SOME SAY Shiraz, some say Syrah… These are South Africa’s top-rated expressions of the variety from the top panels of wine judges internationally during 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. Bloemendal Tyger Syrah 2016 96 points at Trophy Wine Show
IF YOU LIKE Sauvignon Blanc, no doubt you’ll love these beauties – the most glowing reviews of South African expressions by the top panels of wine judges locally and around the world in 2023 to date. Highlighted in red are those Sauvignons that qualify for the SA Wine Classification showcasing good track records over the past 10 years. De
‘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
SOUTH AFRICA’S Chenin Blanc is such a strong category and getting stronger, pulling ahead of France, with over 40 wines receiving particularly good reviews from the top panels internationally during 2023 to date. Delights from Paarl, Wellington and the Breedekloof, Stellenbosch and the Swartland, Durbanville, Bot River and Franschhoek. One of the country’s ‘signature’ varieties, and highlighted in red are
WHEN IT COMES TO South African Cab, there’s no question as to which part of the country’s winelands dominates the category. Not that Stellenbosch has it all their own way… See below for what has been most highly rated by the panels of experts internationally during 2023 to date. Highlighted in red are those Cabernets that qualified for the SA
OH FOR A BOTTLE or a case of each! The panels of experts have spoken… See below for the honours roll when it comes to the South African Chardonnays most highly rated internationally during 2023 to date. Highlighted in red are those that qualified for the SA Wine Classification showcasing good track records over the past 10 years. Almenkerk
THE 2023 vintage of Riebeek Cellars Pinotage Rosé was judged the overall winner in the 2023 edition of Rosé Rocks, a competition focused on South Africa’s ‘pink’ wines – Rosé and Blanc de Noir, still and sparkling, sweet and dry. Unfortunately, the conveners don’t divulge the Top 3, Top 6, Top 10 or Top 12, and we aren’t given the
NOVEMBER 2023 1 NOVEMBER Caroline’s White Wine Review | Cape Town 1 NOVEMBER Veritas Tasting | Johannesburg 4 NOVEMBER Cap Classique Affair | Stellenbosch 4 & 5 NOVEMBER Pick n Pay Wine & Food Festival | Johannesburg 4 NOVEMBER Swartland Seaside Party | Saldanha 8 NOVEMBER Iconic Sauvignon Blancs | Cape Town 9 NOVEMBER Botriver Vineyards Roadshow | Johannesburg 9 NOVEMBER Veritas Tasting |
WHETHER in the build up to the game, during the match, in celebrating victory or to console yourself in the event of defeat, surely the Rugby World Cup final warrants something appropriate in the glass for any self-respecting fan of the game. And for Springbok supporters, what better choice than a drink from the home of a Springbok, present or
DE GRENDEL, Diemersdal, Kleine Zalze, Steenberg, Tokara and Zorgvliet are among the standout wineries in the 2023 FNB Sauvignon Blanc SA Top 10, the panel’s favourites of the 169 entries from 106 producers judged over three days. A number of success stories for Stellenbosch and Durbanville, but no wines from Sauvignon vineyards in the Agulhas Triangle or Darling on this
THE FIRST Vermentino vineyards planted in South Africa were on Ayama in the Voor-Paardeberg area in the north-eastern reaches of the Paarl wine district, close to the Swartland border. Taken from the Xhosa language, ‘Ayama’ means ‘someone to lean on’. There’s a leopard in the logo as a tribute to the few such cats that still roam on Paardeberg Mountain.
TO WIN the trophy for top-scoring wine at the Veritas Awards is a fairly big deal! In 2023, there were 1247 entries (including spirits) in what is the biggest, longest-running SA wine competition. Of these, 81 were considered worthy of a double gold medal by panels of local and international judges, 70 in total, with double gold being the top
THE 2023 Absa Top 10 Pinotage and Perold Cape Blend awards have been reported on already, but for many wine lovers it’s not enough to know what the winning wines were. “Comparing favourites is one thing, but tell us where they come from? What do they taste like? Exactly who made them?” Questions answered: BEESLAAR PINOTAGE 2019 WO Stellenbosch. 25-year-old
Caroline’s annual White Wine Review, hailed as one of the most coveted tasting events on the South African wine calendar, returns to The Lookout Venue at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Wednesday 1 November. Presented by Caroline Rillema of the legendary Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar, this world-class showcase gives wine enthusiasts the rare opportunity to discover and savour the
THE PINOTAGE Association’s competition for ‘pink’ wines made from South Africa’s Pinot Noir Cinsault cross was introduced fairly recently, yet already many Pinotage producers are trying their hand at it, if not perfecting the craft. Wine lovers might well wonder when certain champions of the variety including Kanonkop of Stellenbosch and Rijk’s of Tulbagh will enter the fray, so to
FROM A SINGLE, east-facing vineyard in Franschhoek, planted around the time that Leeu Passant was founded just 10 years ago, “this is the first release of this stunning and classy Cabernet Franc,” says winemaker Andrea Mullineux of the wine that fetched the highest price paid at the 2023 Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Auction. “These steep, terraced slopes have a permanent
WHO CAN BLAME the trophy winners at London’s International Wine & Spirit Competition for having mixed feelings about their success… Who would have thought it possible that the wines judged to be the best gold medallists on show would be given scores lower than those of some of the other gold medallists that didn’t go on to earn a trophy,
WHAT A LINE-UP of top SA wine events to look forward to in October ’23! In Johannesburg: WineX and Veritas. And in the Cape: the Chardonnay & Pinot Noir Celebration, Veritas Cape Town, Swartland Sosiaal in Piketberg and the CWG Auction, Somerset West. Then, come November: Caroline’s White Wine Review in Cape Town; the Botriver Vineyards Roadshow and Pick n
HOW MUCH longer will it take for the concept of a ‘Cape Blend’ to gain traction, one wonders. Some are really good, yet more than a decade after South Africa’s inaugural Perold competition for Pinotage-led combos there were only 30 entries in the 2023 edition – less than the number entered back in 2011 – and just 17 with track
MANY 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
