SO, THE 2022 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide finally arrived on the bookshelves at around R390 a copy – early December instead of late November. At the time of writing, you still couldn’t buy one on the publisher’s website, where the 2021 version was on sale at R360. An online subscription for roughly half the price gives you access to the wine ratings and ‘bulletins’ about each producer, but the hardcover manuscript running to over 700 pages provides this and so much more. It’s surprising that owners Diners Club don’t promote it more – at least as much as their Winemaker of the Year competition.

Besides the Top Scores, the Wines of the Year and all the 5 Star laureates recommended by a team of experts including some of the country’s top wine critics, there are updates of the wine route maps and those handy tables where you can check which wineries are open to the public and on which days, which offer cellar tours, which offer something to eat and where you can stay over for a night or three. The pages on industry trends are also interesting, and there’s more…

A disappointment is that once again a number of winery proprietors haven’t come to the party, so to speak. It’s a goal of the publishers to taste, rate and describe every South African wine that is available for purchase during the year. As such, it’s a pity that there are some ‘opt-out’ producers, those who choose not to be included, which detracts from the comprehensive nature of the guide, used for general reference purposes locally and around the world. There are those who would like the stayaways to be listed regardless, preferably including reviews of their wines, i.e. with or without their cooperation. However, Platter’s policy is that the submission of info and samples remains voluntary.

NOTABLE ABSENTEES

• De Toren – Polkadraai Hills-Stellenbosch
• De Wetshof – Robertson
• Deetlefs – Rawsonville-Breedekloof
• Franschhoek Cellar
• Mt Vernon – Paarl
• Rietvallei – Robertson
• Rijk’s – Tulbagh
• Vilafonté – Stellenbosch
• Vrede en Lust – Simonsberg-Paarl

These (above) are just some of the top producers who have chosen not to be included in Platter’s SA Wine Guide, i.e. producers with at least one representative in the SA Wine Classification. Other absentees are lesser producers, less conspicuous by their absence and with more to gain than to lose by being promoted in this publication.