The WineX Experience
Edward Chamberlain-Bell reflects why WineX remains a must-visit for wine enthusiasts!
JoziStylers know there wouldn’t be JoziStyle without wine- and it wouldn’t be a WineX without JoziStyle.
Wine aficionados know that WineX offers both education and investment. It gives them a taste of what wines they will be drinking in the future.
I love WineX because it allows you to experience different wines. These are wines you ordinarily wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try before. Maybe you’ve seen the wine bottles on your local supermarket shelf. However, you tend to go for the tried and trusted old faithfuls. This year’s WineX (Sponsored by Standard Bank) features almost 140 different exhibitors who want you to sip, savour, buy, and drink their wines.
WineX is an opportunity to open a bottle of wine without having to pay for it- and you can quote me on that.
The WineX website highlights all the different exhibitors so that you can plan your evenings. It is a great way to test your general knowledge about South African wines because you will see some wineries that you are familiar with – and some that you’re not.
Interestingly, there is going to be “dooswyn” at WineX. I’m trying very hard to be a respectable journalist so I googled Doos wine. Doos wine is actually a very respectable wine. In fact, it’s a very proper wine, but sold in a box. Just please don’t quote me and say JoziStyle said you’re going to be drinking dooswyn at WineX because it would be conveying the wrong message about what I drink.
Ghost Corner Wines is going to be at WineX again this year. I’d never heard of them before but they caught my attention at WineX last year. I was so intrigued by their name so I started googling Ghost Corner wines and I found that there’s actually a little town in the Western Cape named Ghost Corner. I’m looking forward to seeing them again this year.
I was recently talking about taking a trip down the western coast of South Africa on my radio show last week purely because I was inspired to travel by the Ghost Town wine. I’m actually inspired to travel all over South Africa visiting the different wine farms after visiting WineX.
WineX is a message in a bottle promoting cultural exchange and South African tourism through wine.
The WineX website lists the different wine varieties that you can experience. This can be quite humbling because I thought that I knew so much about wine but there are a couple of white varieties that I didn’t know existed let alone how to pronounce. I did a little bit better with the red varieties.
I remember back in the day of my youth I was always so proud of the fact that I knew white wine goes with fish and red wine goes with meat. It’s a very simple rule. Maybe you’d have champagne- Grand Mousseux champagne because every special occasion was celebrated with Grand Mousseux. It was many years later that I discovered there are so many different kinds of sparkling wines, there’s champagne, there’s cava, there’s prosecco, there is a fizzy for every occasion- and an occasion for every fizzy.
One of the greatest educations in my life was when I discovered food and wine pairings. You didn’t have to go to a restaurant and order one bottle of wine that suited every dish. You order them by the glass as suggested by the sommelier.
You could enjoy a seven-course meal and each course would be served or paired with an appropriate wine. There are many different reasons why you would want to pair a different wine with a different dish. You might want a wine to contrast or complement what you are eating. If you’re eating a very rich and fatty meal you might want something astringent while if you’re having a spicy dish you’d want a spicier to complement the dish.
One of the reasons why I’m so grateful for JoziStyle- besides being invited to fabulous restaurants and wonderful wine pairings, is the education that I receive. I’m not one of those bloggers who just goes to media launches for free food, I go for the experience and the education. Although, nowadays a lot of restaurants don’t even feed their media guests because everything is rationed with a canape and coupons.
BTW: I’ll never get tired of reminding restaurants you cannot invite the media to your restaurant if you’re not going to feed them properly, or at least tell them to eat before they arrive if your launch is for your exposure only. This is why I’m always grateful for our opportunities to network with so many leaders in the hospitality industry and so many wonderful restaurants because I always get to experience something new, something out of the ordinary, something exceptional.
This is one of the reasons why love supporting WineX: you have an opportunity to experience something out of the ordinary.
Being a seasoned WineX veteran myself, I don’t just jump at the first bottle that opens. I do a quick walk around the venue- the Sandton Convention Centre is quite a mammoth venue, to see what wines are available. Obviously, I can’t taste all of them but I note of which wines are new, which wines are different, and which wines show the most promise. It’s pointless trying all the wines that you already know what they taste like so I like to support the winemakers that have supported me in the past and explore all the new wines that I’ve never seen before.
When you talk to the winemakers, ask them to tell you more about their wines. They are usually so passionate and enthusiastic, they love talking about their wine and what makes them unique. You can also google where their vineyards are, where their cellars are and you discover parts of South Africa that you never knew existed. We really do have one of the most beautiful countries in the world and I think anybody living in the Cape Province and the Winelands are especially lucky.
WineX offers a unique chance to sample an array of wines without committing to a full bottle purchase – a true wine lover’s delight. More than an education, more than just a drinking opportunity, it is an experience, and one that I recommend you share with friends.
Visit www.winex.co.za.