WESTERN CAPE, STELLENBOSCH,
5 October 2011 -The Cape Town leg of
the
Alto
Red & Black Lounge Party,in partnership
with City Press and Heart FM, held at the Alto
Wine Estate on Thursday 29th September was an
evening of style, glamour and fine cuisine as
some of the country’s top Sommeliers and
media industry movers and shakers arrived dressed
to theme for a night of Alto’s fine wines
paired with great cuisine.
Included on the guest list were some of the
Western Cape’s top
Sommeliers,
including Pearl Oliver, from Balthazar, Dominic
Bowers, resident Sommelier at the Southern Sun’s
Table Bay Hotel and Greg Mutambe, Resident Sommelier
at the award-winning 12 Apostles Hotel.
Says Gregory Mutambe, Cape Sommelier at the
12 Apostles Hotel:
“I was so impressed
with the intimate and glamorous setting created
in the Alto Wine Cellar; the evening was really
special. I felt really privileged to be included.
Alto Estate’s wines really are a step
apart; one can understand why they’re
so iconic; especially the Alto Port”.
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On arrival, guests were
served Alto Rouge 2008 while the sunset
over the vineyards and Safika played smooth
Jazz. Guests were seated in the Alto Wine
Cellar while Heart FM’s Irma G played
a welcome set of House Classics. CEO of
the Cape Wine Academy, Marilyn Cooper,
welcomed dinners as the Plated Starters
of Oak smoked duck breast, wilted Asian
greens drizzled with hot & sour sesame
dressing and garnished with bean sprouts
was served with the Alto Cabernet Sauvignon
2008.
“The Alto Red & Black Lounge
Partyis an ideal opportunity for Cape
Sommeliers to experience Alto Wine Estate’sfine
range of red wines paired with various
food combinations. A key objective of
the dinner parties is to introduce Alto’s
iconic wines to new markets,” comments
Marilyn Cooper, CEO of the Cape Wine Academy
and co-owner of the Soweto Wine Festival.
|
For the main course, the Alto Shiraz 2006 was
paired with Grilled filet of beef served with
rosemary Jus, Potato Galette baked with onion,
parsley and feta cheese and seasonal vegetable
parcel. For dessert, the delicious Alto Port
2006 was perfectly accompanied by Rosemary shortbread
with summer fruit and cheese stack and roasted
nut praline.
The exclusive Alto Red & Black Wine Lounge
Parties concept is the brainchild of Cape Legends
Wine Marketing team. The Alto Red & Black
Lounge Party concept was initially created to
introduce Alto iconic wines to Movers and Shakers
in 3 South African cities, namely Johannesburg,
Durban and Cape Town.
Says Dawn Cameron, Gagasi
FM National Sales Manager and co-host
of the Alto Red & Black Lounge Party
hosted at the Oyster Box hotel in Durban:
“We partnered with Alto Wine
Estate as they symbolise the changing
dynamics of wine drinkers in our country
– and ultimately appeal to the top-end
of our listenership. These dinners give
us opportunities to connect with leaders
in the hospitality sector while entertaining
our top clients.”
By invitation only, each Alto Red
& Black Lounge Party is an evening
to remember with only 25 couples personally
invited and treated to an Alto-evening
to remember. Each party is held at a 5-star
venue with a rich historical significance,
with opulent red, black and gold decor,
delicious 5-star cuisine, and celebrated
with live jazz bands and prominent local
DJs. Guestsarrive dressed to theme in
red and black. Each dinner course ispairedwith
the perfect Alto wine to enhance the dining
experience and presented by Cape Wine
Master Marilyn Cooper to create an engaging
‘edutaining’ experience for
guests.
At each party venue, the banquet dinner
setting and ambiance is symbolic of the
iconic status of Alto wines and the Alto
Estate. In Johannesburg, the impressive
Randlords venue was chosen for its beautiful
setting and skyline, and in Durban, it
was the royal of all hotels, the iconic
Oyster Box Hotel. |
 |
Says Gwen Job,Brand Manager at Alto Wine:
“This
first year was to introduce Alto wines to the
early adopters, the influencers within the 3
cities to see how they enjoyed the fabulousness
of our wines catered to 5 star cuisine and 5
star venues. Next, we are opening the concept
up to the public. It will still be invitation
only though, so watch this space.”
Alto is the oldest red wine estate in South
Africa and is well known for its impressive
collection of classically-styled reds and which
have won the Alto Estate more than 70 gold medals
in open competition with the best wines in the
world.
|
| Schalk van
der Westhuizen (Alto Winemaker)
with Makro competition winners Liza
and Andre Heil, Gwen Job (Alto Brand
Manager) and Debbie Whyman, Account
Manager, Cape Legends |
|
|
| Left:
Alexis Searl - Heart FM. Right:
Dominic Bowers - Sommelier, Table
Bay Hotel with partner Cindy Williams |
|
Contact Details:
Gwen Job | Alto Wine Estate Brand Manager
Tel: +27 21 809 8481.
Sharon Cooper | Hot Salsa Media
Tel: +27 33 344 3971
E-mail: sharon@hotsalsamedia.co.za
Website:
www.altoparties.co.za
www.alto.co.za
Ed’s Notes:
The Latin name for Alto is a reference to the
altitudes of our vineyards and the estate’s
own aspirations ofexcellence. Since 1920, only
four winemakers have crafted our portfolio of
internationally acclaimed red wines.
The Oldest Red Wine Estate:
The history dates back to 1693, when it formed
part of the larger Groenrivier farm granted
by Simon van der Stel. Wine only became the
farm's focus in the 1920s when the Malan family
began to transform the untamed land into vineyards.
A Passionate Winemaker
Schalk van der Westhuizen is only the fourth
Alto winemaker in our estate's eight decade
history. His sheer devotion to the Stellenbosch
Winelands and its produce continues to lead
our estate into the future. 
