‘BORN’ in South Africa and, at its best, one of the country’s delightful ambassadors. These are the expressions of Pinotage that really wowed the top panels around the world in 2023 to date, and highlighted in red are those that qualify for the SA Wine Classification showcasing good track records over the past 10 years. Alvi’s Drift Verreaux Pinotage
Read moreSJOE! The Trophy Wine Show got it so right when they honoured the 2019 Thokozani Cabernet Franc as Discovery of the Show in 2022. Best value gold medallist in South Africa’s premier wine competition, open to wines of all categories, this beauty from the Diemersfontein cellar in Wellington was also top of its class at the National Wine Challenge (SA)
Read moreIS IT JUST a figment of the imagination or does that bottle of Stellenbosch 1679 stand out front and foremost among the 2021 Absa Top 10? Picture (above) courtesy of the Pinotage Association, convener of the competition… Certainly the maiden vintage of the Pinotage flagship from Koelenhof Winery has attracted quite a bit of attention during the year, having also earned
Read more10 000 WINES from 46 countries, more than 300 judges on the panels tasting ‘blind’, labels out of sight, nine days of deliberation… Belgium’s international Concours Mondial du Bruxelles is one of the world’s largest wine competitions, and while the event was dominated by France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, South Africa came away with seven Grand Gold medals, 16 golds
Read moreTHE VAST majority of entries at the annual Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2020 were from the 2019 and 2018 vintages, but there was a South African that stood out for being way older than most: vintage 2012 of the Delaire Graff Coastal Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc, made using a combination of grapes sourced from the districts of Durbanville, Stellenbosch, Darling and
Read moreTHERE were 207 entries in the 2019 Shiraz SA Challenge, including 36 Shiraz-driven blends. The judges were Cape Wine Masters Andy Roediger (panel chair) and Elsie Pells, cellarmasters Charles Hopkins (De Grendel) and Edmund Terblanche (La Motte), wine writer/brand manager Samarie Smith (Benguela Cove), international judge Claus Fischer of Germany (Mundus Vini), wine consultant Jeanne-Mari de Villiers (VinJeanne) and Cape
Read moreTHERE were 9150 wines from 46 countries judged at the 2019 edition of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Aigle, Switzerland. Spain won 626 medals, followed by France (614), Italy (383) and Portugal (365). The host country won 172 awards and South Africa was also among the 10 most successful wine-producing nations in the competion, with a medal haul of
Read moreBEYERSKLOOF of Stellenbosch has been awarded the trophy for best Pinotage in the 2018 International Wine & Spirit Competition, with the judges commending the 2014 vintage of Beyerskloof Diesel for its “great concentration of flavours on the palate, silky smooth texture, and long finish with a hint of chocolate”. The Pinotage specialists were also honoured for their Cape Blend, Faith, among
Read moreTHERE ARE good reasons why Cabernet and Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc have come to be the most widely planted grape varieties in many wine-producing countries around the world. But of course, there are exceptions to the rule, unusual delights ranging from national and regional specialities to niche cultivars that many wine lovers might not have
Read moreDeMORGENZON is unquestionably one of South Africa’s top white wine producers and the success of this Stellenbosch outfit on the show circuit internationally over the past couple of years has been particularly impressive. The team returned from the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards in London with a trophy for best Chardonnay, which could have put a few Burgundian noses out of joint,
Read moreREALLY GOOD Pinotage at under R100 a bottle is becoming increasingly scarce – particularly if you’re looking for wine with a really good track record over the past 10 years. However, of the bottlings that did bring smiles to the faces on one or more of the top tasting panels in 2015 and whose price tags have been kept to double digits,
Read moreTHE HONOUR for most trophies won by a producer at the Absa Top 10 Pinotage competition since it began 19 years back (1997) is shared by Kanonkop of Stellenbosch and Rijk’s of Tulbagh at 10 each. However during the last 10 years of the shoot-out (2006 to 2015), the judges on the Top 10 tasting panels have awarded seven to Rijk’s, six to Windmeul
Read moreCAN’T HELP IT… One look at the SA Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group’s Top 10 for 2012 and two producers stand out: Diemersdal Estate, a Sauvignon specialist in Durbanville, and Lomond of the Cape Agulhas district, whose grapes are hauled across to Stellenbosch each year to turn into wine at The Bergkelder, Distell’s ‘mountain cellar’. Lomond’s Sauvignon Blancs take somebeating, with
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