September 11, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini
THE wine flowed freely in Soweto on the weekend as the popular Soweto Wine Festival got underway, with visitors enjoying dashes from the more than 800 labels on display.
Now in its third year, the two-day festival drew over 90 wine makers who poured tots of their products for an appreciative medley of imbibers ranging from college students to middle-aged men and women on opening night, Friday, 7 September.
Chilling at the Soweto Wine Festival, Simangele Dlamini, Josephine Ramodibe, Precious Mbhatha and Junior Ncube
At 6.30pm, Old Potch Road leading to the University of Johannesburg's Soweto Campus was a hive of activity, with scores of cars almost causing a traffic jam. A few pedestrians straggled into the university gates where vigilant guards kept watch.
An entrance ticket of R40 entitled everyone to a wine glass – and an endless supply of wine and brandy.
The lucky few with VIP tickets were directed to the VIP suite where a range of drinks, including beers, whiskeys, ciders and cold drinks, were available. Those without VIP tickets went straight into the hall where the numerous stalls accommodated the wine makers.
Entering the hall, the sweet smell of over 800 wines was overwhelming; the buzz of hundreds of voices filling the room.
The stalls were busy as an endless stream of people stopped by in search of their favourite taste. A few people found a place to rest on comfy seats and were intently watching a rugby match on the plasma screens at the DSTV stand on the far end of the hall.
Stand Number 1, the Beyerskloof Stand, had five of its finest wines on display – Brut Rose 2007, Rose 2007, Pinotage 2006 and Field Blend 2003. Several people gathered around, entertained by the wine expert who was giving tips on when and how to take the wine.
"Since I arrived here five minutes ago, I have already learnt quite a lot about wines. I am not a wine fan but from what I have tasted tonight, I think I will include a wine bottle whenever I do my grocery shopping," said Josephine Romodibe, a resident of Dube, Soweto. She looked right at home going through the ritual of looking, smelling and tasting the wine.
There weren't only Sowetans at the festival. Precious Mbhatha, from Berea, Johannesburg, said she was impressed with Stand Number 63, the Grunberger stand.
"I didn't know that different wines could be taken with different kinds of food. I learnt from the Grunberger stand that white meat goes down well with white wine and that red wine is particularly recommended if one is having red meat. I am particularly impressed with their white wine which, I think, is the sweetest I have tasted so far."
By 9pm many of the visitors were in high spirits. Initially, they stopped to rinse their glasses between samples, but some simply abandoned that step. Those wanting whole bottles, or glasses filled to the brim were politely turned down.
Nearby, a group of college students from Pretoria were sharing generous measures of Bredel Cabernet Sauvignon.
For some it was their first visit to the Soweto Wine Festival. Rose Mgiba from Midrand said she had not been in previous years – but would "definitely be there in 2008". "I love the atmosphere here. I also love the way the wine experts were willing to answer each and every question about wines," she said.
At 10pm, closing time, the staffers started packing up the stands, to the disappointment of many. "I went through almost all the stands and I just wanted to do a second round. I will be here first thing the gates open tomorrow," said a male student making his way to the door, clutching two wine glasses.
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