Celebrate a variety of great wines

Taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 October to 1 November, this event will uncover a few gems from the international wine scene for wineloving connoisseurs.

There will be over 150 participants, which will include 40 wineries from the inaugural show plus a large contingent of next-generation winemakers for new generation wine drinkers to rave about. “It’s been an extraordinary two decades, with the current wine industry almost incredibly different from the one which filled the Sandton Convention Centre – shortly after it opened its doors for the first time – in October 2000.

In that long-forgotten era there were half the number of wineries we have today, but more than a thousand more grape growers. Our vineyard area was 10 per cent bigger, but paradoxically, total production was 30 per cent less.

Wine exports were a fraction of what they are today, and buyers wanted the comfort of long-established brand names, rather than the adventurous offerings of newcomers, craft producers and artisan winemakers,” said Michael Fridjhon, RMB WineX show director.

Guests can look forward to the RMB Private Bank Tasting Lounge, which has become a much-anticipated feature at the show over the last five years. Here, winemakers present small, half-hour group tastings that will cover a range of fascinating topics – how exciting!

Seats for this exclusive lounge are limited and can only be secured on a first booked, first served basis, so guests need to reserve their attendance immediately on arrival at the show. For those with an appetite, there will be a variety of edibles available for sampling and sale – definitely don’t pass this one up!

A few mouthwatering items to look forward to include French cheese, Morgenster olives, foie gras, West Coast oysters, sushi from the Sushi Bus, Norwegian smoked salmon, chocolates and nougat as well as tapas and deli dishes sold at the Mastrantonio Café.

Also, don’t miss the Shop@Show facility, administered by Norman Goodfellows, which offers a one-stop wine-buying service for home delivery in time for the festive season – now that’s convenience!

Tickets start from R180 so book soon to avoid disappointment. Good news … we are giving away tickets to this not-to-be-missed event. All you need to do is email your full name and contact details to competition@ caxton.co.za with the subject line: RMB WineX. Good luck, competition closes 20 October. Details: winex.co.za