What Your Media Thinks of You: Canadian Wine Spam

What your media thinks: you’ll fall for anything when booze and charity are involved

Despite some reasonable spam settings on my e-mail, I still get the occasional unwanted solicitation as many of you do.  Fortunately I’ve managed to successfully screen out most of the jailbait chat lines, penis enlargement products and bank transactions from Lagos.  Still though, I’m getting regular updates from TheWineLadies.com.  The Wine Ladies are Georgia and Susanne, and their motto is “Taking Life One Sip At A Time.”    That’s a lovely sentiment, and one that I indulge in myself from time to time.  But I’m nonetheless left to wonder how I got on their mailing list to begin with, because this doesn’t seem like the typical tripe asking for five grand in order to receive 20 million back.  These chicks are inviting me to wine parties!

That’s great and all.  Problem is, it’s in Ontario, Canada.  Now, I actually have the means to make it to Ontario, but my regular wine is Bay Bridge Chardonnay (two for $5 at Ralph’s, very reasonable) and I ain’t going north of the border just to go get a South African white, and probably for an overinflated price.  Now, if it were Amarula…maybe.

Anyway, here’s their spiel for the event:

Join us June 2nd, 2011 for a special evening of South African culture, set in the stunning interior decor store Touch De L’Afrique for an evening of exclusive, spectacular wines from South Africa, scintillating food, mesmerizing music and much more. Experience a touch of Africa with the vibrant beat of the African drums, be spellbound by indigenous dance expression and be inspired by a “medicine man” reading with your personal encrypted stone. The funds raised that evening will help send our Canadian culinary team to South Africa this summer for the 3rd ” World Chefs Tour Against Hunger”. Over 200 chefs from across the globe will participate in feeding the nation. The World Tour hopes to raise a total of R4 million to fend off hunger.  The Wine Ladies TV show “One Sip At A Time” will welcome you on the red carpet and capture the magic and special moments of this sparkling night. Our silent auction table will be abundant with an assortment of incredible prizes, featuring something for everyone including a special door prize to be announced. The South African wines will be available for purchase as well. Cost: $75.00 (plus taxes).

For shits and giggles, I looked up a flight to Ontario and hotel.  Best case scenario for a couple of days: $711…  They go on to say in the e-mail that the event is being brought to me in support of the aforementioned World Chef’s Tour Against Hunger in South Africa.  Okay, that’s all well and good, but really, dropping a grand or more for a spam e-mail event seems a bit out of my price range….  Plus, I keep three Kenyans fed (wife, daughter, mother-in-law), so I kind of feel like I’m already doing my part to fight African hunger.

I sent them a declining RSVP.  It seemed like the proper thing to do.