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Ever wondered why the waiter pours you a taster when opening a bottle of wine? This is not so you can decide whether you like it or not, but rather to determine any wine faults. We take a closer look at the 5 most common wine faults, what causes it and how to identify it.

Cork Taint (also known as corked wines or Trichloroanisole)

Ever opened a bottle of wine and it smelled like a wet dog, pungent mould, or wet cardboard? Chances are big that your bottle of preciousness has been affected by the fungi present in the cork. The fancy name for those fungi is Trichloroanisole, but colloquially it is referred to as cork taint or a corked wine (which is not a description for a wine closed with a natural cork, that is). The fungi find its way into your wine through several avenues, but the predominant cause is a faulty cork that is already contaminated with TCA. Regrettably, there is nothing you can do to eliminate TCA from a wine, and the best solution is to take it back to the supplier so that they can (hopefully) trace a spoiled batch. Alternatively, buy wines that are closed with screwcaps rather than natural cork. Not only will you get to the romance part of enjoying the wine quicker, but chances are slim that you will open a spoiled wine (and there is no chance of TCA).

The South African wine industry is concerned about the dire consequences that yet another alcohol ban or restrictions on the sale of wine will hold for wine-related businesses and the livelihoods of those working in the South African wine industry value-chain.

Vinpro and the rest of the wine industry share President Ramaphosa’s concern over the sudden and severe spike in positive Covid-19 cases and related deaths, and understand the need for drastic measures to address it. However, without financial support by government it is simply not a viable option to shut down an entire industry on which more than 269 000 people are dependent for their livelihoods while more targeted lockdown measures can be utilised.

“A blanket policy approach to the restriction of wine sales is unnecessary, unjustified and counterproductive. We know and have clear evidence that the restriction of legal trade in wine and other liquor products fuels the growth of the illicit market. Illicit trade currently represents 22% of the total local liquor consumption and has grown significantly since 2020. Because this illicit market is outside the regulatory reach of government and operates uncontrolled, it may have a devastating effect on communities from a health and socio-economic perspective,” says Rico Basson, Vinpro MD.

EverGrow Foundation, previously known as Vinpro Foundation, was established in 2013 by Vinpro, the wine industry body for wine producers, to curb the harmful effects of alcohol harm, amongst other social challenges. Since then, the foundation has grown in order to support more agri-business and more agri-communities and recently changed its name to EverGrow Foundation.

Less than a year ago, the foundation, in partnership with Aware.org (The Association for alcohol responsibility and education) launched the Aware Ambassador Project. Today we are proud to announce that we have since recruited and trained 40 incredible women, the “Aware Ambassadors”, to be much needed agents of change in their rural farming communities, often forgotten by mainstream planners and funders.

The Aware Ambassadors have become true heroes in their communities, as one beneficiary noted: “I don’t know what we did before she came along’. We have so much to look forward to now. She listens to our issues and she actually provides support and actual solutions. I used to be a heavy drinker, but since the Aware Ambassador shared the dangers of alcohol harm with me, I have decided to change my drinking habits. I am working on becoming a better person and to contribute to my family in a positive way.”

The Cap Classique Producers Association has recently re-positioned its marketing objectives to highlight the importance of time in the making of fine South African bubbly.

The Cap Classique Producers Association has recently re-positioned its marketing objectives to highlight the importance of time in the making of fine South African bubbly. The change occurs simultaneously to a drive for changes in local legislation governing the production of Cap Classique, and for which the CCPA are lobbying. All very positive indeed.

Part of the new strategyis that we now have a fully-fledged marketing arm that takes care of the day-to-day activities on the local and international front. We are gearing ourselves for the 50-year celebration of the first Cap Classique produced (in 1971) next year.

Therefore, this message is for all of you who love and follow and drink Cap Classique! Part of our drive going forward, is to refrain using the acronym, MCC. We know that it is an easy way out, but we feel that the category can benefit hugely by referring to the product as Cap Classique. Therefore, we urge you to share this information with your marketing teams, those who make the decision on labels, and with those who liaise with media and press.

De Wetshof might be known as being South Africa’s pioneering Chardonnay producer, but this Robertson wine farm was also one of the first Cape farms to make Rhine Riesling, a wine that attracted Superior Status for De Wetshof from the SA Wine and Spirits Board. The fact that De Wetshof helped pioneer this iconic German variety at the Cape should come as no surprise considering Danie de Wet’s wine background, which included studying viticulture and winemaking at the prestigious Geisenheim Institute in the south east part of Germany on the right back of the famous Rhein River.

Danie’s time studying here from 1969 to 1971 played a profound role in influencing him towards introducing grape cultivars that were not yet established in the Cape in the 1970s and early 1980s, including Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and – of course – Chardonnay.

His German alma mater recently served-up a bit of nostalgia when it invited Danie to attend an on-line tasting of Riesling wines made by him and other Geisenheim students from around the world.

“This year’s event was actually to commemorate the tasting of Rieslings from former Geisenheim students held in February 2001,” says Danie.

Wine lovers from across the globe can enjoy outstanding wines from a much cooler and later 2021 wine grape season in South Africa. This according to the annual South African Wine Harvest Report 2021.

"It seems as though the vines really took their time to prepare this year’s harvest,” says Conrad Schutte, consultation service manager of the wine industry body Vinpro. “Moderate weather throughout the season, and specifically during harvest time, resulted in grapes ripening slower, while developing exceptional colour and flavour.”

The 2021 wine grape crop is estimated at 1 461 599 tonnes, according to the latest estimate of industry body SAWIS (South African Wine Industry Information & Systems) on 19 May 2021. It is 8.9% larger than the 2020 harvest.

The harvest kicked off around two weeks later than normal due to unusually cool weather conditions throughout the season, which persisted throughout harvest time and resulted in some wine grape producers harvesting their last grapes in May. Water resources were also replenished in most regions following the recent drought, which contributed to good vine growth, bunch numbers and berry sizes.

A Western Cape winery, Cederberg Wines, has partnered with Eskom and New Southern Energy to cement its commitment toward sustainability with a 257.76 kWp solar power plant. Situated in the Cederberg Nature Conservancy, the award-winning winery harvests 900 tonnes of grapes each year. The solar power plant, which has been operating for six months, has cut the farm’s carbon footprint, said Cederberg Wines winemaker David Niewoudt.

The move to solar, he says, is the farm’s most measurable initiative to reduce its carbon footprint to date. It is veered toward preserving the area’s natural beauty and biodiversity. “I want people who drink my wine to think of the Cederberg mountains as unique and untouched. The solar plant is a step in our journey to reducing our impact on the beautiful environment in which we cultivate” he says.

Made Up Of 716 Photo-Voltaic Solar Panels, Eight String Inverters And 358 Optimisers, The Solar System Is Grid-Tied. In other words, it is connected to the national electricity grid.

There’s more to his esteemed estate than stunning views and delicious bubbly.

A visit to Franschhoek would not be complete without a visit to Haute Cabrière, a stunning wine farm. This beautiful farm on the slopes of the Franschhoek mountains has been in the von Arnim family (who’ve cared for it passionately and proudly) for generations, and boasts the most exceptional views of the Franschhoek Valley beyond.

In addition to an underground cellar, there is a slew of other delicious food and wine experiences which make this a wonderful outing for the whole family. Here are seven reasons to visit this illustrious estate.

1. Wine-tasting in the cavernous cellar - Housed in a stone cellar that’s built into the side of a mountain, the beautiful tasting room was conceived by legendary Cellar Master and winemaker Achim von Arnim. With views into the underground barrel maturation room, guests are invited to embark on an informative – and dare we say, delicious – journey of tastings and explore the winery’s history wall, glass in hand.

There is great Chenin Blanc in both the Loire and South Africa, the two being closely linked in the image above (see details below). A version of this article is published by the Financial Times.

Chenin Blanc may well be the most underrated white wine grape in the world. It makes wines high in acidity that generally take a while to unfurl and show their mettle. But with time in bottle the wines can hold their own with the finest white wines in the world and, crucially, continue to improve for decades – a real sign of quality.

The French home of Chenin Blanc is Vouvray in the Loire Valley and in the old, cold days, before French summers warmed up, young Vouvrays could be rather hard work. The more commercial producers deliberately ensured they contained a bit of sugar to counterbalance the sourness, which meant that many wine drinkers – the anti-sugar brigade – didn’t take Vouvray or Chenin Blanc seriously.