being a tourist

[elsa hoffmann]

I am currently busy doing my Tourism course and sitting through several hectic lectures and tours.
I have NO idea how I am suppose to remember even 10 % - the manual is 537 pages thick - ....
1. the fermenting tanks
2. reflections
3. wine barrels fulllll of vino
4. De grendel's Wine collection

[Frank Fremerey]

?

You learn how to be a tourist guide?
You shall teach tourists how wine is made?
Easiest way is to load a recipee from the Net and make wine in your kitchen. This is not very difficult. No rocket science. People in the stone age were able to ferment and store. Honestly. It will take you one afternoon and the whole thing will seem easy and natural to you. Like baking a cake or a pizza...

[Fons Baerken]

Nice series.
Back in the stoneage the air was still clean and natural ferments would survive, today the air is all polluted with whatever no conditions for these ferments to live.

[elsa hoffmann]

Yes Frank - I am sure every tourist is going to be interested in how to make wine in the kitchen.
Thanks Fons. The farm workers usually make their own wine - the grapes are available to them and it's a cheap and easy process. Especially since the farm owner may not give them wine - it's against the law, so they have to make their own, or purchase it.

[Airy]

Interesting also from the legal point of view : why is it forbidden to make wine part of the "salary package" ? is this rule peculiar to liquors, aiming at fighting alcoholism? is it because such kind of compensation would escape from income tax ? is it just to make sure that minimum wage rules are not undermined ?

[Viv]

What a strange law. Beer maker Guinness gives its coopers a weekly allowance of free beer.

[Jakov Minić]

Elsa, wasn't it you who starred in the motion picture The Tourist with with Johnny Depp?

 

[elsa hoffmann]

Jakov - of course 

regarding the "dop" system - farmers remunerated their workers with a cup (dop) of wine several times a day and this is a tradition that started as far back as the 17th century in South Africa (by the Dutch and British) for obvious reasons this was an unfair practice. Secondly - the incidence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (babies born alcoholic, growth stunted, and mentally retarded (amongst other things) was exceptionally high in SA. This was some of the reasons why it became illegal to "feed" your workers alcohol. There is a lot more to it - but it's not a strange law at all. The Western Cape Province (WCP) has some of the highest rates of FASD in the world

[PeterN]

Beautiful series, Elsa.
Reading through 500+ pages is easy compared to drinking all the wine stored in the barrels. ;-)
Whenever I am SA, I will make a request to have you as guide (for wine and photography). ;-)

[elsa hoffmann]

Thanks Peter
We have access to several wine farms - and can get in like EVERYWHERE in the cellars.
We also have a special arrangement with more private vineyards - so no other tourists and private wine tasting.
It is very interesting

[ColinM]

So Elsa, can you tell us what the wines taste like?

[elsa hoffmann]

Very very good.....

[PeterN]

what about some more photo tasting?
I like drinking wine but I also like seeing photos of wine, wine production and wine consumption.

[elsa hoffmann]

With several wine routes - you will get it all here - drinking, shooting, enjoying, watching others falling over - everything you want to see   (or do)
Our wine farms are also absolutely beautiful to visit 

[afx]

Our wine farms are also absolutely beautiful to visit 

Oh yes!

My last ZA trip was in 1999. I was traveling with a friend who is member of "Les Amis Du Vin".
I booked the nature reserves, she booked the restaurants and wine farms.

cheers
afx