Vonkel at Simonsig: sparkling new restaurant in Stellenbosch
IT’S BACK! Reinvented, under a different name… The popular Cuvée restaurant that closed some years ago has been replaced with Vonkel (‘Sparkle’), open daily from 9am to 5pm at Simonsig […]
Kasteelberg the Swartland’s 2026 Grand Master Chenin Blanc
RIEBEEK Valley Wine Co complete the winemaking of the flagship Kasteelberg range of wines in a boutique cellar at their large production facility in the town of Riebeek Kasteel, separate […]
Frostline & Perfect Crime newcomers among Top 10 Pinotages
THERE WERE 112 wines from 59 producers entered in the 2026 edition of the Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition, and once again the winners included Beyerskloof of Stellenbosch and Diemersdal […]
The people, stories and little-known facts behind Cape wine
A LIGHT-HEARTED meander for people who simply enjoy wine and wanna know more… One of the more unusual events in the last quarter of the 2026 SA wine calendar is […]
Riebeek Valley Wine Co wins Global Chenin Blanc Masters
KASTEELBERG Premium Chenin Blanc 2024 from the Riebeek Valley Wine Company in the Swartland town of Riebeek Kasteel. Winner of a Grand Master award at the 2026 Global Chenin Blanc […]
SA Chardonnay Festival cancelled due to sluggish ticket sales
HOW SAD. Despite the hype, there just wasn’t enough sell through. Although only R100 per ticket, sales were not up to expectation with just weeks to go and the 2026 […]
About turn… Chenin Challenge to be run as it always has been
THE CHENIN Blanc Association has retracted a statement posted on social media about a new rule applying to their annual Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge that would have limited the […]
Stellenrust ‘too good’ at Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge
FAIR OR nonsensical? “While producers may enter multiple wines in the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, only one wine per producer can be included in the final Top […]
Ghost Corner! Another win for Elim Semillon, Cederberg cellar
THE SA Terroir Wine Awards are the culmination of a competition unique in South Africa insofar as the entries must be certified as single-vineyard, or estate-produced, wine made from grapes […]
From up on high, among the peaks, a Chenin of great standing
HIGH up in the Cederberg mountains to the south-east and north-east of Clanwilliam and Citrusdal respectively… Amazing that they thought to plant grape vines up there among the rocks, the […]
2026 Shiraz SA Challenge spotlight falls on Windmeul and…
HIGHLIGHTs of the 2026 Shiraz SA Challenge results include Spier of Stellenbosch winning in both the straight Shiraz and Shiraz blend categories, Windmeul of Paarl offering great value at R90 […]
Wine authority’s secrecy is not in anybody’s best interests
CRAZY, or not? South Africa’s Wine Certification Authority will not disclose what wines it has certified in terms of where the grapes come from, e.g. Wine of Origin Piekenierskloof, WO […]