Posts
Four South African Chardonnays scored 97+ at Global Masters
AS OFTEN happens in the Global Wine Masters competitions focusing on various categories throughout the year, the results of the 2026 Global Chardonnay Masters in ...
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Chenin Blanc dominant among ‘Old Vine’ champions of 2026
IT WAS IN 2018 when the Old Vine Project launched the Certified Heritage Vineyards seal that wine producers can place on bottles of wine made ...
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Plenty of good SA Sauvignons – some superb, world-class
WITH the 2026 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10 awards, the number of South African Sauvignons most highly rated by the top panels of judges ...
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Caroline’s! An epic showcase of seriously fine wines
Not to be missed! The 2026 edition of Caroline’s annual White Wine & Cap Classique Review will be staged on Thursday 29 October from 5pm ...
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Top SCORES at Veritas Awards – Best of the Double Golds
THERE WERE as many as 95 of the 1293 wines and brandies entered in South Africa’s 2026 Veritas competition that earned Double Gold medals – ...
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Mullineux, Lismore and Rall fetch top prices at CWG Auction
ATTRACTING the highest bid of R4583pb at the 2026 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction in Woodstock, Cape Town, was Andrea Mullineux’s ‘The Gris’ Old Vine Semillon ...
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Wining and dining under the oaks at a Stellenbosch landmark
ONE OF THE first farms on the Stellenbosch Wine Route. Top Wine SA Hall of Fame. Producer of one of the best expressions of Pinotage ...
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Another great review for KWV’s Laborie Blanc de Blancs MCC
AT UNDER R200pb, surely there’s no better value-for-money sparkling wine on the market in 2026 than the 2020 vintage of Laborie Blanc de Blancs from ...
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The 12 most highly rated SA Chenin Blancs in 2026 to date
TWO OF THE winning wines in South Africa’s 2026 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge applauded in September 2026 had already been honoured by ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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Ivory Manor Gourmet Festival promises a day of decadence
Experience an unforgettable day of exceptional wines, gourmet dishes, local art and luxury. Taste over 100 premium wines, enjoy rare vintage tastings, and discover why ...
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Red blend of note! Zwartwater journey off to a great start
DEBUT VINTAGE and already a champion! Scored 97/100 and winner of the trophy for best blend at the 2026 Investec Trophy Wine Show: the Rhône-style ...
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98 points! Top Fine Wine Awards go to Elgin, Piekenierskloof
OVER 950 wines later… Convened by the Wine-of-the-Month Club, the American Express Fine Wine Awards is one of the largest competitions of its kind in ...
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Hasher and Newstead top-score for South Africa at IWSC 2026
HASHER in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Newstead in Plettenberg Bay produced the top-scorers – a red and a bubbly – from South Africa at ...
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Cape’s best bubbles compared to world’s best – Decanter, UK
IT WAS NOT one of the Quoin Rock winery’s oft-vaunted Black Series Cap Classique bubblies reviewed as ‘Outstanding’ in the July 2026 issue of Decanter ...
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Monk Stone Chenin the latest organic champ from Stark-Condé
THREE YEARS in a row! Stark-Condé‘s victory at South Africa’s 2026 Trophy Wine Show, where their 2025 Monk Stone Chenin Blanc was judged Best Organic ...
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SA flagships on show at Caroline’s 2026 Red Wine Review
The 2026 edition of Caroline’s annual Red Wine Review, hailed as one of the most prestigious tasting events on the South African wine calendar, will ...
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NWC champion red a Cape Bordeaux at under R200 a bottle
THEY WON’T tell us the number of entries received for South Africa’s 2026 National Wine Challenge, convened by Robin von Holdt of Buy Better Wine, ...
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Brookdale releases new vintages – including two new wines
Brookdale Estate has released its latest vintages, including its first Grenache Noir, vintage 2025, and Grenache Blanc 2025, of which fewer than 1000 bottles were ...
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