THE 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 moreMANY STOPPED paying attention to the Michelangelo Awards when it was pointed out that, like the South African Young Wine Show, the entries include tank- and barrel-samples, i.e. wines that are not market-ready when they are judged and which could change significantly by the time they go on sale. It’s possible that these competition results and bottle stickers might sometimes
Read moreMOST of South Africa’s top-rated wines these days cost over R250 a bottle – more than 300 of the wines scored 93 points plus in 2023 to date are positioned at R300+, with 180 or so at R400+ and over 100 at R500 to R2000. And yet, during the past six months alone, there have been over 30 of the
Read moreHAVING achieved 95/100 for the current release of their flagship red blend at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London, Constantia Glen went one better with a score of 96 at the last of the biggest competitions of its kind in 2023, the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Constantia Glen Five 2020 was one of the three top-scoring South African
Read moreIT’S AMAZING that there are any highly rated wines available at under R100 a bottle these days, and yet… MOST HIGHLY RATED < R100 Bon Courage Unwooded Chardonnay 2022 Gold Medal at Trophy Wine Show (SA) R83pb ex-cellar, Robertson KWV Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Gold Medal at Trophy Wine Show (SA) R99PB ex-cellar, Paarl Land’s End Cape South Coast
Read moreJUST THREE months into 2023 and international panels of wine experts have found more than a dozen South African delights from various corners of the Western Cape that are selling for under R100 a bottle. In the first quarter of the year, 150 of the country’s wines received good to very good reviews – 50 selling for between R100 and R200pb,
Read moreSTILL AVAILABLE at the time of writing on 17 August 2022: REALLY GOOD REDS UNDER R100 Brink Family Pinotage 2019 R90pb from Pulpit Rock cellar, Riebeek West. Finalist in Top 10 Pinotage Competition. MAN Skaapveld Syrah 2020 R85pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch. 97/100 at Trophy Wine Show. Windmeul Shiraz 2020 R70pb ex-cellar, Paarl. Finalist in Shiraz SA Challenge. REALLY GOOD WHITE UNDER
Read moreUSED TO BE that Chateau Libertas from SFW/Distell represented many a South African wine lover’s staple red. That and the likes of a Groot Constantia dry red and KWV Roodeberg, if you could get it, Douglas Green St Augustine if you couldn’t. The sort of red you might graduate to after Tassenberg, before going on to, say, Alto Rouge or
Read moreTHE VERY BEST wines of South Africa at under R120 a bottle in 2021. Recommended by the top panels of wine experts locally and internationally. Better than standard gold (some gold medals count more than others), even including a few platinum award winners and a couple of trophy laureates. 95 points or higher if scored out of 100 (scores of
Read moreBEFORE considering the majority vote… Upon conclusion of the 2021 Ultra Value Wine Challenge, the guys and gals at BuyBetterWine.com announced their SA red and white wines of the year to be the 2018 vintage of Stellenbosch Hills Merlot, at the cellar-door price of R92 per bottle, and the 2021 Goudini Chenin Blanc at R60pb from uniWines in Rawsonville. Also
Read moreIT WAS inevitable, after another round of prohibition in South Africa, once wine sales were allowed again end-July 2021 at Lockdown Level 3 in terms of the COVID-19 Disaster Restrictions, top priority among those needing to stock up again was to look for the bargains on offer. People needed to get a case of something / anything decent onto those
Read moreCLEARLY as inflation takes its toll, compounded by the impact of wine producers in the Cape asking for prices more in line with what their direct competitiors in other top wine-producing countries are getting, it’s becoming increaingly challenging to find the good stuff at under R100 a bottle. We’re talking wine good enough to impress the critics on a panel,
Read moreHAVING read Winemag’s Signature Red Blend Report in which two vintages of Alto Rouge from the Helderberg in Stellenbosch were given excellent reviews and priced at R120 a bottle, the hunt was on. However, shopping for a bargain wine requires a good sense of humour! Alto Rouge was on special at Pick n Pay for R100 a bottle, as we
Read moreFROM THE Swartland Winery, outside Malmesbury. Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2017. R90pb ex-cellar. The latest wanna-have on the select list of South African wine stars that have attracted good to rave reviews in 2019 to date and which don’t cost a ‘pretty penny’ – one of only six South African vinos to have earned platinum at the Decanter World
Read moreTHE 2018 Uber Value SA Wine Guide was published in December. Four months later, after the annual general price hikes in March and April 2019, many of the wines that received very good reviews – gold medal or better, 90 points or higher – from one or more of the top panels in 2018 were still selling at below the
Read moreLOVE HIS WORK! For those who haven’t already had a chuckle over the artist’s recent contributions on the subjects of food and wine pairing, and best value at under R100 a bottle, see here and here. For more about one of South Africa’s famous creatives, click here.
Read moreCLICK HERE if you want jump to a record of every South African wine at under R100 to achieve a good review from one of the top panels in 2018 – complete with what they achieved and where the producers are located on the various wine routes of the country. See below for the top achievers in this regard during
Read moreTHE 2017 Uber Value SA Wine Guide was published in December. Four months later – after the annual general price hikes and VAT increase in March and April 2018 – a number of the wines that received very good reviews from one or more of the top panels in 2017 and which were previously selling at under R100 a bottle
Read moreSA CHARDONNAY UNDER R100 Douglas Green Chardonnay 2016 – gold medal at Chardonnay du Monde, approx retail price of R55 pb KWV Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2016 – high silver at Decanter Awards and silver at International Wine Challenge, R90 pb ex-cellar in Paarl Simonsig Chardonnay 2015 – silver medal at Chardonnay du Monde and among Top 100 at National Wine Challenge, R90 pb
Read moreOF ALL THE reds, whites, rosés, desserts and ports to receive very good reviews from one of the top panels locally or internationally in 2016, these rank as South Africa’s best value wines at under R100 a bottle – all highly rated, including some platinum award recipients, even some trophy winners. The prices given below are those at the cellar door when surveyed
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