I’m in the Western Cape this week for Cape Wine 2012, a fair celebrating all things South African wine. With most of the attendees flying half way across the world to attend, there’s a week-long of activities in and around the country’s winelands.
So, on Saturday I was whisked off to Franschhoek for a day of wine, food and motor cars. The Motor Museum is owned by the Rupert family, who have a joint wine venture with the Rothschild family in the are. The Rupert family originally made their name in tobacco and it appears the cigarette business is paved in gold.
There are more than 330 very shiny classic cars at the motor museum but I don’t know the first thing about motors. I can barely change a tyre. If anyone asks me what car I drive, the response is “a silver one.” So, when the guide started talking “Straight Sixes”, “Aspirators” and “Transaxle Transmission” I could easily understand how the average person feels when wine people talk about malolactic, residual sugar and pH.
“Everyone knows the Gullwing, right” said our guide. “Er no, is it a bird? “ I replied. Apparently not. Clearly, non-car people aren’t the average visitor to the museum although I did enjoy looking at a McLaren that had doors like the car on Knight Rider. Beijing-based wine consultant and classic car nut, Fongyee Walker, then sang the Bhangra version of the Knight Rider tune for me and we had a Hoff moment. That doesn’t happen every day.
But the point is that, to me, a car is a car. As long as it gets me from A to B I couldn’t care less about performance or what goes in to making a car. I might ask my friends for some advice on what they drive or even read a few reviews but ultimately does it have four wheels and is it a good price are my key buying cues. Which is, I guess, how most people think about wine.
What price is it, is it a brand I know, have my friends or family recommended it? If it’s wet and drinkable then that’s fine. So, a trip to the Motor Museum should be a must for any wine person, even if it’s simply to be brought back to earth. It’s just a drink.
(NB: The Motor Museum tour was actually really interesting even for car-ignoramuses like me. The display provides a narrative on important moments in our social and economic history from the 1936 Nazi-commissioned Mercedes 540K Cabriolet that was given to King Farouk of Egypt as a wedding present to the Cadillacs made during the space race with their rocket-like features.)
