Old Mr Green’s been delivering bargains for 70 years plus

BY AND LARGE, Douglas Green is a range of good everyday-drinking SA wines sourced from producers in various parts of the Cape and sold at very competitive prices. Every now and then, however, along comes a vintage that performs above its station… On more than one occasion fans might have been forgiven for asking whether by mistake perhaps the brand owners DGB of Wellington were selling us one of the more upmarket bottlings from sister stable Bellingham. Hardly likely, and yet Douglas Green wines of various sorts have garnered a string of accolades over the years.

From the label of the medal-winning 2011
Douglas Green Cabernet Sauvignon
Just this month the wines donned a new livery that, besides looking rather quaint, tells of how long Douglas Green wines have been around. By 1942, the founder of the brand was becoming established as a negociant, trading out of a store in Paarl, fetching and delivering fruit and bottles et al in a trusty old Chevy that DGB keeps in working order and shines up for special occasions – such as the 70th birthday celebration at which the 2012 whites and 2011 reds were paraded in their new kit.

And what a coincidence that 2011 has proved to be one of those top-performing vintages for Douglas Green this year: a great gold medal for the Chardonnay at the Michelangelo Awards in Cape Town, a gold medal for the Chenin Blanc at Concours Mondial of Brussels, a rating of 4 Stars for the Chenin Blanc Sauvignon Blanc blend in South Africa’s Best Value Wine Guide, plus a silver at Mondial for the Cabernet Sauvignon and 3½ Stars in the Best Value Guide for the Pinotage.
Douglas Green Jnr and a 1936 Chevrolet once used for
wine deliveries by Green’s father who founded the
negociant business Douglas Green of Paarl
For more reviews of stand-out Douglas Green vintages click here.

Currently there are three whites including a Chardonnay at under R38 a bottle, a Chenin Blanc at under R28 and Sauvignon Blanc at under R38; four reds comprising Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage and Shiraz (all under R38 a bottle); and three blends including a Chenin Blanc Sauvignon, a Merlot Malbec and a PinotagRosé (all under R28 a bottle).

For more information about Douglas Green wines, click here.
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