RMB Winex Cape Town 2012
Friday, 14 December, 2012
RMB Winex
RMB WineX Cape Town Select brought a festive spirit to the CTICC on 29th and 30th November.
With the backdrop of the cityscape in sunset, the new ballroom venue (and stand numbers limited to 100), imbued this year’s 10th anniversary show with an altogether more intimate feel. With the ticket price covering a Riedel wine glass and deli voucher the show lived up to its promise of being the most upmarket event of its kind in South Africa. 2 700 Cape Town wine lovers arrived over the two days to taste more than 400 wines, revisit long-standing show regulars and acquaint themselves with new producers.
As in previous years, guests were urged to take time out from tasting to vote for their favourites at the show. This year saw the introduction of the RMB WineX app and a parallel digital ballot in association with Samsung Electronics. Votes were cast on Galaxy tablets stationed in the wine hall and via show visitors’ smartphones and mobile devices with the Samsung Best Wine on Show leaderboard adding to the excitement of the moment. The audited results confirm Franschhoek producer Lynx Wines the overall winner.
Best Red Wine on Show – RMB WineX Cape Town Select 2012
1st place: Lynx Cabernet Franc 2011
2nd place: Café Culture Coffee Pinotage 2011
3rd place: Tokara Director’s Reserve Red 2008
The other nine wines making the top ten best red wine listings, including tied positions, are (in alphabetical order according to producer): Backsberg Family Reserve Red 2005, Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block 2011, Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2011, Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2011 (new label), Eagles’ Nest Shiraz 2009, Epicurean 2008, Haute Cabrière Unwooded Pinot Noir 2011, The Lynx 2009 and Roodeberg’s Dr Charles Niehaus Roodeberg 2010.
Best White Wine on Show (includes rosés and sparkling wines) – RMB WineX Cape Town Select 2012
1st place: Lynx Viognier 2012
2nd place: Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2012
3rd place: Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2011
The other seven wines making the top ten best white wine listings are (in alphabetical order according to producer): Ashbourne Sauvignon Chardonnay 2012, Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay 2011, Creation Viognier 2012, Ken Forrester FMC 2010, KWV The Classic Shiraz Rosé 2012, Oneiric Sauvignon Blanc 2010 and Steenberg 1682 Chardonnay Méthode Cap Classique 2011.
Commenting on this year’s poll, RMB WineX director Michael Fridjhon said: "Cape Town lived up to its reputation as a discriminating community of wine savvy tasters, with the wines topping the charts in the Mother City a combination of show laureates, cuvées from highly respected boutique cellars, exciting newcomers and fashionable favourites."
Shop@Show, facilitated by PicardiRebel in Cape Town offers a cost-effective, convenient and liquor-legislation compliant means of purchasing wines at the show. The repeat of 2011’s Great Deals campaign contributed to just less than R101 000 in wine sales generated over the two days of the show. Bouchard Finlayson was the top selling exhibitor by volume and Strandveld Vineyards by value.
WineX is a supporter of several charities and conservation projects: The Waterfront sector of Rotary Club South Africa of raises significant funds through the payment for the stock distribution at the show and proceeds raised from exhibitor wine donations. Annually, WineX donates all proceeds raised through the coin-operated breathalysers to the Pebble Project. Additionally, WineX supports the promotion of RAGE (Rhino Action Group Effort) and WWF’s Biodiversity and Wine Initiative. The Wesland Art Society, which raises funds for investment in the West Coast farming community, was also given the opportunity to sell their individually painted wine barrels at the show.