RELEASED exclusively to their club members when launched a few months earlier but then made available to all wine lovers, Graham Beck Pinot Meunier 2022 is the first and only Cap Classique sparkling wine on the market that’s made purely from Pinot Meunier, one of the three grape varieties traditionally
Six exceptional wines, passionately crafted for discerning palates in the relentless pursuit of excellence – the expression of head winemaker Alvi van der Merwe’s drive to explore, to create, to reimagine. For many years, Alvi pursued a medical career abroad, but no matter where life took him, his country of
THE TOP price paid at Strauss & Co’s timed, online Bordeaux-themed auction concluded on 21 October ’24 was R32 830 (US$1862) for a bottle of South Africa’s GS Cabernet 1966 – higher than the R25 795 (US$1463) paid at the sale for a bottle of 1982 Mouton Rothschild, one of
South African icon wine estate Alto, situated on the slopes of Stellenbosch’s Helderberg, celebrates an extraordinary milestone in 2024 with the release of the 100th consecutive vintage of its renowned red blend Alto Rouge. One of the Cape’s most famous wines, it was first crafted in 1922 and, after a
THE ART of wine… Wine in art… Sponsored by Nedbank, the Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Auction and, in particular, the showcase tasting events during the build-up to the annual sale had an AI dimension to them – artificial intelligence used to paint interpretations of the wines prompted by sensory descriptors.
La Motte’s trusted pair of Syrah and Chardonnay are made exclusively from Franschhoek grapes, and you can taste it. “La Motte’s terroir contributes a beautiful creaminess and drinkability – even at a young age”, says La Motte Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche. The recently released 2023 La Motte Chardonnay combines this smooth
ONE OF the top dozen or so SA Chenins over the past 10 years, Spier 21 Gables’ Master Award with the 2022 vintage at the 2024 Global Chenin Blanc Masters in the UK followed gold at the 2023 Masters with the 2021 vintage, 96 points in Platter’s SA Wine Guide
ON RELEASE, the 2024 Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition results were trumpeted to and from all corners of South Africa’s Cape winelands and then out to fans around the country, around the world. The Pinotage Association has hosted the challenge every year for going on three decades, and remarkably, all
JUDGED the best wine overall at the 2024 South African Terroir Wine Awards, the success of the 2018 vintage of Jonathan’s Ridge Single Vineyard Pinotage from Springfontein in Stanford follows a trophy for the 2013 vintage and the Best in Class award for the 2007 in previous editions of the
There’s nothing elitist or intimidating about it. Think of it as going wine-routing, exploring the length, breadth and every corner of the South African winelands with experienced guides to help show the way. The V’know Wine Appreciation Club is a ticket to discovering interesting, good-value reds and whites recommended by
IT WAS NOT that long ago that Domaine des Dieux was making headlines with Chardonnay, scoring 96 at the Decanter World Wine Awards in the UK, winning the trophy for best wine overall at the local Veritas Awards and then striking gold at South Africa’s Trophy Wine Show. But never
AA Badenhorst outside Malmesbury in the Swartland was one of the pioneers of South African bubbly made ‘the original way’ invented by the French in the 16th Century. Vondeling of Paarl was another, their Rurale reported to be the first local wine officially recognised as having come about according to
