You know that feeling--when you are choosing a Chenin to go with the Thai curry you are having for supper? What does it taste like? Will it pair well? Worry no longer. The Chenin Blanc Association has a plan to grow Chenin’s popularity and...

    The KWV range of brandies has long been a favourite with brandy lovers with something to fit all tastes and, very importantly, pockets. Ranging from a delicious 3-year-old to a sensational 20-year-old, here is brandy heaven. The quality of their brandies has been...

    When it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, there are many who decry its merits. Nevertheless, it is still SA's most popular white wine. I love it, especially when it comes from a superb estate.like La Motte. Their recently released 2021 Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc...

  When it comes to world class brandy the words TIME and WOOD add immeasurably to the cost. They also add to what makes the brandy magnificent. Every year that the brandy lies in barrels some of it evaporates --that is the Angel’s Share--and this intensification...

  Brookdale has launched the maiden vintage of its unique Sixteen (white) Field Blend, as well as the fourth vintage of its old-vine Brookdale Chenin Blanc.  The two new wines showcase the diversity of Brookdale as one of the new wine-producing treasures of the...

    Steenberg Vineyards have released a delicious new Bordeaux-style red blend in recognition of the life-long resilience and courage of their pioneering 17th century founder, Catharina Ras.   The wine, called Five Lives Red Blend 2019, embraces the...

  South African Sauvignon Blanc proved its excellence once again as one of the top five countries by number of medals at the largest and most significant international competition entirely dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc, the 2022 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon....

  The MUNDUS VINI Grand International Wine Awards are regarded as one of the most influential international competitions, receiving more than 11 000 wines from across the world each year. The international jury of experts awarded 43 Grand Gold, 1 685 Gold and 1...

With autumn climes beginning to waft in, it is time to make the most of the last plums of the season and showcase their sweet, juicy goodness in comforting autumnal desserts. We love plums and they are abundant right now so why not try these two fabulous recipes--easy...

I hate to tell you, but I seldom look at the vintage of the white wine I am drinking. A friend brought a Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc to the house for supper which I found totally delicious—fresh as a newborn day, very upfront with plenty of fruit to make you sit up and...

Its no-good saying that awards and medals in wine don’t mean a thing. They do. As in all things in life we measure ourselves against our peers—apples for apples. The consumer is heavily influenced by the fact that a wine has won multiple awards and will tend to go...

  As far as I am concerned box wine, or as it is sometimes called “bag in the box” wine, has been getting a bad rap. One of the soubriquets by which it is called in SA we definitely cannot use here, but other catchy names are Chateau Neuf Du Papsak and Chateau...

  This time of the year in the Cape it is very much harvest time. Farms are either furiously doing it, talking about it, or planning for it. The air is filled with the aroma of crushed grapes and there is a definite frisson in the air. One of the great things for...

With many alcohol-free alternatives to choose from, making it through a summer braai doesn’t have to be boring or force you to drink soda water from a wine glass. While that may trick your brain into believing you’re drinking the real thing why not be creative. Gin...

  Halfway up the mountains that overlook the spectacular Franschhoek Valley you will find Haute Cabriere, the home of the von Arnim family. Their bubbles are called Pierre Jourdan, with quite a few different styles, ranging from Brut to the sweeter varieties...

  One of the very best from one of the masters of Chardonnay, Philip Jonker, this is such an exceptional example of its type that you will never forget it once it has passed your lips.  It is made from very old vines which cling to the rocks as if they have no...

  It shouldn’t seem so strange that brilliant wines are being made so far south in our country. While vines were planted more than 100 years ago in this area, wine making was not encouraged, possibly because of religious sensibilities, possibly just because of a...

  As someone who remembers when the only place you get the fabulous KWV Roodeberg wine was on SAA international, I follow its progress avidly. Delighted to report that the commemorative Roodeberg 1949 red blend has been selected as one of Decanter’s 2022 Wines of...

Its no news that the SA wine industry has suffered huge losses over the last two years owing to the stop start situation brought about by various Govt decisions to alleviate the COVID crisis. Of course this has as many supporters as distractors but the bottom line is...