Wines of South Africa bring 2014 culinary tour "From BBQ to Braai" to Asheville

The Wines of South Africa (WOSA) "From BBQ to Braai" 2014 tour is making its fourth stop in Asheville on June 21^st from 2-5pm. “From BBQ to Braai” was created to promote a better understanding of South African wine through the braai (pronounced BRY), a casual outdoor gathering where friends and family converge to cook meats and seafood over a charcoal fire. WOSA has partnered with Katuah Market, who will take orders for all wines at the event, to help set the stage for a Southern culinary exchange in the form of a South African-inspired barbecue. The event will be held at Katuah Market, 2 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC. Tickets are available through Eventbrite for $25 and WOSA will donate all proceeds to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.

Home to world-renowned wines and a unique cooking scene that combines cross-currents of European, African and Asian traditions, South Africa is one of the world’s culinary capitals. While in Asheville, acclaimed South African Braai-Master Hugo Uys (pronounced ‘Ace’) will combine local North Carolina flavors with South African cooking traditions to create a unique menu, to be complemented by a variety of South African wine. A braai is the perfect platform for bringing people together in a familiar and authentic way to showcase the accessibility of the wine and its compatibility with a menu of grilled specialties.

"WOSA established the model of a braai (South African BBQ) integrated with local BBQ cuisine in summer 2013 to introduce Americans, not only to South African wine, but to South African food and culture, in a way they could easily relate to," explained Annette Badenhorst, US Market Manager for WOSA. “We are proud to team up with Habitat for Humanity and bring South Africa to a hip, vibrant and growing city like Asheville.” 

In 2014, Chef Hugo is traveling across the U.S., hosting braai and wine events in 10 iconic American cities. At the same time, he will get to know local produce, recipes, flavors, customs and sounds to create a tapestry of the Americana road-trip: South African style. The culmination of these exchanges results in a large scale, low-cost, ticketed consumer event featuring South African wine, food from Chef Hugo and music from DJ Xander Ferreira. All ticket proceeds from each event will benefit a local charity.

So far, the 2014 tour has made stops in New Orleans, Scottsdale and Key West. Following Asheville, destinations will include Minneapolis, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago and New York. 2013 stops included Austin, Los Angeles and Brooklyn. The journey can be followed through twitter with #bbqtobraai, Facebook at facebook.com/wosausa, Instagram @bbqtobraai and YouTube channel Frombbqtobraai.

About WOSA: Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is the international marketing body of the South African wine industry. WOSA’s main mandate is to create, manage and implement marketing activities in the key international markets in order to build awareness, value growth and pave the way for South African wineries abroad.