PINOTAGE HAS HAD A CHEQUERED HISTORY. IT’S A GRAPE WHICH IS LESS THAN 100 YEARS OLD AND IS THE ONE THING SYNONYMOUS WITH SOUTH AFRICAN WINE – AND NOT ALWAYS IN A GOOD WAY.
Wine
CHANGING GRAPE CLIMATE
ALL WINE STARTS OUT WITH A SINGLE GRAPE. HOW CAN WINE PRODUCERS ENSURE THEIR WINES WILL BE RELEVANT FIVE OR TEN YEARS DOWN THE LINE? FIONA MCDONALD INVESTIGATES.
A NEWFANGLED TRIANGLE
VISITING TOURISTS DULY TROT ALONG TO CAPE POINT AND HAVE THEIR PHOTO TAKEN AS PART OF THE LIST OF “MUST DO” THINGS WHEN IN THE CAPE – NOT REALISING THEY AREN’T ACTUALLY AT THE TRUE SOUTHERN TIP OF AFRICA.
SAVVY SHOPPING
SAUVIGNON BLANC IS THE MOST POPULAR WHITE WINE CATEGORY IN THE COUNTRY. CHEERS LINED UP A PANEL AND PLIED THEM WITH A FEW WIDESPREAD EXAMPLES TO COMPARE.
SLAVE TO FASHION
THE CRISP, ZESTY REFRESHMENT SAUVIGNON BLANC OFFERS DURING THE SOUTH AFRICAN SUMMER CAN’T BE BEAT. FIONAL MCDONALD LOOKS THIE WHITE WINE AND HOW IT HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST TWO DECADES.
RANDOM FACTOIDS
IT MIGHT SOUND LIKE THE SORT OF THING YOU’D FIND ON THE INSIDE OF A BUBBLE-GUM WRAPPER, BUT DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE 20 MILLION BUBBLES IN A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE? WELL THERE ARE!
SPECIAL CUVÉE
GRAHAM BECK CAP CLASSIQUE – IT ALL BEFAN MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO WHEN MINING MAGNATE GRAHAM BECK BOUGHT A FARM IN ROBERTSON, SUBSEQUENTLY NAMED MADEBA.
CAP CLASSIQUE
NOTCHING UP A HALF CENTURY IS A SPECIAL MILESTONE, WHETHER AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR AN ORGANISATION. 2021 IS A CELEBRATORY ONE FOR FANS OF SOUTH AFRICA’S SPARKLING WINE.
EMERGING FROM MT. FUJI’S SHADOW
“WINE”. IT’S NOT A WORD YOU WOULD READILY ASSOCIATE WITH JAPAN – MOUNT FUJI, CHERRY BLOSSOMS, SAMURAI, SUSHI, RICE, SAKE AND BULLET TRAINS WOULD PROBABLY TOP THE LIST.
AMBROSIA!
NOBLE LATE HARVEST, VIN DE PAILLE, NATURAL SWEET, MUSCADEL AND JEREPIGO. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? FIONA MCDONAL COVERS THE BASICS OF SWEET WINE 101.