THE MANAGING editor of Wine Enthusiast in the USA, Lauren Buzzeo is a fan of South Africa and a regular visitor to the country. The magazine is one of the most influential in America’s wine trade and has a significant following among wine consumers in the States, but given Buzzeo’s recent post on ‘Where to Find the Best South African
Read moreAS WITH most things, after a certain point no wine is worth the asking price – no matter how good it is. Beyond that, there is another point up to which avid wine enthusiasts and collectors might splash out or invest, mindful of paying a premium but happy to indulge their wonts. Of course, just where these points are on the sliding scale can vary immensely
Read moreOF THE 16 000 entries for the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards in London, 31 were deemed worthy of ‘Platinum – Best in Show’ (previously referred to as ‘International Trophies’), one of which was DeMorgenzon Reserve Chardonnay 2015 from Stellenbosch Kloof, which a month earlier won a trophy at the International Wine Challenge. There were five other Platinum Awards that went
Read moreTHE TITLE of top producer at South Africa’s Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show has gone to some pretty distinguished cellars over the years: De Trafford and Vergelegen were joint winners in 2002, Vergelegen won again in 2003 and 2004, Diemersfontein triumphed in 2005 before Vergelegen regained the title in 2006, and then followed Cape Point Vineyards (2007), Nederburg twice (2008 and 2009),
Read moreNEDERBURG of Paarl consistently puts together really good Sauvignon Blanc for their exclusive wine auction once a year, and Graham Beck of Robertson had a really good track record with their Pheasants’ Run before they decided to focus solely on Cap Classique bubblies made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Apart from these, however, there are just four producers whose Sauvignon Blancs qualified for the Top
Read moreTHE STRING of Boplaas victories in South Africa’s annual CAPPA Port Challenge has been broken. However, Calitzdorp wineries’ ‘stranglehold’ on this championship staged by the Cape Port Producers Association remains firm! Following wins for Carel Nel and his Calitzdorp family’s Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve and Cape Tawny wines in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the 2016 SA Port Challenge trophy went to Mike
Read moreTHE WINNERS at the 2016 Shiraz SA Challenge include four of the wines with the best track records over the past 10 years in terms of the Top Wine SA Shiraz Classification: Cederberg, Eagles’ Nest (Constantia), Fairview Eenzaamheid (Paarl) and Saronsberg (Tulbagh). Moreover, many among the top dozen vintages on this occasion had already received high praise during the previous 12 months: Alto 2013
Read moreAFTER three days of judging 374 wines from 23 countries, the judges at Syrah du Monde 2016 in the northern Rhône Valley of France awarded 124 medals – 35 golds, including five to South African wine producers, and 89 silvers, 11 to cellars in the Cape. And of the gold medallists, two South African wines went on to be selected among
Read moreAT THE 2016 edition of the International Wine Challenge in London following weeks of blind tastings that involved thousands of entries from around the globe, South Africa’s top trophy winners included Tokara on the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch, Saronsberg of Tulbagh and Nederburg of Paarl for the entries judged Best SA White, Best SA Red and Best SA Sweet respectively, as well as DeMorgenzon
Read moreTHE GREAT value of Kleine Zalze‘s Cellar Selection range was highlighted yet again with the announcement of the 2016 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles competition results in which the Stellenbosch winery’s 2015 unwooded Chardonnay at just R52 a bottle from the farm earned one of the three ‘grand gold’ medals awarded to South African wines – the others being a 2015
Read more“PINOTAGE has the heart of a lion and the tongue of a woman; after drinking a certain quantity you can talk forever and fight like the devil!” – Anonymous. More memorable wine quotes here. The Top 10 Pinotage in terms of South African wines with the best track records over the past 10 years (2006 – 2015) are the following: Beyerskloof
Read moreTHE TOP 10 Shiraz, as regards South African wines with the best track records over the 10 years 2006 to 2015, come from just as many different appellations: Boekenhoutskloof Syrah – Franschhoek cellar, Wellington & Swartland fruit, 2013 at R400 pb Bon Courage Inkará Shiraz – Robertson, 2013 at R155 pb Cederberg Shiraz – Cederberg, 2014 at R190 pb Cirrus Syrah (Guardian Peak) –
Read moreAT THE 2016 Chardonnay du Monde held at Château des Ravatys of the Pasteur Institute at Saint Lager in the Burgundy region of France, 15 South African wines placed among the 259 wines to win a medal. Of the 782 entries from over 30 countries around the world, Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chardonnay from the 2015 vintage was the only SA representative included among
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