Tag Archives: SA

South Africa punches above its weight at Global Syrah Masters

REPORTING on the 2024 Global Syrah Masters for The Drinks Business publication in London, Master of Wine Patricia Stefanowicz compared the Shiraz plantings of France, at about 70 000ha, to Australia’s 36 000ha. South Africa’s are in the order of 9000ha. Reflecting on the judge’s assessment of some 100 single-varietal wines and blends from around the world, the report was glowing

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Array of styles accommodated among Top 5 in Pinotage Report

AFTER assessing 46 wines for Winemag’s 2024 Prescient Pinotage Report, panel chair Christian Eedes remarked on the appealing “new wave” entries led by the 2023 vintages of Black Elephant Vintners’ Rumble in the Jungle and illimis, compared to the “more traditional” examples that impressed with “depth of fruit and all-round power” such as Flagstone’s 2021 Writer’s Block, a 95-pointer at

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A rather rare, unusual wine… Pilgrim Viura (Macabeo)

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

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Be seduced by Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Concepts are thrilled to invite wine lovers to their annual Seductive Sauvignons Wine Festival. Following previous successes, this year’s event promises to be an exclusive evening of exceptional wine tasting. The festival will feature an exciting, diverse selection of latest-release Sauvignon Blancs (including bubblies and dessert wines), current vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon as well as blends incorporating either Sauvignon

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Albertus Viljoen now a regular among Cape’s finest Chenins

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

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“Brilliant” SA Chardonnay performance at IWSC 2024 – UK

HE’S DONE IT again! Elgin winemaker Richard Kershaw MW was one of the four top-scoring South African producers at the 2024 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London – the 97/100 for his 2020 Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay following more scores in the high 90s for two other Chardonnays he had a hand in, the 2021 Lothian at the Trophy

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Stofjas! Who saw this coming from the Swartland winelands?

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

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Robertson heritage, classic style, good value – Rietvallei

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

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SA’s Delaire & Tokara among Best in Show – Decanter Awards

THREE of South Africa’s finest wines of the year, 97-pointers at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards in the UK and with exceptional credentials established over many years involving numerous vintages – two from Stellenbosch, one from Elgin: Delaire Graff’s Banghoek Chardonnay, also best in class and the top-scoring white wine overall at The Trophy Wine Show (SA); Tokara’s Reserve

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South Africa’s most decorated Cab Franc of late: Rietvallei’s JMB 2019

TOP WINE from the Rietvallei estate in Robertson, the JMB Cabernet Franc is on a roll, so to speak. A few years ago, the 2016 was a National Winner at the SA Terroir Wine Awards and chosen as one of the Top 6 at the Cab Franc Challenge. Amazing that it’s still available at the cellar door. In 2023, the

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Kloovenburg wins Top 10 SA Merlot competition – R140pb

“WARM RED flavours, cloves and blackcurrant. A delicate palate with juicy tannins. Pairs well with Italian dishes, especially tomato-based ones, grilled chicken and Charcuterie, e.g. pâtés, terrines and salamis.” That’s how the Du Toit family describe their 2021 Kloovenburg Merlot, the highest scoring wine in the SA Merlot industry association’s 2024 Taransaud Top 10 competition. Single vineyard (22-year-old vines), WO

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Trophy Wine Show of interest to both layman and connoisseur

SCHENKFONTEIN! Where’s that? Stofjas! What’s that? Thor Semillon nothing to do with the Marvel fantasy! Port Capital comes second? Best value gold medallist a Shiraz at just R115 a bottle… Some discoveries, some surprises, as well as endorsements for numerous cellars with established credentials. The 2024 edition of The Trophy Wine Show ‘Brought to you by Investec’ provided recommendations aplenty.

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National Wine Challenge winners include a number of familiar faces

NOT EXACTLY déjà vu, but more than a few of the winners at South Africa’s National Wine Challenge in 2024 also collected top-of-the-class awards in 2023: De Krans Tritonia Verdelho, Dornier Equanimity Cabernet Sauvignon, Graham Beck Cuvée Clive Cap Classique, Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve White, Paul Cluver Seven Flags Chardonnay, Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir and Paul Wallace Black

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Another winner from the Riebeek Valley: RAAR Shiraz 2023

‘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

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