THERE are SIX producers in various parts of the Cape winelands who are most applauded in the 2024 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide. Congratulations to The Sadie Family outside Malmesbury, Platter’s Winery of the Year, to Bosman Family Vineyards of Wellington and the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde outside Hermanus, recipient of The Editor’s Award, as well as to those producers
Read moreANNOUNCED in advance of the book going on sale at retail stores around 10 December, the award winners showcased in the 2023 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide include 26 Wines of the Year and 196 Five Star laureates. To achieve a 5 Star rating requires a score of 95 or higher on a 100-point scale, involving a team
Read moreSO, THE 2022 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide finally arrived on the bookshelves at around R390 a copy – early December instead of late November. At the time of writing, you still couldn’t buy one on the publisher’s website, where the 2021 version was on sale at R360. An online subscription for roughly half the price gives you
Read moreBLUE COVER in 2019, green in 2020, black in 2021… Platter’s 2022 South African Wine Guide is no doubt packed with as much useful info as in previous years, the highlights including awards presented to the top-performing wineries and producers of the tasting panels’ favourites in various categories. Edging out Savage Wines for the overall title, it’s the third time
Read moreDAYS IN ADVANCE of launching the 2022 edition of their book and presenting awards for their choice of Wines and Wineries of the Year, the publishers of Platter’s South African Wine Guide teased followers by divulging the names of their 5 Star laureates – 234 of them, each considered to be ‘Superlative, a South African classic’. However, also disclosed on
Read moreIN THE 2021 edition of Platter’s South African Wine Guide, the number of 5 Star laureates runs to 210 – in the 2020 edition there were 125, a year before that there were 90 and 10 years ago there were 56. In part this could be ascribed to rising standards throughout the industry with a growing number of producers delivering
Read moreTHE LAUNCH of Platter’s 41st South African Wine Guide has not gone smoothly, to say the least. In advance of the hardcopy version reaching the book stores, the publishers chose to announce the recipients of their awards bit by bit in a fashion that was frustrating, if not irritating, and somewhat confusing – even for some of those on the
Read moreLONG GONE are the days when a 5 Star rating was the ultimate accolade in Platter’s South African Wine guide, one of the very few publications in the world of wine still carrying stars to signify levels of distinction. The book and the online platform now also include scores according to a 100-point system but the powers that be can’t
Read morePLATTER’S South African Wine Guide 2020 includes 5 Star ratings for 125 “classics” from across the country’s winelands – all scored 95+ on a 100-point scale. 5 STAR LAUREATES AA Badenhorst Dassiekop Steen 2018 AA Badenhorst Kelder Steen 2018 Alheit Magnetic North Chenin Blanc 2018 Anthonij Rupert Cabernet Franc 2013 Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif 2016 (Semillon, Anthonij
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 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 more99/100 in PLATTER’S 2018 Nederburg Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Platter’s Red Wine of the Year The Foundry Grenache Blanc 2015 Platter’s White Wine of the Year Klein Constantia Vin de Constance Natural Sweet 2013 Platter’s Unfortified Dessert Wine of the Year Beaumont Starboard NV (Port) Platter’s Fortified Dessert Wine of the Year 98/100 in PLATTER’S 2018 Cederberg Shiraz 2015
Read moreIN LESS than a century South Africa’s Pinot Noir Cinsaut cross has developed to become one of the most widely planted red grape varieties in the country, responsible for drinks that range from humble quaffers to fine wines deserving of their place in the company of the world’s very best. January 2012 marked the launch of South Africa’s Pinotage Wine
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