Dave Hughes – Africa’s ‘most wanted’?

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Arguably South Africa’s most renowned, respected, widely travelled, experienced and loved wine personality, wine ambassador and wine judge is Dave Hughes. He’s received the Freedom of the City of London – and can thus drive a flock of sheep over Tower Bridge without any authorities stopping him. So it must have been a helluva shock for him to be prevented from boarding a recent flight home to his haven in Stellenbosch’s Devon Valley since there was a warrant issued for his arrest!

Nairobi was apparently the place to be in wine circles last week since both Mr Hughes and the other doyen of SA wine, John Platter, were there. Former foreign correspondent Mr Platter was in town on newspaper business while Mr Hughes was assisting Kenya Airways with their on-board wine selection.

Both gentlemen apparently opted to take their East African malarial prophylaxis in gin & tonic form since the wine selection comprised oxidised Chilean Sauvignon Blanc from 2005, apparently old Air France stock that they’d generously sold on to Kenya Airways since they had no need for it…

The edited highlights version is that Mr Hughes encountered an extremely inflexible police officer at the boarding gate – but ultimately made it home safe and sound for the Human Rights Day weekend.

The longer version entails being locked into the hotel lobby over a power adapter return, reporting to the incorrect gate and almost boarding a flight to Zanzibar, confusion and embarrassment on the part of his hosts Kenya Airlines, intervention of airline security, the tab being settled in cash, flights being held up – and then delayed … and connecting flights in Johannesburg being missed!

If you’ve got time, he’ll tell the tale.