AT THE TIME of writing, the bone-dry Fino-style sherry from the farm Klein Amoskuil in the Malmesbury ward of the Swartland district was the only wine of it’s kind on the market. There have been other examples of South African sherries involving the solera process made famous by the Spanish and involving tiers of barrels containing different vintages, but these
VIURA, also known as Macabeo, is a white wine grape that originated in Spain, where it is an important variety in the regions of Rioja and Catalonia – also widely planted in the southern regions of France. Think big grape clusters, big berries, thick skin – drought resistant, well suited to dry, warm climates – and versatile, used for both
HOW TIMES have changed since the days when wine lovers regarded Alvi’s Drift as a producer of sweet Muscat – a good one, but little else from the Alfalfa estate and dairy farm. Decades later, they still offer a lovely dessert wine, however the Worcester outfit has become known mainly for good-value reds and whites at around R100 a bottle
Caroline’s 2024 edition of her annual Red Wine Review, hailed as one of the most prestigious tasting events on the South African wine calendar, will be staged on Thursday 25 July in the Members’ Lounge at the DHL Stadium alongside Fritz Sonnenburg Road in Green Point, Cape Town. Hosted by Caroline Rillema of the legendary Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar, this
THE CEDERBERG takes precedence for David Nieuwoudt, proprietor of the only cellar in this corner of the South African winelands, but he’s had an affair with the winelands of Chile that goes back decades. It was in South America that he came across Sauvignon Gris for the first time 20 years ago, and, having made Longavi wines in Chile with
SHENK or SKENK… However you choose to pronounce it, the Schenkfontein cellar in Eendekuil – 30km outside Piketberg off the N7, about a two-hour drive from Cape Town – is not familiar to many wine lovers outside the Swartland. The first certified bottlings from the farm of Hennie Hanekom and his family came onto the market in 2014, but it
A complex red blend of seven varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon in the driving seat, the 2016 vintage of Rietvallei Estate is the top wine in the Heritage Collection of special, very limited-quantity wines currently available from the farm in Robertson SA. Also in the mix are Shiraz, Petit Verdot, Tinta Barocca, Cinsault, Roobernet and Cabernet Franc – the percentages roughly
With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Youth Day all happening in May and June, family relationships are top of mind. As a result, it was difficult to miss the kinship between two recent vintage releases at La Motte: 2024 Sauvignon Blanc and 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. 2024 La Motte Sauvignon Blanc The vineyards on La Motte that contribute 40% of
‘RAAR’ translates as ‘rare’ or ‘scarce’ and, as such, is regarded by the Riebeek Valley Wine Company as a fitting name for their range of small-volume, hand-crafted reds and whites from the boutique cellar at the winery showcasing the Swartland terroir. The Shiraz originates in a block of vines planted on iron-rich soil of the Knolfontein farm in Riebeek-West, and
THISTLE & WEED is what winemaker Stephanie Wiid and viticulturist Etienne Terblanche call their boutique cellar alongside the Jonkershoek Road in Stellenbosch – on the Leef op Hoop Farm before you enter the valley en route to the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. They are Chenin Blanc specialists who also have a Cab Franc and unusual red and white blends in their
FOR AN UPDATE of all the organic wines produced in South Africa that are officially certified as such, click here. Below are those from the Cape that received good to very good reviews from the top panels of experts in 2023. There are numerous winemakers and viticulturists who adhere to organic or biodynamic methods in the vineyard and cellar but
GLEN CARLOU has been a Chardonnay and Cabernet specialist since 1988. As they put it at the cellar on the slopes of the Simonsberg in Paarl, the conversation is led by ‘Quartz Stone Chardonnay’ and ‘Gravel Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon’ – two naturally-fermented, single-vineyard delights, which at the time of writing were on offer from the farm for R420pb and R530pb
AT LAST COUNT, the number of visitors to Groot Constantia stood at around 450 000 a year. It’s been the most popular wine farm in South Africa’s Cape winelands for some time, which is not to be confused with wine sales – gone are the days when ‘Joe Soap’ and ‘the man in the street’ would queue up at the
CHOICES CHOICES CHOICES… Tickets for ‘Wine on the Water’ in St Francis Bay are very hard to come by and those to the Stellenbosch Street Soirees are selling out fast. Interesting that the cellars exhibiting at Cape Town Fresh are mostly from outside CTN, with various districts all over the winelands represented. The Wellington festival will have somewhat of a
ODDLY ENOUGH, not all of the cellars in Wellington are members of the local wine route. Not officially, that is. For example, Mischa Estate to the north and Napier Vineyards on the Bainskloof Road to the east are not part of the ‘Go Wellington‘ movement. Nor is Roodekrantz north-west of the town, though perhaps they’re considered more Swartland than Wellington.
CONSTANTIA GLEN. Down the main road from the Constantia Nek traffic circle for those travelling via Hout Bay or Bishop’s Court / Newlands in Cape Town. Home to some of South Africa’s most highly rated blends – white and red – over the past 10 years, as well as a decent restaurant. The Constantia Glen TWO white blend (R100pg) is
BEYERSKLOOF. Stellenbosch. Just outside the town on the R304 to the N1. Home to some of South Africa’s most highly rated Pinotages and Cape Blends over the past 10 years, as well as the Red Leaf Bistro. The Pinotage Burger goes for R155, the Pinotage Pizza for R165, perhaps accompanied by the Pinotage Reserve or the Traildust Cape Blend at
BEAUMONT. Bot River. Just off the N2 between Elgin/Houhoek and Caledon. Home to one of the most highly rated South African Chenins over the past 10 years. Recommended with Hot Smoked Trout (R160pp) or an interesting salad (R85) at their Zest Deli – R110 for a glass of the Hope Marguerite Chenin, R45 for their standard Chenin Blanc. Or perhaps
AMAZINGLY, well into 2024 – after the December festivities, months since the wine top-scored at the 2023 Veritas Awards to win the Duimpie Bayly Vertex Trophy – the Benguela Cove Cap Classique Joie De Vivre (Joy of Life) Brut 2019 was still available ex-cellar! With only the third edition of this bottle-fermented bubbly from Penny Streeter’s estate between Bot River and
IT’S GOODBYE to the Longtable restaurant at Haskell Vineyards and hello to Stellenbosch Reserve – for lunch (Tue-Sun) and dinner (Thu-Sat), classy yet casual, and a tasting room offering wines from the ‘Stellenbosch Collection’. Think pizza and chicken from the rotisserie, but also a lamb dish, beef fillet, pan-seared fish… On the the winelist and in the tasting room: the
