What's Up
99/100 for a Chenin, WO Citrusdal Mountain. Ditto for a Shiraz, WO Swartland. 300 wines awarded Five Stars in newest edition of Platter's, but of these 20 stand out with scores of 97+… Read on.
Perdeberg in Paarl has long been renowned for very good Chenin Blanc – the Endura expression pitched at icon level, a new restaurant named after the variety. And as for the Endura red… Read on.
Delaire Graff of Banghoek-Stellenbosch and Whalehaven of Hemel-en-Aarde outside Hermanus wave the flag for Cape wine at the Global Chardonnay Masters competition in the UK… Read on.
Stellenbosch négociant Neil Ellis boasts one of the Cape's champion Chardonnays of the year (using Elgin grapes) and now also offers a good lunch on the deck with a view of the Simonsberg… Read on.
Featured
Every South African wine judged very good to world-class by the top tasting panels on the planet in 2025.
Showcasing the top places to eat at in the winelands of South Africa, i.e. on the farms, among the vines.
Words on wine from around the world, over the ages, by the famous and the not so famous, some by those whose names we’ve forgotten.
Every South African wine at under R200 a bottle to receive a very good review from one or more of the top panels in the past six (6) months.
A glossary of various wine terms, plus tips on cellaring and serving wine… About what’s in the glass, bottle sizes and more.
The sauce or the marinade, the herbs and spices… What goes with the food is often more important than the main ingredient when choosing what to drink.
SA Wine Classification 2025
South Africa’s most highly rated wines over the past 10 years – best track records from 2015 to 2024
The SA Wine & Cellar Classifications, updated annually since 2004, are based on the top ratings by the most respected panels locally and internationally when it comes to assessing the quality and interest value of market-ready wines (no tank or barrel samples) in a ‘blind tasting’ environment – the identities of the wines and their producers withheld so as to avoid positive or negative bias in terms of brand status, the origin of the grapes and the location of the cellars.
