POP THAT CORK! THE TOPS AT SPAR PE WINE SHOW IS BACK WITH A TWIST
New owners add a dash of performance art and Bubbly Bar to fine wine line-up
Port Elizabeth, 24th June, 2015: This July the annual TOPS at SPAR Wine Show returns to PE for its sixth consecutive time. Visitors to this popular event – it sold out last year – are in for a fun-filled line-up of fine wine, entertainment and general merriment. Doors open at 17h00 on Thursday 30th July and will close at 21h00 on Saturday 1st August. Part of the national wine tour’s 10th anniversary celebrations, the PE event follows on from its success in Jo’burg and Durban which took place in May and June respectively.
Buoyed by new owners – of lifestyle event TOPS at SPAR Bierfest fame – this year’s show sees décor and design get all dressed-up, while impromptu performance acts including Hezron Chetty, will delight visitors. There’s also a fancy Bubbly Bar centre-piece which serves some of the finest fizz in South Africa. Definitely a must!
Swing by after work to try and buy your favourite, or even a few new, South African fine wines direct from the estates. Or make a weekend of it with a 3-day pass and take your time to taste plenty of wines, pair with a variety of light bites and catch a show at The Wine Extra Theatre: a line-up of interactive food & wine edu-tainment hosted by industry gurus and popular personalities.
Be responsible with #Drinksmart, and if you’ve had too many, make use of TOPS at SPAR’s initiative, DRYVER, an app that allows you to connect with your friends when out on the town to get home safely; or the guys at GoodFellas who are available for free on a first-come first-served basis to drive you and your car home all show long.
Tickets can be purchased pre-show for R100 from www.wineshow.co.za or at the door for R120. It includes a crystal tasting glass, all tastings, access to The Wine Extra Theatre and a map to help navigate the show. Weekend passes for R180 are also available.
One of the wineries that will be featured at the show is The Winery of Good Hope. It is set among the mountainous viticultural sub-regions of the Helderberg area in Stellenbosch, Elgin, and the Perderberg area in the Swartland. Read the Q&A with its Co-founder and Co-owner, Alex Dale.
Details:
- Dates: Thursday 30th July – 2nd August 2015
- Time:
- 17h00 – 21h00 (Thursday & Friday)
- 12h00 – 21h00 (Saturday)
- Venue: The Boardwalk Convention Centre
About The TOPS at SPAR Wine Show:
The TOPS at SPAR Wine Show was launched in 2006 by John and Clare Woodward and has since grown to become arguably South Africa’s fastest-growing consumer wine exhibition. Four events are now held annually in Johannesburg (10th show), Durban (4th show), Nelspruit (2nd show) and PE (6th show) between May and August. Besides its diversity of quality wines to try and buy direct from the exhibitors, seasoned wine connoisseurs as well as up-and-coming wine fans are engaged with its fun, edu-tainment format that includes the Wine Extra Theatre, pop-up Bubbly Bar, street performers and modern violinist. In 2015, TOPS at SPAR Bierfest’s owners, Andrew Douglas and Brett Archibald, acquired a major stake in the business, giving it a significant boost with respect to event production and regional marketing.
