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The World?s Going to Hell? Tough times in South Africa these days. As food prices go up, there?s going to be a lot more misery in the world. The Brazen Bull may have a contender for ?worst way to be killed?: The country has also seen a disturbing throwback to the 1980s apartheid-era lynching tactic of ?necklacing,? which was widely used in the townships at the time. Used on suspected informants, the ?necklace? is a car tire, filled with petrol, put around the person?s neck and set alight. If the description doesn?t d
The Dollar IS Rising? In South Africa, That Is With aging power plants and failing infrastructure, South Africa needs an injection of investment cash into its power sector. And while its economy technically maintains a budget surplus, it?s constantly battling things like unemployment and poverty. The chart you?re looking at compares the South African rand?s performance (versus the U.S. dollar) and the iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (EZA). This is what?s called an inverse correlation. When the rand becomes inflated, South African companies
My Obsession - Part 1 Obsession - Part 1 Wine Decanters. I vaguely recall how I began to collect them, but it somehow happened. I ?discovered? the benefits of decanting wine about four or so years ago quite by accident, and it was a two-step process. The first time was when I uncorked a bottle of Whitehall Lane Merlot. I was visiting my friend Michael when I opened it, but we decided to go out to grab a bite to eat before sipping the wine. I left it open and we departed. An hour or more later when we returned,
PN makes moves in Asia, South Africa BEIJING: Porter Novelli appointed heads in Beijing and Singapore who will serve as leaders of its Asia-Pacific (APAC) regional hub: John Orme, president of Shunya International, PN?s new agency partner in China; and Ed Dixon, MD of PN in Singapore. In addition to serving clients, the two will develop business opportunities between APAC and other emerging regions, such as Eastern Europe. In addition, PN partnered with RedCube Agency, an independent firm in South Africa. RedCube will be rebranded
We're All Foreigners Today Logo1 After hearing all of the stories from back home about the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa, my friend @mohamed sent out a tweet asking someone to put together a web badge that said "We're All Foreigners Today" - I put together the badge and sent it out via twitter... to my surprise the logo has now been popping up all over FB as users profile pics! Use the pic on your blog, set it as your profile pic, use it as an avatar or anything else to show solidarity with whats happe
Violence Flarin', Bullets loadin' And marches alone can?t bring integration When human respect is disintegratin? This whole crazy world is just too frustratin? And you tell me Over and over and over again, my friend Ah, you don?t believe We?re on the eve of destruction. Like the Barry McGuire anthem Eve of Destruction riots against immigrants in South Africa have taken a turn for the worst with over 25 people killed and the army sent in to quell the violence. Apparently the attacks have included Necklacing, a brutal form of m
South Africa police dealing with attacks Politicians are blaming the police in South Africa for not stopping attacks on foreigners. The ruling African National Congress party hit out after at least 42 immigrants were beaten and burned to death. Poor black South Africans accuse the foreigners of keeping them unemployed by taking their jobs. Al Jazeera?s Kalay Maistry reports on the latest from Johannesburg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... South Africa
Xenophobia Attacks - What next before we say enough is enough? state of corruption within the Home Affairs department has once again come under question, during the recent xenophobia-related violence. This problem has been brewing for many years now and however sad the repercussions, I belief that it is doing a very good job of highlighting the level of incompetencies of our various government departments. Don't get me wrong, I am not a government basher, in fact I have the utmost respect and admiration for some of our departments that continually impr
South Africa: ANC Deputy President Condemns 'Ugly, Barbaric' Attacks - AllAfrica.com Louise MarslandCape Town ANC deputy sheriff president Kgalema Motlanthe told the International Media Forum in Johannesburg this morning, Thursday, 22 May 2008, that onslaughts on foreign subjects over the past hebdomad was an onslaught on the values of our civil society in South Africa and needed to be condemned as hatred crimes. He called on all South Africans to reprobate these barbaric acts. "South Africa have in the past few years been confronted with one of ugliest incidents in the post-a
Pratley: Doll Sticks in seconds. Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa Executive Creative Director: Damon Stapleton Creative Director: Adam Weber Art Director: David Joubert Copywriter: Lauren Shewitz
Pratley: Teeth Sticks in seconds. Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa Executive Creative Director: Damon Stapleton Creative Director: Adam Weber Art Director: David Joubert Copywriter: Lauren Shewitz
Zimbabwe?s (Maybe) Weapons Zimbabwe?s (Maybe) Weapons Speaking of Mr. Keating, he also points out an interesting story from China Digital Times. Confusion about whether or not Zimbabwe?s government received the shipment that South African dockworkers refused to unload remains. On one hand: THE ZIMBABWEAN government said yesterday that weapons carried by China?s so-called ?ship of shame?, the An Yue Jiang, had arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe?s capital, despite an international campaign to prevent the 77 tonnes of arms reac
Mike Nicol scores 10/10 for Payback Watch out Elmore Leonard - here comes Mike Nicol! So says Brian Joss who gives Crime Beat editor Mike Nicol a perfect score for Payback, Nicol?s most recent release from Umuzi This review first appeared in The Tatler. Payback is a gritty, fast-paced thriller about revenge. Set in Cape Town, it centres on Mace Bishop and his partner Pylon Buso. Both men were involved in the struggle as gun runners ?now with a thin veneer of respectability they run a company, Complete Security, dedicated to k
NECKLACING RETURNING TO S. AFRICA been a rash of anti-immigrant violence in Johannesburg, South Africa in the last few weeks. 28,000 have been made homeless, while some 40-50 people have been killed. South Africa is also seeing a reoccurrence in the old style of lynching called "necklacing". "Used on suspected informants, the "necklace" is a car tire, filled with petrol, put around the person's neck and set alight." -
10 Year-old Raped in School Restroom A ten year-old girl from South Africa says she was raped in her school?s toilet on Monday. According to the victim, she went to use the restroom while her friend waited outside. While she was inside, a fellow pupil raped her, said police spokesperson Superintendent Malcolm Mokhomene. Another student heard what was happening and scared the attacker away. The attacker was arrested a short while later.
Toshiba Expects 33 Reactor Orders by 2015 the World Nuclear News:Japan's Toshiba Corporation expects orders for at least 33 nuclear power reactors by 2015, and plans to expand all its nuclear businesses over the period to 2020, according to the company's president. The predictions were made earlier this month in Strategies for Growth 2008, the company's outline of the business directions planned for all its divisions. In a question and answer session, the company said that 33 units could be a conservative estimate, adding "we beli
The bloodandmud.com awards You?ve seen the real ones, now here are our gongs for the season past. You can add any we may have missed in the comments, you lovely people. Lazarus Award ? England, for managing to reach a World Cup final despite being dead and buried a fortnight earlier. Paul Burrell Award for Solidarity - Lawrence Dallaglio & Mike Catt, for not letting a trifling thing like a relative tournament success get in the way of having their say and selling their books Keystone Kops Award ? Iain Balshaw,
Woolworths pulls yoghurt with gelatine off shelves pulls yoghurt with gelatine off shelves 22 May 2008 by abuusamah Woolworths will take the majority of its yoghurt products off the shelves because a supplier had included gelatine as an ingredient, the company said on Thursday. Julian Novak, head of food, said Woolworths had an explicit agreement with its yoghurt suppliers not to include gelatine in their products. This agreement was made after feedback from customers who did not want gelatine in their yoghurt. He stressed tha
Nine milliion South Africans want to emigrate According to a recent survey, some nine million South Africans want to emigrate. And 2430000 believe they have the funds and qualifications to do it. Something tells me that this survey is deeply flawed. clipped from www.theherald.co.za TWENTY per cent of South Africans are planning to emigrate or are seriously considering it, according to the results of a survey released yesterday by global market research company Synovate. Spokesman Jake Orpen said 600 respondents were interviewed in all n
Immigrants flee South Africa?s wave of violence (AP) AP - Hundreds of terrified immigrants fled South Africa on Thursday from a wave of anti-foreigner violence that has killed at least 42 people and shredded the nation?s reputation for economic and political stability.
Just in case? you were wondering; Matt Kramer (winespectator.com) writes:
You've probably been in this situation yourself. You're the one choosing the wines for a dinner with friends. You look at the menu and perform the usual mental matchups about what goes with what. But then, much more subtly?even furtively?you also do a mental matchup about which wines go with, ahem, the guests.
If you're a lover of Italian wines, especially traditional-style? versions, you might find yourself in this situation more often than most.
This subject is not much discussed because it makes you feel like, sound like, or realize that you actually are, a snob. Nevertheless, most people who know their way around wine pay as much attention to the "who's drinking" as to the "which dish."
This lesson is often first (painfully) learned at the family Thanksgiving table. You trot out some of the treasures you've been hoarding for that special moment. Big? mistake. Emergency wards are filled with wine lovers traumatized by watching guests guzzle their prized bottles like elephants at a watering hole.
I thought about this when deciding recently which wines to bring to a high-end Italian restaurant. A good host, by definition, wants his or her guests to feel comfortable. Our guests were, thankfully, wine lovers. However, that's not the same as wine savvy. No crime there, of course. But when the time came to reach for Barolo or even Barbera, my hand hovered over those bottles and then, Ouija board-like, moved to red Burgundy and California Pinot Noir.
Now, maybe it was timidity on my part. Perhaps I've lost my belief in the redemptive, even transformative, power of fine wine?never mind the grape variety? or region?. Surely a traditional Barolo can move not merely the uninitiated but even the unreceptive, especially when served with the right food.
I used to think so. Ask any of my long-suffering friends who have been subjected to my evangelical enthusiasm for, say, Gattinara. Or Recioto? della Valpolicella. Or more bizarrely yet, the caramel-colored, sediment?-rich delights of Italy's new-wave/old-way whites, fermented with skin contact?, from Radikon, Massa Vecchia, Castello? di Lispida or Josko Gravner, among others.
But now I find myself hesitating. I've come to the conclusion that really characterful wines?none more so than traditionally made Italian wines?often require a certain receptivity, maybe even a little study. That you can't just spring upon an unsuspecting, not-especially-interested-in-Italian-wines guest the magnificently traditional likes of, say, Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo or even the easier to understand but still true-to-its-old-school Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta? Il Poggione.
This flies in the face of today's wine democratization?a belief that anybody should be able to understand, without any fuss, any wine put in front of them. And if they don't, well then, it's the wine's fault, not theirs.
This, of course, is why so many Italian reds today are so modernistic, slathered with the creamy? vanilla? toastiness of new French oak??, miscegenated with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and practically hot-waxed to a tannin?-free smoothness. Do they sell? They sure do. They're easy to understand, familiar-tasting, and?here it comes?you can serve them to anybody.
Do these wines represent the best of Italy? For me, they do not. But they are ambassadors of Italian wines, and for that reason alone they're worthwhile. Italian wines at their best?the reds especially?are different from all others. And this difference, which lies at the very root of Italian wine greatness, is not an instantly seductive one.
The taste? of France is rich and smooth? in the mouth (think foie gras) while that of Italy?classically anyway?is about a slight, mouthwatering bitterness (think Campari). It's easy to see why France's seductive model has become universal, including in Italy. The rigors of traditional Barolo, Brunello, Barbera and Aglianico, among others, are formidable and not immediately come-hither.
So that's why I stayed my hand in choosing the traditional Italian reds I've come to love when deciding what to serve my guests. They're not instantly likable (the wines, not the guests). Of course, I could have chosen modern-style Italian reds, wines that I know are made for just this very easygoingness. You can use instant polenta? these days, too.
Maybe I didn't give my guests enough credit. Or maybe?just maybe?it's fair to say that some people just aren't ready for some wines. Is that snobbish? Or is it a fair reality?
Yes, that was basically the point of this quick weekend post.Over the past week I made the best attempt I could at finding all six single-variety wines that the South African producers released, and have only achieved partial success (3/6).Though not so entirely happy with one of the whites (sadly the only one I could track down), I return to the reds to find a very interesting Shiraz.
A small clarification about how I view value wines though.Obviously, the MAN Shiraz is no Crozes-Hermitages, but that simply isn?t the objective with a value selection recommendation.It doesn?t make it better than say, a Northern Rhône Syrah that usually sells for more.Value selections like this one are unusually interesting for the price point.That shortsighted all-or-nothing approach people have the tendency to apply to so many things in life seems absurdly inappropriate even with wine.I thought about that today when I read the latest post over at The Pour, which somewhat deals with a new book on wine reminiscent of that 20/20 segment from 2005 which relegates the value of art and art criticism (good parallel with wine) to that of upper-brow contempt for the masses.How many certifiable idiots have you overheard in a hotel lobby asking trite questions that more or less resemble ?which one?s the best, Flemish art or Florentine art?The inanity of an exchange like this swiftly reveals the poverty of knowledge, or perhaps more crucial to the matter, lack of genuine appreciation which the participants must have for art.
As someone who seriously studies literature and has a couple of degrees to back that up, I have always cringed at those book club type questions where two writers from completely different perspectives and time periods are given the old CNN Crossfire treatment, ?George Sand or Danielle Steele??On a whole, more people would likely prefer Steele, who no doubt is an accomplished writer; her work could thus be considered better, right?No, no and no.As with artists or writers, let?s please leave wine out of that sort of thing.
At any rate, this Coastal Region Shiraz is all about straightforward flavors and food-accompanying functionality.I thought it a bit complex for the price point, with nice plum, berry, spice and smoke.Balance wasn?t too far off, with medium acidity, high body, medium-high tannin and solid fruit which stood up to the vegetal and spice flavors for three days after opening.An added bonus, considering most sub-$10 reds, was that the oak presence was never overwhelming.I?ll certainly consider the MAN Syrah and Pinotage again when looking for value-priced accompaniments to grilled meats and those ostrich burgers I have come to enjoy recently.
Yes, that was basically the point of this quick weekend post.Over the past week I made the best attempt I could at finding all six single-variety wines that the South African producers released, and have only achieved partial success (3/6).Though not so entirely happy with one of the whites (sadly the only one I could track down), I return to the reds to find a very interesting Shiraz.
A small clarification about how I view value wines though.Obviously, the MAN Shiraz is no Crozes-Hermitages, but that simply isn?t the objective with a value selection recommendation.It doesn?t make it better than say, a Northern Rhône Syrah that usually sells for more.Value selections like this one are unusually interesting for the price point.That shortsighted all-or-nothing approach people have the tendency to apply to so many things in life seems absurdly inappropriate even with wine.I thought about that today when I read the latest post over at The Pour, which somewhat deals with a new book on wine reminiscent of that 20/20 segment from 2005 which relegates the value of art and art criticism (good parallel with wine) to that of upper-brow contempt for the masses.How many certifiable idiots have you overheard in a hotel lobby asking trite questions that more or less resemble ?which one?s the best, Flemish art or Florentine art?The inanity of an exchange like this swiftly reveals the poverty of knowledge, or perhaps more crucial to the matter, lack of genuine appreciation which the participants must have for art.
As someone who seriously studies literature and has a couple of degrees to back that up, I have always cringed at those book club type questions where two writers from completely different perspectives and time periods are given the old CNN Crossfire treatment, ?George Sand or Danielle Steele??On a whole, more people would likely prefer Steele, who no doubt is an accomplished writer; her work could thus be considered better, right?No, no and no.As with artists or writers, let?s please leave wine out of that sort of thing.
At any rate, this Coastal Region Shiraz is all about straightforward flavors and food-accompanying functionality.I thought it a bit complex for the price point, with nice plum, berry, spice and smoke.Balance wasn?t too far off, with medium acidity, high body, medium-high tannin and solid fruit which stood up to the vegetal and spice flavors for three days after opening.An added bonus, considering most sub-$10 reds, was that the oak presence was never overwhelming.I?ll certainly consider the MAN Syrah and Pinotage again when looking for value-priced accompaniments to grilled meats and those ostrich burgers I have come to enjoy recently.
The magistrate of Siena, an appointed judicial authority, has questioned the controls exercised by the consortium of Brunello di Montalcino, which governs the stipulations of how the wine is made in both the vineyard? and the cellar?.
Authorities are scanning thousands of documents, including winemaker? notes, harvest and bottling records, Consorzio? registrations and DOCG? stamps.
If the slightest discrepancy is found, even if subject to interpretation and explanation, the existing stocks of the 2003 vintage? Brunello, the year in question, will be sequestered from distribution, the company said in a statement.
Stocks already on store shelves and restaurant cellars will not be affected.
"The situation has quickly become political and threatens the commerce of innumerable small businesses and the pleasure of millions of consumers around the world,? Marc? Goodrich, chief operating officer of Banfi Vintners, a US importer of the wines, said.
?The promise of Brunello to the consumer remains valid and unquestioned, but has been caught in crossfire between warring factions in what amounts to a political disgrace.?
Goodrich claims the majority of Brunello producers are likely to come under scrutiny. This could lead to the sale? of the 2003 vintage suspended, potentially for several months if not longer.
?We will not know what really happened until all the political dust settles and the authorities retreat,? he said. "But in the meantime, they have put at risk the commercial, social and governmental reputation of all Italy.?
The strength of Italian wine lies in the large number of its producers rather than in the big? numbers of just a few large multinational companies. It is these producers ? most of whom are very small in size ? who represent the force and vitality of the nation?s varied but extremely high-quality viticultural terroirs. The major changes that have taken place in international wine production and trading ? for example, the acquisition of brands by large financial/commercial corporations and the setting-up of huge vineyards run according to "industrial" principles in Asia, Latin America and Australia ? will not ultimately destroy Italy?s special viti-vinicultural heritage.
This is the ? highly optimistic - opinion of Angelo Gaja, one of the main producers responsible for saving and re-launching Italian wine in the 1980s.
"The Italian wine system consists of 33,000 businessmen and women running wineries that vary in size from large to tiny".
Is this extremely high number of producers an important resource or is it a stone round? the nation?s neck??
"This fragmentation - Gaja underlines ? is the result of a historical and socio-economic process that is part and parcel not only of Italy but of Europe as a whole: it?s part of our D.N.A., it makes us what we are. Fragmentation, though, has not prevented Italy from becoming the world?s leading wine-exporting nation, leaving France a very distant second: the result isn?t really that bad at all".
"It is amongst the 4 thousand or so small and tiny companies that export regularly that one finds a great many of the wineries which, thanks to the ratings their wines have received from international guides and wine-writers, have had a positive influence on the image and prestige of Italian wine, leading to beneficial effects for the sector as a whole".
So what does the future hold for small wineries?
"The Italian wine system is extremely well-integrated?. A capacity for working side by side links together companies of different sizes and with different production philosophies and marketing strategies. The smaller producers will help safeguard individual terroirs. They will welcome wine tourists. They will sell wines in bulk to the bottling firms, whilst maintaining the goal of higher quality. They will succeed in grasping consumers? imaginations by explaining their wines and their history. They will learn English. They will think of the whole of Europe as their own country and as the market to conquer, and the number of them who have learned how to sell their wines outside of Europe will also continue to grow? The real great wealth of Italian wine lies in its entrepreneurs, whether large, medium-sized, small or tiny. Together with their wineries, they constitute the motor for building demand for Italian wines. The terroir? and indigenous varieties count for less: these are factors that the producer has the opportunity to underline to a greater or lesser degree. It is logical to imagine, however, that there will be a process of aggregation involving both large and small producers, but if ? taking an educated guess ? there are still 28-30,000 wine producers in fifteen years? time , Italy will continue to be the country with the most sizeable treasure house of people who really know the business of wine. And that is my main reason for looking towards the future of Italian wine with great optimism".
An order of Sardinian nuns is the first convent to practise organic? viticulture?? in Italy.
The Compagnia delle Figlie Evaristiane grows hardy indigenous varietals? including Cannonau, Monica and Vermentino on an inhospitable stretch of the west coast of Sardinia.
The community focuses its efforts on supporting youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.
'We like to think that our vines are like the vegetables in the backyard of the convent,' said Mother Superior Margherita Piludu, 'we've never needed chemical fertilizers or fungicides to grow them. We pursue the same philosophy in viticulture.'
St. Helena, Calif. -- As wine consumption in the United States reached an all-time high in 2007, wine producers celebrated the long-awaited arrival of a "wine culture" in America. But according to an 18-month study commissioned by Constellation Wines U.S., a large segment of the consumer population is still "overwhelmed" by wine. The results of "Home & Habits," the second phase of Constellation's "Project Genome" study, were released March 7 at a press conference.
"Our industry needs to do more to become more customer focused," said José Fernandez, president and CEO of Constellation Wines North America.
The original 2005 study of 3,500 wine drinkers was one of the largest consumer research projects ever conducted by the wine industry. The new study examined the purchases of 10,000 premium-wine consumers--defined as those who purchased wine priced at $5 and higher--over an 18-month period. While the first Project Genome study asked online survey participants to recall their wine purchases during the last 30 days, the Home & Habits study tracked the actual purchases of Nielsen Co.'s Homescan® consumer purchase panel, which employs in-home bar code scanners and surveys to map consumer buying behavior across a demographically balanced sampling.
Nielsen measured consumer attitudes and purchase behavior within multiple purchase channels, including warehouse clubs, supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drug stores, liquor stores and wine shops. The scan data were supplemented with online interviews to classify consumers by Project Genome consumer segments identified in Constellation's original study: Enthusiasts, Image Seekers, Savvy Shoppers, Traditionalists, Satisfied Sippers and Overwhelmed.
A magnificent Malbec! It picked up a trophy at the inaugural Wines of Argentina Awards held in Mendoza in 2007, having wowed the international panel of judges - included among them wine expert Jancis Robinson, who gave it an impressive 17 out of 20. This mulberry and spice-flavoured red wine was made by Herve Fabre, who was originally involved in the Bordeaux wine trade, before he and his wife fell in love with Argentina and moved there to establish a boutique winery. Herve's experience in producing top quality wines shines through in this tremendously rich, silky-smooth wine. Ripe blackberry and bramble aromas merge seamlessly with spicy oak and vanilla flavours. Full bodied, yet seriously smooth and warming. This 89 Parker point wine is sure to survive for many years to come. Definitely a wine to enjoy with fine food ... try it with rare roast beef or a juicy steak.
"Wonderfully succulent, rich berry fruit with hints of spice box." (Parker). A must-have wine from this superb estate, once provider of the second wine of Cos d'Estournel. "Blackberries ... herbs ... hints of spices." (Wine Spectator)
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