Butthead’s Beat: Craft beer simply ‘D’ – vine!

WHAT a welcome treat to find an event that offered something different in Margate last weekend.

Not to insult the regular milk tart, koeksuster and samoosa makers, as they are still firm favourites, yet nothing new.

But full marks for innovative thinking must go to Wozani’s Vicky Wentzel, who organised the ‘Hook, Vine and Craft Beer’ festival on the beachfront.

Apart from the different beer, wine and fare on offer, some amazing local characters crept out of the barrel.

Delightfully weird and wacky Dalene Starr with her oyster shooters was just ‘divine’. She lives in Margate, dives for her oysters and runs her own business called ‘Come dine with D’.

Is that not just made for a TV show or what?

Then there was the stony-faced Charlie Keiser, who wouldn’t be out of place as a wine maker in ancient Rome (except that he wasn’t wearing a toga). In fact, the Shelly Beach vintner says he even uses the same ancient methods. Bacchus himself must be proud of him. Maybe his wine is not to everyone’s taste, but it’s worth buying a bottle or two if only for the Gothic labels and as a dinner table conversation piece.

Blame it on the over-supply of samplings, but it certainly inspired the creative juices to flow. The Herald would love to meet more of these somewhat oddball characters and advertise their skills and produce, this in a bid to encourage more of them to support Vicky’s festival next year.

Calling all nuts!

Those who read last week’s Herald would have seen that the South Coast now holds a world record for… nuts!

That’s macadamia nuts (not the people at the Hook, Vine and Craft Beer event).

Ficksburg has an annual Cherry Festival (I even dated the Ficksburg Cherry Queen once).

Then Bethel used to have an ‘Aartappelfees’ (I didn’t date her). So why not a ‘Macadamia Festival’ on the South Coast? (Many people now feel sardines are rather passé, anyway.)

Justin Mackrory and Nikki Tilley (Ugu South Coast Tourism), take this as a smack in the face with a gauntlet…. get cracking! The Herald will be right behind you.