THAT DE GRENDEL top-scored (95/100) in the South African Winemag’s 2019 Shiraz Report was not surprising: the cellar is one of the country’s Top 10 producers in this category. However, whereas the better-known Shiraz from this outfit on the Durbanville Wine Route is made from grapes harvested in Paarl and Stellenbosch, the loyalty-club exclusive orginates outside Elim in the district
SOMETIMES what the Pinotage specialists at Beyerskloof do is performed with very little fanfare. Towards the end of 2018, word got out that the Truters had added another label to their portfolio of wines made from Pinotage, either entirely or in part. The newcomer: Beyerskloof Winemakers Reserve – 2016 being the maiden vintage. But no mention of it on
UNUSUAL cultivars, niche varieties, alternative grapes, call them what you may… Certain leading South African cellarmasters are making some lovely wines that orginate in vineyards somewhat different from what most people with a taste for good living know all too well. Some are difficult to pronounce, let alone find on the average winelist or bottle store shelf, however the specialist
NO DOUBT affairs of one sort or another will be sparked during Wade Bales’ wine and whisky whirls in South Africa’s capitals. Love is in the air, and it’s that time of year when the Cab Franc producers of the country converge. There are plenty of occasions to contemplate in May 2019, whether you’re in Cape Town, Durban, Franschhoek,
THE MANAGING editor of Wine Enthusiast in the USA, Lauren Buzzeo is a fan of South Africa and a regular visitor to the country. The magazine is one of the most influential in America’s wine trade and has a significant following among wine consumers in the States, but given Buzzeo’s recent post on ‘Where to Find the Best South African
NO COINCIDENCE! The Top 20 wines of the Swartland come from the Top 10 producers of Malmesbury, Riebeek and elsewhere in the district. Shiraz country, Chenin specialists and then some – those with the very best track records over the past 10 years according to the 2019 South African Wine & Cellar Classification. • For the full Swartland Wine Classification, click
AS THEY SAY: “The new age of the Swartland commenced in 1997 when [Fairview proprietor] Charles Back stumbled across an old tobacco farm, Klein Amoskuil. Bewildered by the quality of grapes in a region better known for its wheat and rolling fynbos hills, Charles set forth to acquire the farm and study its soils and extreme climate. Hence the Spice Route
