WHAT A PITY that South Africa’s ‘Best in Show’ Stellenbosch Reserve Hangbrug Chenin Blanc 2025 was already ‘sold out’ ex-cellar when the winners of the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards were announced in London. Just R175 a bottle, so perhaps it’s no wonder. Fortunately, there were a number of good
THE 2021 vintage of the flagship Cab from Kleine Zalze in Stellenbosch received such rave reviews in the first half of 2026 that the ‘sold out’ signs went up ahead of schedule – just days after it excelled at the Investec Trophy Wine Show in Paarl, South Africa’s most prestigious
SOME OF the trophy and gold medal laureates at the 2026 Investec Trophy Wine Show will set you back over R500 a bottle – three times that for the most highly rated red. South Africa’s best wines rank with the best from elsewhere in the world and this is being
A CHENIN from the Cederberg and a Cabernet from Delaire Graff in the Banghoek area of Stellenbosch were the ‘top guns’ at South Africa’s 2026 Investec Trophy Wine Show – the most highly rated white and red wines in a competition contested by 650 entries from all corners of the
JUST WEEKS after Kleine Zalze was awarded a trophy for their 2021 Family Reserve Cab at the 2026 International Wine Challenge in the UK, the Stellenbosch producer won gold for this wine at the Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters competition hosted by London publication The Drinks Business. Kleine Zalze was one
SO MUCH to choose from on the Swartland Open Day, Saturday 6 June. Just some examples: At Intellego Wines in the Paardeberg, sample the natural wines of Jurgen Gouws with the man himself, while listening to some tunes and enjoying something delicious to eat (R300pp). At Klein Amoskuil in Malmesbury,
159 WINES from 20 countries were entered in the 2026 edition of Syrah du Monde held at the Ampuis Castle in the Rhône Valley, France. After two days of judging, 52 wines were considered medal-worthy – 23 silvers and 29 golds, including one from the only winery on the slopes
SOUTH AFRICA’S showing at the 2026 International Wine Challenge in the UK “reinforced the country’s strength across classic Cabernet Sauvignon, premium white blends and modern Shiraz”, as was borne out by what the judges chose to elevate from gold to trophy status – their favourites among the Cape beauties scored
THE Citrus & Wine Affair at the Modderfontein Old Village in Citrusdal on Friday 31 July and Saturday 1 August will showcase the wines of the Cederberg and Piekenierskloof – or rather, the wines made using grapes from this area, which in many cases are sold by cellars well over
GREAT VALUE! Every wine from South Africa at under R200pb scored 95+ in authoritative panel tasting reports during the past six months – November 2025 to April 2026: CHENIN BLANC Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve Chenin Blanc 2024 Rated 96/100 in Platter’s Guide R165pb ex-cellar, Durbanville Leeuwenkuil Reserve Chenin Blanc
ABRIE Beeslaar. A quiet, modest winemaker who keeps his cards close to his chest. Former cellarmaster at the renowned Kanonkop estate, three-time recipient of the Winemaker of the Year award at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (2008, 2015, 2017) and a member of the exclusive Cape Winemaker’s Guild, he
The release of the 2025 white wines from Cavalli celebrates the latest chapter in the re-positioning of the Smith family’s estate in the Helderberg. Over the past five years, and particularly since the appointment of acclaimed Cape Winemaker’s Guild member Rianie Strydom in 2023, the team’s focus on precision, site
