For centuries Champagne has been synonymous with celebrations in all corners of the world. But the global demand for this popular drink has created a dilemma as Champagne’s carbon footprint is extremely high.

It is estimated that the transportation of billions of litres of Champagne creates a carbon footprint of 200 000 tons, which is the equivalent to the yearly emission of roughly 100 000 cars.

The heavy bottle is the main culprit in Champagne’s high carbon footprint as the production and shipping process are stretched to manage this bulky bottle.

The hefty bottles were designed in the 17^th century by Dom Pierre Pérignon and were created to prevent secondary fermentations and possible ‘explosions’. The bottle is undergoing a redesign as the French aim to reduce the carbon footprint by decreasing the weight by seven percent.

Some sceptics indicated that the lighter (mass) bottles may have an effect on the bubble size which in turn can influence the taste of the Champagne. But the CIVC, the Champagne trade body, indicated that the new bottles will have no meaningful effect on the quality and taste of Champagne.

Kumkani brand news

Kumkani Infiniti Brut is one of South Africa’s best *MCC (Method Cap Classic) wines and we support this environmentally friendly venture.

* South African wines which uses the classic method of making champagne by creating a second fermentation in the bottle is called Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) sparkling wines.

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Have you ever wondered why people get so ‘clever’ after a glass or two of wine? A recent study found that moderate wine drinking stimulates the brain .

This Norwegian study made some interesting findings but as a wine lover I can add that wine set the mood for great conversations. So it can be the wine or the guests or even the great host that make dinner parties a relatively intellectual affair.

So for a great ( and informative) evening invite interesting people , open a bottle of the iconic  South African wine , Kumkani , and relax.

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Legislation and regulations in the South African wine industry run with an efficiency that would make an Army General smile. This is according to CEO of WOSA Su Birch in reaction to ungrounded reports about South African wine legislation changes.

Rumours were reported that “South African wine plan breaches European laws” by changing legislation to allow water to be added to wine.

Birch indicated that she could not believe how fast this ungrounded rumour spread and indicated that “If it is not allowed in the EU, then it is not allowed in SA wines going to the EU. Full stop.”  

Iconic South African wine brand ,Kumkani , salutes the efforts of WOSA in this regard and we support their efforts to act as the mouth piece of South African wine.

Read Su’s article: wosa.co.za

British Airways announced that BA passengers worldwide have voted Cape Town as their favourite destination and they have reacted by adding second flight. But how can you go to the world’s favourite destination if you already live in it?

Some Capetonians wonder “How can you be a tourist in your own city? “

You go on a staycation. It is a vacation from your own home and you do touristy (or local) things.

Here are just a few things that born and bred Capetonians love:

Picnic at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden- Probably the best way to spend a lazy afternoon with a good friend surrounded by the most beautiful flora and a backdrop of Table Mountain. Get out that checkered blanket and picnic basket and enjoy the fresh air. In summer there are live concerts performed in the gardens amphitheatre for an additional cost.

• Sundays at Mzoli’s – Grab a bunch of friends head to Guguletu for the coolest way to spend your Sunday. With music pumping, drinks flowing and meat on the braai, the proudly South African township vibe is something you can only find here. If you prefer the braai without the buzz of Mzoli’s then head to Tokia Forest, Newslands Forest or Wynberg Park.

• Hiking at Silvermine Nature Reserve – An awesome way to spend time with the family and see a panoramic view of the city. Get a mini work out by following relatively short trails which lead to amazing viewing points of False Bay and parts of the Cape Flats. Also a very cool place to watch the sunset for the romantics.

 • Day in Kalk Bay – Take a stroll along the wharf and browse the quirky shops, enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee at the variety of cute coffee shops and visit the natural habour with its superb restaurants and bohemian arty vibe. A must stop in Kalk Bay is Kalky’s. Known for their yummy fish and chips, you’ll always find the most diverse bunch of Capetonians enjoying lunch there

• Capetonians love flea markets - With so many to choose from you can bargain your way to a great deal. Visit Cape Town Stadium Flea market, Milnerton Market, Muizenberg Market and Greenmarket Square for some awesome deals. Or try the Neighbourhood Market every Saturday at The Old Biscuit Mill for some organic treats.

 • Sunsets on the strip – With some of the best sunsets in the world, there’s nothing better than taking a drive to the Camps Bay Strip, Victoria Road and enjoy a sundowner at the variety of little cocktail spots scattered along the beachfront.

Iconic wine Kumkani , is proud to be South African and we celebrate the beauty of Cape Town and its lovely people.

Source: gotravel24.com

Women’s Day in South Africa commemorates the national march of women on ( August 1956 to petition against legislation that required African persons to carry the “pass”, special identification documents which curtailed an African’s freedom of movement during the apartheid era.

These women showed courage in their act of defiance against laws which degraded humanity. Other women also and also made a huge contribution to help build the Rainbow nation.

Iconic South African brand , Kumkani, salutes all women who makes a difference and who helped in creating our amazing country.

It was an amazing experience to be part of the World Cup and South Africans really did a stunning job in welcoming the world and giving the visitors a great time.

It seems that the foreign tourists enjoyed our lovely country as recent survey found that 96% of the World Cup visitors said that they would possibly return and 92% would recommend this country to their friends and family as a holiday destination.

The positive sentiment towards South Africa gave rise to bigger demand for our wines as the export sales of SA wines increased considerable.

We at Kumkani,  salutes all South African who made the FIFA World Cup a success and for giving visitors a great time in our beautiful and friendly country.

Source: sagoodnews.co.za

South Africa was the international flavour month (or the year) with the hosting of Africa’s first and an immensely successful World Cup.

This ‘flavour of the month’ tag gave rise to greater wine  exports, especially to counties with strong soccer interests. This is according to Su Birch , CEO of WOSA.

She indicated that exports of South African wines  have been boosted by the international spotlight on South Africa as a result of hosting the World Cup.
She added that there had been “a marked increase in sales” in countries with a strong interest in soccer even before the event began. “For the six months to the end of June the volumes of packaged wines exported to Germany rose by an impressive 50 percent,”she said.

“Wine exports to the US, which bought more tickets to attend the games than any other country, increased by 32 percent. Sales in Canada, Finland, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland all achieved double-digit growth.”

She said other developments had been a 33 percent growth in exports to Japan and a more than doubling of sales to the United Arab Emirates and China, although from a smaller base.

I think it is great that the world is beginning to realise that SA is producing excellent wines and that iconic SA wines brands like Kumkani is getting the praise it deserves. 

Source: busrep.co.za

Keep Flying is a simple idea. An idea that matters. And an idea that belongs to all of us .It believes that its all of our responsibility to fly the flag. Every South African Brand; Every South African, and to recognize what the flag symbolizes: Us, and our unity.

A unity that brought the World’s Greatest Tournament to life in a way only we could. A unity that still reverberates across continents a world away. A unity that says to the  world, and ourselves: “Hear us, each one of us, as one. Our time has truly come”

“Keep Flying” is simply that. A call to fly the flag. A call to keep flying.

For more info on this initiative visit:  keepflyingtheflag.co.za

South Africa has received praises from all over for hosting an amazing World Cup. It is great to read about journalists, politicians and tourists raving about our county and what we have achieved.

One such a feel good article was published in the Vanity Fair and here is what Austin Merrill had to say about the World Cup.

“But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s pause for a minute and offer a nod to the 2010 host. South Africa spent much of the past few years fending off criticism and doubt—the country didn’t have the technology or sophistication to host the planet’s largest sports event; crime rates were too high; security would be too lax; infrastructure wouldn’t be up to par. There were rumors that FIFA was formulating a plan to move the tournament elsewhere. An attack by separatist rebels at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola in January even had some people afraid that South Africa might fall victim to similar violence and bloodshed.

None of these fears were borne out. South Africa stood up to the challenge of hosting the World Cup and did so with flair and exuberance. The stadiums were gorgeous and mostly full, restaurants and shops did banner business, and the locals continued to embrace the games after their beloved Bafana Bafana were knocked out.

Merrill concluded by writing : “The ten days I spent at the tournament went off without a hitch. The only down side was that ten days weren’t nearly enough—my time there went by in a blur.”

The iconic and uniquely  South African wine brand , Kumkani, congratulates and thank everyone who made an effort the make this World Cup so special.

Source: vanityfair.com

The World Cup has brought many foreign visitors to our beautiful country and it seems that the South African tourism industry did exceptionally well in entertaining and accommodating the guests.

So it comes as no surprise that South Africa cleaned up at the annual World Travel Awards for Africa, winning 36 awards out of the total 49 categories.
For the sixth time in seven years the city of Cape Town was named Africa’s leading destination. South African Airways was named Africa’s leading airline, South African Tourism the Continent’s leading tourism board and Durban harbour the leading port.

Cape Town, South Africa’s most-visited destination, regularly receives international accolades for its attractions. This year it joined Paris, London, New York and Venice as one of Forbes magazine’s 10 most beautiful cities in the world.

The iconic South African wine brand, Kumkani , salutes all the people in the hospitality and  tourism industries who  helped to make Africa’s  World Cup the best ever.

Source: sagoodnews.co.za

World Cup fever has spread all over South Africa as South Africans celebrated this once in a lifetime event.

Upload your proudly South African World Cup photos, to our Facebook page , and stand a chance to win wine prizes.

The hosting of Africa’s World Cup has gained praises from all over as people are extremely impressed by the organising of this world class event. But now it is time for Africa to showcase their best soccer talent , as Ghana tries to keep the continent’s hope alive in the competition.

South Africans are rallying support for the Black Stars of Ghana who will face Uruguay in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Iconic South African wine brand , Kumkani, embraces the African culture and heritage and we support Ghana in their efforts to become the world champions

The ever popular Stellenbosch Wine Festival has taken a different format this year as festival goers will be visiting the farms. The wines from the company of winepeople^TM have arranged a lovely programme and activities for festival goers.

Bring the family and come and enjoy some of the best wines in one of the most beautiful parts of the county.

Arniston Bay, Kumkani, Versus and Welmoed will the wines that will be showcased at this great festival.

Here are some more details about what we’re planning for the Stellenbosch Wine Festival:

• Kiddies corner: Face painting, jumping Castle, colouring in fun
• Tickle your tummies: Spitbraai/ potjiekos. The Duck Pond restaurant will be open daily.
• Free wine tasting!
• Specials on selected wines daily
• A complimentary cool de sac with every case of wine purchased, and other POS materials on sale.
• Foosball fun
• Massages for the ladies
• A jazz band
• A magician

For more info about the Stellenbosch Wine Festival please visit wineroute.co.za

South Africa is synonymous with the amazing Big Five animals and many travellers regard a visit to South Africa as incomplete without having spotted, and perhaps photographed, the Big Five.

Originally used only by hunters, the term ‘Big Five’ refers to five of Africa’s greatest wild animals – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. As during the bygone hunting era the term “Big Five” still conjure up the romance and excitement of Africa’s exotic destinations and experiences.

With the World Cup reaching the knockout phases it seems that the soccer world is also choosing football’s Big Five as the big teams are proclaiming their place in history.

Brazil, Argentina, Holland, Germany and Spain are the probable big five teams of this tournament with other teams like Italy, England and Portugal breathing down their necks.

It is a privilege to have the Big Five and the other Big Five on South African soil. I believe that Kumkani, the king of South African wine, is the perfect souvenir to take back home as an uniquely South African memory.   

Source: places.co.za

The World Cup has created a lot of attention on South Africa and South African products, especially SA wines. In numerous campaigns all over the world, WOSA put together events to showcase SA’s wines, cuisine and cultures.

It seems that these events are paying dividends has many wine critics has commented about the South African wine in past few weeks.

One such comment came from Canadian wine critic, Rod Phillips, who wrote that he found that only a handful of SA wines could be described as not interesting. He added that “The great majority (of SA wines) were expressive and had good character, and there were some real stand-outs”.

Some of these stand-outs were the Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and the Kumkani Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, which he described as “stylish from start to finish, with great structure and balance”.

I think it is  great that WOSA has initiated these global events and promotions to take advantage of the attention that the World Cup is focusing on South Africa.

Source: communities.canada.com

South Africa is buzzing with tourists and World Cup visitors who are enjoying and experiencing our amazing country. An American Soccer tourist asked me the other day how I would describe South African cuisine? My answer was something like this.

South African cuisine is based on numerous influences from both the indigenous populations of South Africa and immigrants or transient workers from the colonial period. The Khoisan and Xhosa, Zulu- and Sotho-speaking people’s cuisine relied heavily on wild game, milk products, and local fruits and vegetables. To this day the ingredients and method of cooking can still be found in some aspect of local cuisine enjoyed by all South Africans. From the colonial period, those from Afrikaner and British descent, India, and Malaysia, brought some of the flavours, spices, and cooking techniques, that turned South African cuisine into a mesh of international flavours yet still greatly retain local traditions.

Braai, the traditional South African method of barbecue consists of a variety of cuts of meat and the local sausage favourite boerewors, as well as sosaties, kebabs, marinated chicken, pork and lamb chops, steaks, and other sausages of different flavours. Monkeygland sauce is an extremely rich and tangy condiment that goes along well with these meats.

Bobotie, what many call one of the more popular national dishes of South Africa, is a savoury meat dish with hints of sweetness due to the addition of sultanas, or raisins.

To add to this lovely cuisine South Africa also has great wines. The iconic Kumkani is one of the award winning wine brands which personifies the South African tradition and heritage.

Source: world-recipes.info

South African wine industry has come a long way and recently some international wine critics were full of praise for the transformation of our wines to quality and premium wines.

The Rainbow nation is no stranger to transformation and similarly, its wine industry is an excellent case study on how to bring about a major change. This according to wine critic, Brian Elliot. He added that making large volumes of poor-quality wine was ditched once international help pointed out that South African winegrowing areas were especially suited to premium, rather than value, wines. This paved the way for more reds and for sophisticated and complex wines of any type – which are less price-sensitive.

This point of view is shared by Chief Wine critic of the New York Times ,Eric Asimov. He notes “The most surprising thing is the consistently good quality. South Africa today is teeming with good Chenin Blanc, wines of freshness and character, at prices that make them exceptional value.”

Brian Elliot also praises South African  wine companies and indicated that “This skilled winemaking is also evident in large-scale operations like the company of wine people^TM. From its Arniston Bay brand, through the Fairtrade Thandi wines to the rich and aromatic Kumkani range, the professionalism shines through. Kumkani’s top-of-the-range Sauvignon Blanc has vibrant flavours of flint and gooseberry reminiscent of Sancerre”.

Source: scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com

Congratulations to Rob Ambler, Janine Peters and Charm Mobothe. They are the winners of double tickets to The Wine Show Joburg. Enjoy the show.
  

Stand a chance to win double tickets to The Wine Show Jo’burg which will be held at The Coca Cola Dome from 4-6 June 2010.

If you want to win the tickets and you’re living area and able to attend, all you have to do is leave a comment on our  Facebook page or upload a fan picture.

For more info about show,  visit www.wineshow.co.za