I was just beginning to look through the latest summing up of the industry in the SA Wine Directory for this year, when something caught my eye, reminding me of a bit of information I was supposed to send somebody - and there it was!
Which is rather typical of this handy book. It has the goods. I first had a look at the section on wine writers and publications that feature wine (well, one would, wouldn't one?) and pored over that for a while. It always surprises me how many of them there are. And the list of international websites and publications was also absorbing. And the list of brand names, and which producer they come from.
In fact time passed and my coffee grew cold as I proceeded to read about all the competitions (handy to have all of them in one place, with their rules, regulations, dates and expectations) and tested myself on the industry acronyms (close to top marks here, although CEWPA threw me a little at first), and checked out the maps.
It all depends, of course, on what you are looking for. Some people might find the agents list a lot more absorbing than the suppliers - and vice versa. But, as we have all come to expect, this WineLand publication, edited by Romi Broom in association with Cassie du Plessis as Editor-in-chief, is an invaluable resource.
And a really handy reference work to have on the shelf.
Retail price: R150,00 (including VAT & postage) from Horizon Library Services at (021) 706-0940 or bookmark@bookpro.co.za. Also available from leading bookstores or direct order on website www.wineland.co.za.
For more details, contact:
Doronae de Ridder
Tel: (021) 807-3267
Fax: (021) 863-1562
Email: doronae@wineland.co.za