VERY BRAVE, some might say, to hold a festival on THAT day, April fools day. Nevertheless, Saturday 1 April should be a glorious time for the Noordhoek Crush at the local Farm Village. Apparently the weather will be ‘perfect’ for sampling some of over 80 wines from more than 20 producers representing various parts of the Cape winelands – and
Read moreAS THE 2022 WINNER of the only competition in South Africa exclusively for Rosé wines, Groote Post is one of the country’s ‘pink’ wines of the year: • Aaldering Pinotage Rosé 2022 at R225pb ex-cellar, Devon Valley-Stellenbosch: trophy at the Michelangelo Awards (SA) • Allée Bleue Shiraz Rosé 2022 at R90pb ex-cellar, Franschhoek: top of its class at the Shiraz
Read more“THE BEST Shiraz is nothing if not peppery and many will have quite grippy tannins as a result of whole-bunch fermentation… Shiraz is for those who aren’t afraid of some flavour intensity.” So says Winemag editor Christian Eedes, who chaired the panel tasting of 99 South African wines from 82 producers submitted for the 2022 Prescient Shiraz Report. Also on
Read moreDURBANVILLE and Wellington cellars emerged as the superstars of South Africa’s 2021 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, with Diemersfontein’s Thokozani Cabernet Franc 2019 and De Grendel Op die Berg Chardonnay 2020 the top-scoring red and white respectively, Diemersdal Estate the most successful producer overall. Given the price of R115pb for the Thokozani Cab Franc at the winery in Wellington, Diemersfontein
Read moreTHERE WERE 183 entries from 107 producers in the 2019 FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top 10 competition and/but very few surprises in terms of the results which included three repeat winners – the 2019 vintage of De Grendel Koetshuis, Diemersdal Wild Ferment and Tokara Reserve Collection winning this year after victory with earlier vintages last year. The panel of judges were:
Read moreSOME OF THE big names will be missing at Hartenberg’s ‘Riesling Rocks’ festival this Saturday afternoon (9 Feb), but hey, you can be sure of a great day… Delectable snacking and sipping on the lawns of the estate off the Bottelary Road (M23) in Stellenbosch – an opportunity to explore Riesling’s reputation as a particularly versatile variety when it comes to
Read moreIT SEEMS LIKE only yesterday that you could count the number of South Africa’s good Rieslings on a few fingers and that the labels of these wines were so much more confusing than they are today. Shame on the producers – including Theuniskraal and Van Loveren – who persist in calling wines what they’re not, namely ‘Cape Riesling’ instead of
Read moreGREAT BUYS for the festive season… Chardonnay from South Africa that has been highly recommended by one or more of the expert tasting panels around the world this year AND which costs less than R80 a bottle – with prices given ex-cellar, or approximate retail if the cellar is closed to the public: BERGSIG 2010 – R66 BOLAND CELLAR Reserve No 1 2010
Read moreGREAT VALUE Chardonnays – South African wines selling for less than R70 a bottle that have been recommended by one or more of the top tasting panels around the world during the past 18 months. Prices given in SA rand – ex-cellar, or approximate retail in cases where the winery is closed to the public. At R33pb – Drostdy-Hof Chardonnay 2010
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