Wade Bales Wine Festival a must at Montecasino

Fifty of South Africa’s premier wine estates including Rustenberg, Klein Constantia, Bouchard Finlayson, Cape Point Vineyards and Ernie Els will each showcase their flagship red and white wines at the third annual Wade Bales Wine Festival to be held at the Montecasino Outdoor Piazza in Gauteng on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 May 2011.

That tasting includes iconic wines such as the Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, the First Growth De Toren Fusion V, and the Vilafonté Series C. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the winemakers, taste their top-end wines and learn about the latest trends in winemaking. Included in the price of the ticket (R150) is unlimited wine tasting, a cheese platter, plus a R100 voucher redeemable on any wine purchased on the evening.

Wade Bales built his business to more than 10 000 private clients today and is arguably one of the country’s most successful wine merchants. And now he has invited only 50 of South Africa’s top wine producers to exhibit their finest, thereby ensuring that festival-goers have access to the most prestigious wines the country has to offer.

Also amongst the wines to be savoured are the highly-rated (4½-star) Ashbourne blend from the proprietors of Hamilton Russell Vineyards, and the magnificent Cape Point Isliedh (widely recognized as SA’s finest white blend). Other drawcards include the classic Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon (Diners Club winner on two occasions) and the internationally acclaimed Director’s Red and White blends from Tokara.

“At this year’s festival we also look forward to introducing the wines of a few exciting ‘rising stars’ such as the trendsetting Creation and Ataraxia wine estates,” says Wade and mentions as an example the outstanding Creation Syrah Grenache blend, winner of a Double Gold Veritas and recently rated among South Africa’s Top 100 Wines.

To add to the taste sensation, the festival also offers the opportunity of sampling the Glenfiddich Single Malt Whisky, Fairview cheeses and speciality coffees.

The Wade Bales Wine Festival runs over two consecutive evenings, from 17h30 until 21h00, on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 May at the Montecasino Outdoor Piazza in Johannesburg. Tickets are available from Computicket (www.computicket.com). For more information contact Patricia Uribe-Daras on 021 794 2151 or email info@thewinesociety.co.za

For further information on this and other Montecasino events, including gaming promotions, festivals and theatre productions, visit www.montecasino.co.za.