This two-day wine affair, new to the Cape Town events calendar, takes place on the 27th and 28th of August 2011 at the Victoria and Alfred Hotel in the heart of the V&A Waterfront. One hundred South African women will gather in Cape Town to swirl, sip, taste and vote on their favourite wines in novel categories. This event will see women from different backgrounds being empowered as opinion leaders in the field of wine, and will set in motion the debunking of the myth that this right is reserved for the connoisseurs and the “bourgeois”. These categories will include Girls Night Out, Celebration, Sunday Lunch and Kiss and Make Up, to illustrate that wine should be appreciated according to mood and occasion, and not only by its “bouquet” and “vintage.” The process will result in establishing South Africa’s Best 100 Wines. The 100 winners of this nationwide competition will experience a weekend in Cape Town, which will include flights, meals and accommodation, as well as special weekend treats. Wine judging is scheduled to take place on Saturday 27 August whilst Sunday in the Mother City will be filled with gourmet foods, activities, and experiences. In a first for South Africa’s wine industry, 100 Women 100 Wines is a wine event which aims to encourage women to ignore the critics and fundi’s and to trust their own instincts. Organiser of the event, Clare Mack of Spill.co.za says: “Eighty per cent of all wines purchased in SA are bought by women, so why shouldn’t women get to judge their favourite wines and recommend these to their friends? For a weekend the 100 women will forget about connoisseurs and terminologies but will have fun drinking wine that suits their palates and recommend which wines best match specific occasions.” Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism says, “The innovation of food and wine is an integral part of what makes Cape Town an inspirational city. We are looking forward to welcoming 100 women from across South Africa to Cape Town, sharing our best wines and gourmet offerings with them. Winter is the perfect time to explore our wine culture and our partnership with 100 Women 100 Wines demonstrates our commitment to unlocking Cape Town’s superb winter offering to the domestic market. We look forward to celebrating this as an annual event.” Women looking for a chance to win a spot on the judging panel and a weekend in Cape Town should email 100women100wines@destinyconnect.com by 13 July 2011.