“Fairview Wine and Cheese unveils revolutionary ‘Goat Labour’ initiative” “In a move that has raised eyebrows and provoked uproar among traditionalists, Fairview Wine and Cheese, under the visionary leadership of Charles Back, has announced a groundbreaking strategy to tackle economic challenges head-on. Brace yourselves, because the era of vineyard workers is officially over – enter the goats. “Yes, you heard
Read moreSTARK-CONDÉ. In the Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch. On the Oude Nektar farm, to the south-east of the town. Home to one of South Africa’s most highly rated white blends, a Sauvignon Blanc of note, a fine Cabernet Sauvignon and then some. Among the recommendations at their Postcard Café: either chicken piccata (R145pp) or lightly-cured hake (R195pp) served with the Field Blend
Read moreCONSTANTIA 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
Read moreBEYERSKLOOF. 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
Read more“EXQUISITE” is how the top wines were described by judges at the inaugural Global Cabernet Franc Masters hosted by The Drinks Business publication in the UK, where South African producers excelled. The variety is thought to have originated in Spain, with the leading examples traditionally hailing from the Loire and Bordeaux regions of France. Yet in this, the first international
Read moreBEAUMONT. 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
Read moreTHERE ARE wine lovers who are obsessed with pecking orders, rankings, insisting on there being one that is best overall, numero uno. Others, while no less discerning, are relaxed about there being a number of top wines, levels of interest value, degrees of greatness – that when it comes to the best there can be more than one, i.e. somewhat
Read moreLESS THAN R100 a bottle for one of the most consistently highly rated wines over the past 10 years might seem impossible, and yet… While the majority of the 132 Best of The Best in the 2024 South African Wine Classification are priced at over R350 a bottle with 40+ over R500pb, there are 22 at under R250 (see below),
Read moreSOUTH AFRICA’S top wines over the past 10 years – as judged by the top panels of experts around the world. An update of the best from the Cape winelands – not just with a single bottling, but time and again. Good to very good reviews for numerous vintages, labels out of sight – assessed purely according to quality and
Read moreAMAZINGLY, 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
Read moreIT WAS MADE to enjoy when dining on fish, and served chilled, poured at 12°C or so as per most white wines, although it’s not… The 2021 vintage of red Grenache under the Donkiesbaai label is one of half a dozen or so South African bottlings from the variety very highly rated by panels of experts in 2023 – this
Read moreIT’S RIDICULOUS! A number of top winery proprietors or cellarmasters in the Cape winelands turned down the invitation to be listed in Platter’s 2024 South African Wine Guide. In this the 44th edition of the book, the printed version of which finally went on sale more than a month after the top ratings therein were divulged online, you can read
Read moreITALIAN for Bacchus, the Roman God of Wine, Bacco is also the name of a new wine estate in the Simonsberg area of Paarl where proprietor Nathan Jankelowitz and his team are attracting attention in more ways than one. Opened to the public at the end of 2022, the Bacco tasting room and restaurant present a multi-sensory experience. There’s the
Read moreTHE VERY BEST wines of South Africa at under 150 rand a bottle as reviewed by the top panels of experts locally and internationally in 2023. There is even a platinum award winner and a trophy laureate among these recommendations, and those highlighted in RED are either included in the 2023 SA Wine Classification, such are their good track records
Read moreIT’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
Read moreFOR THE December 2023 issue of Decanter Magazine in the UK, a panel comprising Masters of Wine Anne Krebiehl (chair), Justin Knock and Dirceu Vianna Junior assessed 134 Pinot Noirs from Australia (44), New Zealand (63) and South Africa (27) – all priced at £30+ per bottle in the UK or the equivalent in their domestic markets. Of these, 12
Read moreWHAT WERE the odds! Okay, so the 2019 wasn’t quite the maiden vintage of Beyerskloof’s Eerste Ry Cab – the 2018 and 2019 were released together. Nevertheless, like a front row forward earning his Springbok blazer, the achievement of being the most highly rated Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2024 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide ahead of Cabs that
Read moreBEFORE being honoured with a trophy at the Global Fine Wine Challenge in Sydney, Australia, Tokara’s 2020 Director’s Reserve White blend was a 95-pointer at Decanter’s World Wine Awards in the UK and then a gold medallist at the Global Masters, also in the UK. Tough to better this, and yet… Stellenrust’s 2022 Barrel Fermented Chenin was applauded with the
Read moreAS IF it had been stage-managed! Just over a week after The Sadie Family was lauded for the umpteenth time as South Africa’s top cellar in the 2024 edition of Platter’s guide, the results of a poll conducted by Winemag.co.za and then of an auction by Strauss & Co served to confirm the status of the country’s No. 1 –
Read more2018 is the eighth vintage of Babylonstoren’s Cap Classique. How time flies! The bottle-fermented sparkler has a good track record and this year could be the best to date. It’s certainly got off to an impressive start, released five years after harvest, gaining in complexity. Not just 5 Stars in the 2024 edition of Platter’s SA Wine Guide but, at
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