As long as I can remember, trading up has been the number one challenge for South African wine. More than green pepper Sauvignon Blanc and burnt rubber Pinotage, being recognised for our quality, rather than being cheap and cheerful has been a constant struggle. But there might be light at the end of the tunnel – and that from quite an unexpected source!
Barely six weeks after beginning its 2019 harvest, Diemersdal Estate from Durbanville bottled its first Sauvignon, the estate’s signature grape variety. According to Thys Louw, proprietor and cellar master of Diemersdal, the last of the Sauvignon Blanc vineyards have been picked and prospects for the vintage are excellent, both in terms of quality and yield.
La Motte Wine Estate has been appointed as the 2019 Drinks International Wine Tourism Awards Winner for Best Food and Wine Matching Experience for an unprecedented fifth time!
The historic estate in the Franschhoek Wine Valley, acclaimed as South Africa’s culinary hotspot, has also received this exceptional recognition in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
“If you ran your household finances like government runs the country’s money, your bank would shut your accounts faster than you could say ‘Bosasa'”, says Bruce Whitfield on Business Insider following Tito Mboweni’s budget speech. But what are the takeaways? What can your business learn from the SA economy and this week’s budget speech?
The new top blend from the estate is called ‘Telos’ and the first vintage to be released is the 2015.
A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec and 3% Merlot, all the grapes are hand harvested block by block in a carefully managed series of phases. There is rigorous sorting and a mix of whole and crushed berries are then fermented with indigenous yeasts, basket pressed and then only free run juice is collected and matured in barrel for 22 months prior to bottling.
Agri Western Cape’s Young Farmer of the year for 2018, Johann de Wet of De Wetshof Wine Estate, tells Glenneis Kriel how he and his brother, Peter, are keeping their family’s wine-making legacy alive.
Being the son of legendary winemaker Danie de Wet could easily have been intimidating, but Johann de Wet sees it as a privilege and a way to create a legacy for his children.
The Von Arnim family colours are red and white, and their motto is 'Sun, Soil, Vine, Man'. Perhaps it is a coincidental nod to the red and white wine which runs through their veins. Achim von Arnim built a classic South African vineyard and brand from scratch, and seemingly not much has changed at Haute Cabrière in the six years since his son took over the reins from him. However, ‘it’s an evolution, not a revolution’.
Pinot noir for Kaapse Vonkel was picked with an impressively healthy appearance and text book analysis. We were especially pleased with the high levels of acidity bringing a welcome change from 2018, when the extreme drought caused lower acidity due to water stress and higher temperatures. Pinot noir surprised us with higher quantities than expected. The last Pinot to be picked came from the cool sites of Elgin on 1 February.
“Do you compete on price or do you have a story to tell?” This question by Vinpro’s Christo Conradie at the annual Industry Information day, got a lot of traction on Twitter. And it is an important question. One we all know the answer to. Or do we? In such a competitive environment, can it really be more about story than price?