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2oceansvibe Columnists
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From Lekker To… Really Bad – A Roundup Of Recent Freebie Wine Samples
02 May 2013 by Harry Haddon / No Comments
While I was away in the Drakensburg trying to survive for a week on only box wine, a little pile up of samples built up back at home. In this week’s column I go through them at let you know what they’re like.
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Wine PR – Where Words Go To Die
24 Apr 2013 by Harry Haddon / 2 Comments
I am sure that for every sensible word written about wine, Public Relation teams issue out 100 silly ones. Luckily conscientious writers shield the broader public from much of this hyperbolic guff, however, some of it does slip through on back labels, and boy, is it a load of tripe.
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Box Wine For A Week: A Tragedy
17 Apr 2013 by Harry Haddon / 2 Comments
Never have I drunk so much wine without hearing that singular thudding pop of a cork, a sound as comforting as a mother’s voice, or the gentle breathing of a lover as s/he sleeps against your chest. I did and it made me sad
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Mutiny On The Boundary – Unpacking The Cape Crusaders Phenomenon
12 Apr 2013 by Steven Whiteman / 7 Comments
Bonnie Tyler spent the eighties searching for a hero, for a streetwise Hercules on his fiery steed. She held out long into the morning light. Enrique Iglesias offered his services, but all too late.
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Oak Chips, Staves And Critters – Why I Avoid Wines With Animals On The Label
04 Apr 2013 by Harry Haddon / 2 Comments
I remember reading this in the Onion once: “The quality of wine is inversely proportional to the ferocity of the animal on the label.” Sadly for South Africa, we have many animal labels. Producers, it seems, think that they can bottle any crap and then throw on a cutesy label and all is forgiven.
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Old Wine For The Win – Why Aging Can Get You Better Results
20 Mar 2013 by Harry Haddon / 1 Comment
A few columns back I mentioned the RE:CM 10 year old wine awards, and how some of the wines I tasted during the judging (I was filming not judging) were not very good. I couldn’t mention the best ones, as the results had not yet been made public. I can now talk freely as the awards have been handed out.
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Wine Lists – That Hoary ‘Ol Chestnut
15 Mar 2013 by Harry Haddon / 2 Comments
Fear not, I will not be ranting here. I will not spend 1000 words frothing at the keyboard about the abysmal, facile, corporate, lackluster, insulting, sell-out winelists that do not deserve the bad laminating they have.
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Reimagining Pinot Noir
13 Mar 2013 by Harry Haddon / 5 Comments
I have been thinking quite a lot about Pinot Noir lately after having written an article on the grape for a local magazine. I feel that I can usefully reconstitute some of those points here in slightly stronger language.
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Local Band Invited To Record Album At Legendary Rock Studio In California
11 Mar 2013 by Gary Cool / 1 Comment
Local band, Red Huxley is comprised of three young musicians from Cape Town who have been working hard to make their mark in the industry. Last year, Red Huxley met Dave Catching from Eagles Of Death Metal. They were brave and cheeky enough to hand Catching their music, asking whether he would be keen to produce [...]
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The South African Super Rugby Bok Watch: 15 Players To Keep An Eye On – Part 2
28 Feb 2013 by Gareth Rosslee / 1 Comment
Super Rugby is a tough school and over a season it’s not just the form players that will be included in the Bok team. It’s also the players that perform when the going gets tough and can consistently show that they are Springbok material. So without further ado, let’s have a look at the backline players that I’ve put on the radar
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Are Wine Bargains A Good Thing? I Think Not
27 Feb 2013 by Harry Haddon / 11 Comments
I had a new wine experience this past weekend. I wish this meant tasting a new exotic variety, or an ancient vintage, or even just a good Pinotage. But no, it was far more banal than any one of those, it was a trip to the Wade Bales Society wine sale.
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Someone’s Tweeting The Anene Booysen Trial, But Are You Following?
26 Feb 2013 by Dean Delaney / 3 Comments
Social media can change our lives. The last two weeks has been an eye opening experience to say the least. A South African hero and international role model for millions was arrested for the pre-meditated murder of his girlfriend, in his house, while she was locked in the toilet. His defence is that he thought [...]
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Album Review – “Moving House” By Moving House
25 Feb 2013 by Gary Cool / 2 Comments
Moving House’ debut/self titled album is one which every ‘Hipster’ on Kloof Street – sporting a denim shirt, bowler hat and a pair of skinny jeans with a skinny Caffè Mocha in one hand, an iPhone in the other, has been anticipating. Even though one might feel that this band caters to a pop/indie lover, [...]
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Harvest Time Is Here – Spend A Day Falling In Love With Wine
22 Feb 2013 by Harry Haddon / No Comments
I do not lay awake at night wondering about the permutations of whether Oscar Pistorious shoots with or without prosthetics, I do not toss and turn weighing in my mind the quality of Lindiwe Mazibuko’s State of the Nation Address rebuttal, nor do I consider whether Vernan Philander can bowl better. No friends, I ask myself how can I get more people drinking wine
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The South African Super Rugby Bok Watch: Fifteen Players To Keep An Eye On – Part 1
21 Feb 2013 by Gareth Rosslee / 4 Comments
It’s a mixed bag of uncapped players, bit-part Boks and established Test players. All of them have something to prove this season if they’ve got Springbok aspirations.
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The Top 10 Come Back Albums
18 Feb 2013 by Gary Cool / 8 Comments
2013 seems to be the year of the come back. Bowie, Black Sabbath, Beck, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Depeche Mode, Queens of the Stone Age, and Tool are just a few of the anticipated come-back albums we can expect this year. There is no in between with come-back albums, they are either a [...]
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The Best Value Pinot In The Country, And Musings On Old Wines
15 Feb 2013 by Harry Haddon / 4 Comments
This week’s column may come across as slightly schizophrenic. I have some thoughts on older wines and a wine recommendation. They are totally unrelated.
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The Worship of Sports Celebrities – Maybe We Should Be A Little More Skeptical
14 Feb 2013 by Gareth Rosslee / 18 Comments
The details on this morning’s shooting are still unclear, but whatever the outcome it should serve as another warning againt raising a simple sportsman up to be something he ultimately isn’t.
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aKING, Fokofpolisiekar And Van Coke Kartel’s Take On Club Brawls
11 Feb 2013 by Gary Cool / 3 Comments
After a long school or work-week, there is nothing better than planning a Friday night outing to a club with a few friends to unwind and blow off some steam. I can’t think of one person in my circle of friends or even acquaintances who doesn’t like watching a live band, whether it be a [...]
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There’s Always A Giant Waiting To Be Toppled By An Underdog
08 Feb 2013 by Gareth Rosslee / 2 Comments
For your enjoyment! Please welcome former Sports Illustrated SA staffer, pub quizz enthusiast, and latest edition to the 2oceansvibe Columnist stable – Gareth Rosslee! Take it away, Gareth
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Today You’ll Learn – How A Wine Judging Panel Works
08 Feb 2013 by Harry Haddon / 2 Comments
Wine judging is a strange endeavor. As weird, I imagine, as the judging at country fairs of jams, tarts, cakes, flower arrangements, and whatever other product of pastoral hobbies are put forward.
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Boycotting South African Wine – Such A Silly And Damaging Idea
31 Jan 2013 by Harry Haddon / No Comments
When inspiration in wine deserts me, I can always trust in pure anger at stupidity. Unfortunately there is never a lack of that. The stupidity currently on my mind is any talk about a boycott of South African wines as a response to the recent farm worker strikes.
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Riesling, You Need To Drink More Of It
24 Jan 2013 by Harry Haddon / 8 Comments
Riesling. What a grape. I wonder how much you’ve had? Probably not enough. I know I haven’t. The wines of the Riesling grape are hard to have too much off. It is another type of wine in South Africa that is on the up, if a bit slower than Riesling lovers would like; but then all things vinous are slow.
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The God Of Wine’s 6 Wine Commandments For 2013
17 Jan 2013 by Harry Haddon / No Comments
The God of wine – Bacchus – called me on New Year’s Day for a talking to atop the rather benign Bottellery Hills. He gave me six commandments to give to you. So listen carefully, young and old.
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