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Mzoli
Ngcawuzele
Festival co-founder, owner of
Mzoli’s Place and business mogul. |
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Unathi
Msengana
Singer performer, Idols judge
and Metro FM presenter |
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For high resolution images, please e-mail
[email protected] |
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FEEL
THE RHYTHM OF GUGS!
Carioca at the Gugulethu
Wine Festival |
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GUGULETHU, CAPE TOWN, 29 MAY 2012
– Glamour and love was the name
of the day at the 2nd annual TOPS Gugulethu
Wine Festival on the Rooftop of the Gugulethu
Square Mall on 25 and 26 May 2012.
With 3485 people attending the wine festival
over the two evenings, which is over 1000
more people than last year, the glamorous
of all ages, race and cultures sipped
their way through the wide selection of
over 300 wines spreading the love wherever
they went. With every shade of colour,
economic status and culture mingling,
sipping, laughing, dancing and chatting
like old friends, one would never guess
we were in the middle of Gugulethu. But
we were and it was an amazing experience
for all, and as uplifting spiritually
and emotionally as one could ever experience.
It is wine that will bring us together,
not politicians.
Says
festival co-founder, owner of Mzoli’s
Place and business mogul, Mzoli Ngcawuzele
“Wine is the nectar of love and
hard work, from those who make it for
those who drink it, and it has a way of
bringing people together. Gugulethu was
the most happening place to be on the
weekend and for good reason. I am enormously
proud of this festival and wish to say
a big thank you to all who had a part
in organising it, sponsoring it, believing
in it and to those that came from far
and wide to experience it, this was for
you.”
Ngcawuzele continued, “To the inspired
and business savvy I say this; we have
brought this wine into Gugulethu, and
you have experienced the numbers of our
people that love it and want it, and it
will grow every year. Now go and make
a business from wine. It is on your doorstep.”
Mark Robinson, TOPS Group
Liquor Manager said, “TOPS
at SPAR are proud to headline this festival
as it encourages diversity and is lifestyle
inspirational first and foremost and these
are values we encourage within our retailers
and in our business. Creating an environment
in which people of all economic status,
race, and culture can connect on the same
level is a fresh way to meet your customers
and we love it. Our TOPS Wine Festivals
in Soweto, Gugulethu and Umlazi is the
new way to connect with people.”
Says Marilyn Cooper, Cape
Wine Master, CEO of the Cape Wine Academy,
co-founder of the TOPS Soweto Wine Festival
and organiser of the wine exhibitors at
this festival “This festival
is fantastic and the people of Gugulethu
and surrounding areas are ready for wine
as part of their lifestyle. We have had
rave reviews from wine exhibitors, wine
media and visitors alike. What I love
about this festival is that the visitors
sincerely want to know about wine. There
is no pretence. They ask questions and
give instant feedback, whether you want
to hear it or not. They are sponges hungry
for knowledge and have a genuine interest
in the history of these wines and why
they taste the way they do. Our visitors
are the future wine buyers and it is important
that winemakers connect with them at these
festivals.”
Cathy
Marston, wine editor of Food24, tweeted
whilst at the festival, “Bigger
& MUCH better than last year - smart
& very well organised according to
exhibitors. And the whole vibe here is
fab. Other wine shows - play some music,
set a scene, create a vibe.”
Nederburg red winemaker Wilhelm
Pienaar and MasterChef South Africa judge
Pete Goffe-Wood hosted the interactive
Nederburg Taste Theatre and every session
was packed.
Singer performer,
Idols judge and Metro FM presenter, Unathi
Msengana and her 9 piece band raised the
roof. Says Unathi “The universe
was in alignment in Gugulethu and it was
pure magic. To the people of Gugulethu,
you rock there and back! It was an honour
and I hope we did you proud. We will be
back. TOPS at SPAR, you guys are visionary.”
Nigel Pierce, DJ at Good
Hope FM sums it up. He went on
air today and said, “Gugs is a really,
really nice event. We need more of it,
I hope it grows, I hope it grows in its
popularity but it must not stick only
to Gugs, it must extend to other nodes.
We have to break down these barriers and
these stereotypes; we've got to chip away,
that's exactly what they've done with
the TOPS Gugulethu Wine Festival."
Mariette du Toit-Helmbold,
CEO of Cape Town Tourism says,
“Thank you to everybody who joined
us at the TOPS Gugulethu Wine Festival
– product owners, organisers, sponsors,
media and visitors. Cape Town Tourism
is proud to wholeheartedly support the
TOPS Gugulethu Wine Festival for its ability
to showcase Gugulethu as a tourism and
business destination and the potential
that it holds as a new event to profile
Cape Town as a food and wine destination
- especially in winter. Events play a
pivotal role in the tourism industry in
Cape Town and we are working with Cape
Town event organisers to establish an
annual event calendar that offers a diverse
range of experiences – showcasing
the iconic and unexpected attractions
in our city – and that spread the
benefits of tourism across the metropole.”
New this year was the TOPS Food
& Chill Out Zone, which offered
a selection of specialist coffees, pizza,
oysters and Mzoli’s shisa nyama,
and all but the Oyster Lady sold out.
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For
more information |
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