A new me? While all else remains
scandalous
30 August 2007
I
feel I should confess. The sketch of me that accompanies my
occasional musings is somewhat out of date. Although I think I can
claim to have aged gracefully, I have indeed aged. Filled out a bit.
A few more wrinkles. It is pure vanity that has kept me from
allowing a more updated portrait.
And that’s the way it’ll stay, darlings. I was only
thinking about the issue because of discovering a website that
arranges dates between wine-lovers (WineLoversMeet.com
it’s called) and I wondered about looking out for a
replacement for the dearly departed – though an improvement on the
old model if possible, and preferably someone with a good cellar of
madeira. But the idea of the photo is holding me back – dare I be a
little less than truthful and send in this picture? Or should I be
brave and demand that someone should love me for the charms of my
mind and personality, and not care that physically I’ve edged past
my prime? (The editor suggests a new, prettier axe would help, but I
have my doubts.)
Not the Cape Winetasters
Guild – fortunately?
I don’t get invited to many events these days, but I
keep up my contacts. And I was saddened to hear of the bitter hints
made by Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof at the media tasting of
Winemakers Guild Auction wines. On the sweet side, he was offering a
lovely dessert wine, I’m told, but seemed a little peeved that the
CWG’s panel of tasters had rejected – yet again – his special
shiraz. Really Marc – just because some of the leading judges around
the world rate your wine highly and just because your Syrah was
voted the top SA red wine by the panel of leading local judges
assembled by Grape last year, and just because the last time
it was on the Auction it got a record price – does that all mean the
Guild panel should prefer it to some overripe, overwooded,
over-alcoholic number?
After all, they managed to also reject – again – a
special white blend from André van Rensburg, whose Vergelegen
version was voted the country’s top white wine in the same poll, and
enjoys a huge reputation.
When Jean Daneel’s Chenin was rejected, however, he
didn’t confine himself to a few sarky remarks like Marc did, or to
the modest restraint so characteristically shown by André. He
effectively told the Guild what they could do with their
organisation, and upped and offed. Though the CWG don’t seem much
more competent in updating their website than some people think they
are in selecting the best wines for auction, and haven’t yet
reflected his resignation.
Tokara freebies for the hacks
Another event I didn’t get an invite to (nor did dear
Angela, Cathy or Tim, so perhaps it’s a Grape thing) was a function
for Tokara. That’s the winery whose label carries a date – in Latin,
my dears: ‘Anno 1772’ – presumably meant to imply that this is no
nouveau-riche concern, though in fact it’s merely the year when a
Portuguese sailor named Ferreira scrambled ashore from a Table Bay
shipwreck, unaware of his glorious destiny as the ancestor of Gerrit
Thomas, the rich
banker affectionately known as GT. Just the sort of date
anyone anywhere would stick on their wine label, of course.
Why
the lack of invitation is particularly galling is that Tokara were
luring invitees with a generous promise that they would be given a
whole case of wine. What’s more, a nice man from their PR
consultants sent round an email saying that even if these lucky
media people chose not to attend the function, they could still get
their case of wine delivered. Actually, if the rumours about the
amount of wine splashing around unsold in Tokara’s cellars are true,
it’s even more surprising that they didn’t offer any to the
Grapistas.
Is
journalism about scandals the same as scandalous journalism?
The
wine world is aquiver with the news that Neil Pendock’s spreading
about, that he’s writing a little book about winelands gossip and
scandal. No prizes, I should think, for anyone guessing that there
will be plenty of sneers and half-truths flung at the favourite
targets: wine competitions run by Michael Fridjhon (but not those
run by people who invite Neil to be a judge), and the dreadful
Platter guide which once had different people rating the same wine
differently, thus proving … er, I forget quite what, but I’m
confident I’ll be reminded.
I
mention this in the hope that some pre-publicity for the book will
translate into kindly treatment of me and my colleagues. But we
really, really won't be hurt if we're ignored ... please. But I do
recommend that the publishers get things checked very carefully –
Neil is not known for his assiduous research into getting the
details of his stories right.
Witness, for example, Winecoza’s recent retraction of an article of
his which told of some Italian journalist’s accusations against the
Brit wine magazine Decanter. Neil was prompted to speak of
‘the fact [sic] that Decanter offers stories for
sale’. Now you must surely be either very naive in believing, or
malicious in otherwise reporting, that an important and prestigious
magazine is going to simply sell editorial space in the way
suggested, let alone go round handing out a list of prices for doing
so, as the Italian ‘journalist’ had reportedly reported. Pretty
obviously (or so you’d have thought) the Italian was confused by the
rates for advertorials (and Lord knows they're bad enough, whether
in Decanter, where they are subtly announced as such, or in
Wine magazine or on Winecoza).
You'd
also have thought Winecoza’s editor would have picked up the problem
– and, frankly, surely editors should have learnt by now that Neil's
'facts' are now and then mere fancy.
Anyway, with a hovering threat of legal action, Winecoza removed the
story from the website, speaking rather grudgingly of ‘the absence
of incontestable evidence to substantiate these allegations either
way’. Fascinatingly, a few hours later (and presumably after yet
more threats of legal action) this sentence was also removed, and
the apology was made much more appropriately abject.
I do
hope Tim Atkin doesn’t find out about this little episode – it’ll
just give him a bit more evidence as to the amateurism that
characterises so much South African wine journalism.
***
Back
to important issues: I’m still wondering about my own image: should
I get a new daguerrotype or engraving done? Or – here’s a radical
thought – maybe even a facelift and a tummy-tuck? Could I get a
madeira-rich sugar-grandpa that way, do you think?
From