’s The Game Reserve range. The latter consists of nine wines, each dedicated to one of the indigenous species found on the farm’s own private nature reserve. The wines are of consistently good quality and are reasonably priced, making a pleasing option for shoppers looking for festive gifts that also benefit our wildlife.