Business - Sakenuus

• Regulasies vir padborde gee wynroetes babelas
• Greater focus needed on rural areas
• Top wines for auction

VERTEENWOORDIGERS van Suid-Afrika se wynstreke, wat 'n al hoe gewilder bestemming vir binnelandse en buitelandse toerisme is, sit met die hande in die hare weens nuwe "verwarrende" en "onbuigsame" owerheidsregulasies betreffende die aanbring van padborde om besoekers na wynkelders en ander besoekpunte in die wynlande te lei.

Die verteenwoordigers beweer dat hierdie regulasies Suid-Afrika se groei en dienslewering op die gebied van wyntoerisme kortwiek.

Weens die verwarring en ongelukkigheid gaan die SA Wynroetesforum, wat ál die land se wynstreke verteenwoordig, vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Wyn- en Brandewynmaatskappy (SAWB) vra om in te gryp en hul griewe na betrokke plaaslike en nasionale regeringsdepartemente te neem.

Volgens Nicolette de Kock, voorsitter van die SA Wynroetesforum, heers groot ontevredenheid onder wynroeteverteenwoordigers en wynkelders oor die Nasionale Padowerhede se regulasies betreffende die aanbring van padborde en wat op daardie borde mag staan.

"Een van die hoofprobleme is die vereiste dat padborde nie die name van meer as drie wynkelders op een pad mag aandui nie," sê De Kock. Volgens die nuwe regulasies mag een padbord nie die teenwoordigheid van hierdie kelders by name aanteken nie.

Die bord mag slegs 'n kodenommer aandui, waaruit die besoeker deur middel van gidse dan sal weet watter kelders op daardie pad is.

Ander probleme wat die wynroetes met die padbordregulasies het, is dat naamborde slegs gegun word aan kelders of besoekpunte wat wyn verkoop wat op die betrokke perseël gemaak word.

"Hierdie regulasie toon 'n onplooibare houding aan die kant van die owerhede," sê De Kock.

"In baie van die streke – veral in verafgeleë gebiede – word wyne van drie of vier kelders by een besoekpunt verkoop om dit vir die besoeker moontlik te maak om 'n volledige spektrum wyne te bekom sonder om die hele wêreld plat te ry.

"Sulke besoekpunte speel 'n onontbeerlike rol in die wynroetes en dit is onregverdig dat hulle nie deur 'n amptelike padbord aangedui mag word nie."

'n Ander bron van ontevredenheid is die Nasionale Padowerhede se regulasie wat stipuleer dat wynkelders slegs op amptelike padborde geregtig is as die kelder "vir minstens agt ure per dag, vyf dae per week vir ses maande van die jaar oop is vir besoekers".

Volgens De Kock is dit onplooibaar aangesien talle bekende wynkelders nie heeltyd oopstaan nie, maar toeriste nogtans met ope arms sal verwelkom indien daar wel vooraf reëlings getref is vir besoeke.

THERE should be a shift in focus towards a better flow of information about improving food security and strengthening agriculture within developing nations.

That was the view of Paarlite Reg Weiss, honorary life president of the South African Agricultural Writers' Association at the recent conference of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in Berlin. He was re-elected Vice-Chairman (Africa) for a further term of two years at the executive meeting of the IFAJ.

Weiss has been the South African delegate for the past decade on the executive of the international body which now represents more than 26 countries.

He pointed out that the Tsunami disaster had starkly underlined the immense task confronting developing countries in the reconstruction of their agriculture. Mere cash hand-outs would not solve many of their structural problems.

Agricultural journalists, he said, had the unique privilege of empowering the public with factual information about the basic need for better agricultural practices and improvements in rural infrastructure.

This would be essential if the UN's millennium project hoped to succeed in halving the most dire poverty within the next 15 years.

He also pointed out that the availability of cheap (subsidised) grain from Europe and North America now constituted a serious problem not only for Africa's emergent farmers but also established grain producers and that dumping of grain, masquerading as food aid, did not help Africa's farmers.

Weiss visited Ulster and the Republic of Ireland last year where the IFAJ thrashed out a dynamic new programme for improving its service to the world's agricultural media.

In January, he also attended the Green Week in Berlin, the annual international exhibition, which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year.

Since its inception, it has been supported by 69 000 exhibitors and some 28 million visitors. The fair has played a pivotal role in bringing about greater understanding between producers and consumers. Of late, it has also become a focal point for thrashing out problems relating to agricultural policy and unifying European interests.

Unlike the developing world, still battling to feed its teeming millions, the emphasis as this year's fair was on "wellness" and the need to find an answer to the obesity "pandemic" now plaguing the wealthier nations.

THE 31st Nederburg Auction in Paarl on April 9 offers a stringently selected array of 147 fine - and some very rare - wines from 92 participants, including 14 newcomers.

This prestigious event serves to showcase the spectrum of wines created by nature in this global biodiversity hotspot and nurtured by the country's most talented winemakers - from negotiants to boutique cellars, family farms, wine estates, co-operatives and major wineries.

Making their debut at the auction are Allesverloren, Boschkloof, Domaine Brahms, Joostenberg, L'Ormarins, Mas Nicolas, Meerendal, Mellasat, Nordale Cellar, Winecorp's Naledi, Raats Family Wines, Sentinel Vineyards, Signal Hill and StellenHills.

This year 4 986 cases go on auction, representing the full wine spectrum: 93 red, 29 white, five sparkling, 12 Noble Late Harvest, and eight fortified wines - five ports and three muscadel/jerepigo wines.

The red wines include 30 Cabernet Sauvignons, 14 Pinotages, 14 Shiraz/Syrahs, four Merlots, one Malbec, one Cabernet Franc, one Pinot Noir, as well as 25 Red Blends.

The 29 white wines include 12 Chardonnays, six Sauvignon Blancs, six Chenin Blancs, two Semillons and three White Blends.

Reinforcing the rarity aspect that is such a hallmark of the Nederburg Auction, two of the new participants' red wines are available in very limited quantities: Signal Hill Petit Verdot 1999 and Mas Nicolas Cape-Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 in magnums - described as a Cape blend without the Pinotage and rating five stars in the 2003 John Platter Wine Guide.

 Reflecting the quality and depth of the country's sophisticated New World winemaking ability, and in celebration of the 80th anniversary of South Africa's own cultivar, are some superb Pinotage vintages spanning 30 years.

The real collector's items are five cases each of the Fleur du Cap Pinotage 1974, the Zonnebloem Pinotage 1982 that was rated one of the best vintages of the eighties, and the Pinotage Association's ABSA Top Ten Pinotage 2000 competition winners featuring the 1997, 1998 and 1999 vintages.

These include the original Pinotage pioneer Lanzerac, and other exponents such as Avontuur, Delheim, Groot Constantia, Hidden Valley, Kaapzicht, Kanonkop, L'Avenir, Neethlingshof and Tukulu.

In addition, the Pinotage Association has contributed a barrel of 2005 Pinotage to the charity auction.

This will be filled with a wine contribution from each of its 200 members, expertly blended by a panel, then specially bottled and labelled for the winning bidder.

The fortified wines feature five ports and three muscadel/jerepigo styled wines from the award-winning stalwarts who have been selected year after year - Monis, Boplaas, De Krans, Landskroon and Nuy - as well as two newcomers, Allesverloren and Nordale.