Wine in a million! Pilgrimage Semillon from vines well over 100 years old
FROM A SMALL block of seriously old, gnarled and twisted Semillon bush vines planted in the Franschhoek valley circa 1905, grapes for The Pilgrimage Semillon are in very short supply. […]
Top score in Winemag Pinot Report goes to Creation, Hemel-en-Aarde
THERE WERE 52 entries from 33 South African producers assessed for the 2017 Pinot Noir Report on Winemag.co.za. The top-scoring wines were as follows (see below), with Creation Reserve Pinot […]
Cap Classique specialists and champions not always one in the same
AT THE TIME of writing, 46 years after South Africa’s first Méthode Champensoise sparkling wine was made at Simonsig in Stellenbosch (Kaapse Vonkel Brut 1971), the number of Cap Classique […]
Full results of 2017 Cap Classique bubbly shootout available… finally…
AFTER MUCH anticipation, the trophy laureates at the 2017 Amorim Cap Classique Challenge were announced at an awards function in Cape Town: Simonsig Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blancs 2012 (overall […]
Franschhoek’s Finest: leading wines from valley’s top cellars in 2017
IF YOU’RE contemplating which Franschhoek wineries to buy from, the following have the best track records in the valley over the past 10 years – full SA Wine & Cellar […]
It’s clobbering time… Gold galore for Kanonkop Cab in IWSC, London
KANONKOP, Spier and Nederburg have placed top of their class in the 2017 International Wine & Spirit Competition, London – Kanonkop leading with three vintages of their Cabernet Sauvignon from […]
Saronsberg and Noble Hill champion SA at 2017 Syrah Masters, London
“OF ALL THE major red grapes, Syrah must be the hardest to classify. Not only does it have two names – Syrah and Shiraz – but each reflects a different […]
In ‘Pursuit of Perfection’ at 43rd Nederburg Auction in Paarl
THE NEDERBURG AUCTION is an opportunity to buy some rare South African wines at what is reputed to be the fifth biggest sale of its kind in the world and the […]
Niche, obscure, extraordinary varieties… ‘Unusuals’ well worth exploring
THERE ARE good reasons why Cabernet and Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc have come to be the most widely planted grape varieties in many wine-producing countries […]
Unwooded winners of Chenin Blanc Challenge unlikely but possible
“THE CHALLENGE with Chenin Blanc is that there are so many styles,” comments Top Wine SA reader Peter F May. “The names [of the 2017 Top 10 Challenge winners] give no […]
Bot River Hitlist: wines not to miss – especially on a Spring Weekend
SO PERHAPS you are going to be in Bot River in the Walker Bay district of the Cape South Coast for the Spring Weekend. Or maybe you’re just contemplating this […]
