GetValue had the fun task of posting live tweets from the 2009 Hermanus Wine & Food Fair. Essentially it was an idea conceived late, as an experiment.

230 posts were made during the  16 hours of the Fair. These ranged from comments on wines and general promotions of the Fair to promotions of  some of the exhibitors.

You can see these posts at;

Twitter: http://twitter.com/WineFoodFair

Gatorpeeps: http://gatorpeeps.com/WineFoodFair

The Fair itself was fantastic. The proliferation of producers in the area means that smaller winemakers have focused their efforts on producing exceptional products. If you did not attend this year, make sure that you are here in 2010. Paul du Toit, owner of wine Village, who host the Fair told me that in 1998 there were only 6 wine producers from Elgin to Elim, now there are 85!

As usual GetValue was out to find good value for money amoung over 250 wines on show. The following producers and their products stood out from the crowd.

Creation wines which is only a short hop up the Hemel & Aarde Valley, received many favourable comments. Their 2008  Merlot gave me goosebumps and is a full rich example of this grape. They add value to a  visit to the estate with incredible food offerings to complement their wines. Visit them at www.creationwines.com and select the events link for a list.

You can also follow their blog at blog.creationwines.com and Twitter at Twitter.com/creationwines.

Mention the second must go to Savingnac, A potstill brandy made by Roger Jorgensen who overseas the entire production process himself. I am no brandy drinker, but the Savingnac has converted me. It wafts from the glass reminding you of peaches and summer grapes and then settles into Christmas plum pudding and brandy enjoyed slowly next to a warm fire on a cold winters night. Visit Savingnac at www.savingnac.com for more.

Tucked away at a table full of jams and preserves from Nuweland, I came across two amazing Muscats produced by an exceptional young winemaker, Juan Louw.  The aroma of raisins and sun jumps out of a glass of Muscat dAlexandrie and Juan challenges you to taste the honeybush in his Muscat de Frontignan.

Juan is fearless with the d’Alexandrie, defying the weather by leaving his fruit on the vine till the last minute before sun drying the grapes prior to pressing. He fortifies with skins in to produce an exceptional product. Visit the Nuweland site for loads of fun and click the wine link for more on Juan’s treasures.

Jakob’s Vinyards is one of those small and exceptional producers I mentioned earlier. In 2006 they only produce a Cabernet Sauvignon, but this wine is of exceptional quality and obtained a bronze medal at the 2009 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. In late 2010 they are releasing Bordeaux style Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc blend that I will anxiously await. Sorry no website, so you will have to come visit the vineyard in the Hemel &  Aarde Valley yourself.

Thandi was the first wine in the world to achieve Fairtrade accreditation. The Fairtrade Foundation helps establish equity in international trade by offering improved trading conditions to farmers in the developing world. Stringent standards have to be met before this accreditation is given. Thandi is evidence that development of emerging farming communities need not a lack of professionalism or quality. Though their wines did not stand out against some of the others, they are imminently drinkable. What stood out about Thandi at the Fair was the enthusiasm and dedication with which their wines are made. Visit them at Thandi.com.

Last but not least is William Everson Wines, which are made in a garagiste cellar in Elgin. Someone who produces their own label by blending grapes from different vineyard’s is called a “Garagiste” from the French for homemade (made in a garage). Call them homemade, but the care and attention William gives to his Shiraz grapes is telling in the end product. An inspiration to anyone who ever dreamed of leaving the city to make his own wines. Visit them at www.eversonwine.co.za.

Remember you can buy all these wines online at Wine Village.

For the curious, the Twitter received 6000 visits through linked sites during the two days of the Fair and 6500 during the 4 days we were running promotions prior to the Fair. Unfortunately there was no way to see how many people were following the Twitter and Gatorpeeps feed during the Fair. The site hermanusfoodandwine.com was bumped to no1 on Google for the search terms “food” and “wine” during the broadcasts.