News, views and tastes from a South African lover of the world's proper wines
Joined May 2009
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24 Jun 2019
The majority of wine drunk in South Africa is sweet (& cheap; don't know about cheerful - not to me). The health warnings should be less about alcohol or sulphites than sugar: “This wine will rot your teeth and make you fat”. bit.ly/2ZKi9F8
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21 Jun 2019
Sadie Family winemaker Paul Jordaan with the bottles of 2018 Old Vine Series & 2017 Signature wines, tasted today but to be released only in a month or so.
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21 Jun 2019
Eben Sadie putting out the bottles for lunch after a tasting today of the forthcoming new Sadie Family releases. A triumph over the drought - but mostly pitiful quantities.
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4 Jun 2019
About to happen: the launch of #leeupassant at the chic new space at Chefs Warehouse Cape Town.
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3 Jun 2019
A delicious bit of modern Cape history: @Avondalewine 's launch of the first wines made here in Georgian qvevri (buried clay pots), with that stony purity & freshness brought by clay as fermentation & maturation vessel. bit.ly/2Z7LUjg
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1 Jun 2019
South Africa’s first qvevri wine, from @Avondalewine From chenin but there’s also a red. Both really really good.
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28 May 2019
Sometimes I think l could eat cheap sweet chocolate and drink good brandy until I am sick. Fortunately, no doubt, I run out of one or the other before I can test my idea scientifically.
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20 May 2019
The first delivery of wines for tasting for the next @wineonaplatter guide. A bit scary to realize how many more there’ll be over the next 2-3 months.
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10 May 2019
Monotone & monoculture "means boring" says viticulturist Jaco @visualviti Engelbrecht. Field blends are on the rise in exciting quarters of Cape winegrowing. bit.ly/2HbB5WZ
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5 May 2019
The famous Stellenzicht Syrah 1994, drinking well still, though during our. With Zandvliet Shiraz 1976 (not so nice) & Fleur du Cap Shiraz 1973 (rather good, really).
5 May 2019
Old bottles being opened by @michaelfridjhon for the tasting before his @omtrophywines competition begins tomorrow.
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15 Apr 2019
A new commercial wine auction for S Africa. Are there enough top-end, long-lived wines in sufficient quantity to make it long-term viable? Do genuine winelovers really want a new level of speculation & investment? I rather doubt both. bit.ly/2DeLJKi
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6 Apr 2019
Danie & Hugo Carinus - that rare thing, grapefarmers (excellent ones in Stellenbosch & Swartland) who understand & drink fine wine. And clever enough to get Lukas of @vanloggwines to make wines for their own label. bit.ly/2U0kPez
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6 Apr 2019
Eben Sadie on his Paardeberg farm on the field he cleared of bluegums & rocks & prepared for planting a vineyard later this year - 11 white varieties for Palladius.
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5 Apr 2019
Good to be back in the Swartland after what seems a long absence. The road to the Paardeberg even more rutted than usual, though!
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27 Mar 2019
Called in at the Leeu Passant cellar in Franschhoek today. Vintage 2019 looking good for the @MullineuxWines team. Last of the reds now in. Andrea here drawing me a sample of dry cinsaut. Mmmm.
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