It’s going to be a WINEderful weekend in East London from 7 to 9 November, as Buffalo City welcomes the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show for the first time ever.
South Africa's biggest and boldest travelling wine show is set to take centre stage at Hemingways Casino for three wine-packed days.
And IOL has 5 x double tickets for the opening night on Thursday to give away. (NB: Competition closes at 1pm on Wednesday).
Enter below:
Co-owner of the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show Andrew Douglas shares 7 tips for getting the most of your TOPS at SPAR Wine Show experience:
1. Make sure you get there early because there are over 120 wines to be tasted.
2. “Drink wine but stay fine” (#DrinkSmart)! There are as many varieties of safe driving options as there are cultivars, and TOPS at SPAR Wine Show partner Goodfella’s offers safe, convenient and affordable choices – so pre-book and stay safe!
3. Remember the free ‘Sip & Ship’ service on all cases as you wind your way around the show – no need to schlep boxes of wine around or try and find your favourite stands at the end of the night; simply place your order, pay cellar door prices, and get free and reliable delivery straight to your door. Best of all there’s no limit to the number of cases you can have shipped to your soon-to-be-bursting cellar.
4. Don’t miss the opportunity to cast your ‘People’s Choice Award’ vote for your favourite wine from a selection of 10 finalists in the Wine Label Design Awards presented by Rotolabel, and put yourself in the running to win one of the fabulous displayed wines at the end of the tour.
5. Look out for the Stellenbosch Vineyards competition station to stand a chance to win wine for a year.
6. There’s plenty of gourmet food options to keep hunger at bay. The perfect accompaniment for your wine tasting comes from Wild Coast Snails by locals Davy & Rosy Ellis. They’ll be serving their homegrown snails with a delicious blue cheese sauce as well as many more unique variations on serving their locally produced snails.
7. Get a mouthful of wine knowledge with some edutainment in the wine theatre – there’s plenty to pique your interest:
Theatre Schedule:
Thursday 7 November
- 18h00 Olive Brook - Complex but not Confusing
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19h00 Perdeberg Dry land Wines – a story of survival
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20h00 Imbuko Wines – Festival of Wine
Friday 8 November
- 18h00 Olive Brook - Complex but not Confusing
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19h00 Perdeberg Dryland Wines – a story of survival
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20h00 Imbuko Wines – Festival of Wine
Saturday 9 November
- 16h00 Imbuko Wines – Festival of Wine
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17h00 Perdeberg Dryland Wines – a story of survival
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18h00 Olive Brook - Complex but not Confusing
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19h00 Stellenbosch Vineyards – your personal encounter with wine
East London dates, times and venue:
- Thursday 7 November: 17:00-21:00
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Friday 8 November: 17:00-21:00
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Saturday 9 November: 15:00-21:00
- Venue: Hemingways Casino
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Ticket prices: General access online: R185 per person (includes a tasting glass, show guide, access to wine theatres and unlimited tastings)
Get a 30% discount off a General Access ticket by clicking here and entering the Promo Code: IOL