Wednesday, 13 February, 2019
Wines of South Africa, Fiona McDonald
And probably more real and up to the minute than has ever been possible... because of the social media aspect being played out hour-by-hour and day-by-day on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
At first glance, this might seem a frivolous topic: people posting pictures of dawn breaking in vineyards from Kakamas to Piekenierskloof and Jeffrey’s Bay, of crates of glistening just picked grapes, of freshly squeezed juice running out the press and pipes snaking all over the winery floor, connecting pumps and tanks with even a few eager Elsenburg student stripping to their skivvies and dunking themselves in a bin of Pinotage– but it’s not.
It demonstrates just how swiftly information is flowing and how inter-connected and engaged the wine world has become. Sellers and agents in London can appreciate a hot dry day in the Swartland – or an unexpected cloudy or even rainy day in Elgin that will raise the threat of disease or fungus.
Wine groupies can feel a virtual part of what’s going on – even if it is half a world away. Bubbly makers Paul Gerber of Le Lude and Pieter Ferreira of Graham Beck were among the first to start the ball rolling with their shared Tweets and Insta posts of the first few lug boxes making the voyage of transformation into fizzy wine. And then came the news that Gerber was joining Colmant Cap Classique in March – but that his capable deputy Emma Bruwer would be stepping into his Le Lude boots...
Click HERE to read the full article.