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In the Swartland, by Swartlanders – that’s the essence of an upcoming wine-and-food series like few others! This is the opportunity that awaits everyone from serious epicureans to vino babes keen to get an insight into one of South Africa’s most fascinating regions. 

Launching on July 1, the wine-and-food series features six wineries, from Swartland blockbusters to niche rockstars, alongside delectable menus prepared and served at The Barn in Riebeek Kasteel. The dinners take place once a month until December 2, with just 20 tickets available for each event.

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Durbanville Wine Valley will help banish the cold and ensure a fantastic time too with the much-anticipated return of its annual Soup & Sip winelands experience. From July 27 to 31, wineries of the valley will sell delicious winter soup and sides alongside tastings of fine wines.

“We’re excited to welcome visitors back for Soup & Sip this year, which features many new recipes and experiences,” says Durbanville Wine Valley manager Natasha de Villiers.“At the same time, these colder months are a reminder of those less fortunate, which is why Soup & Sip is linked to a charity drive during the month in which Mandela Day occurs.

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Here’s to the next 200 years & a legacy surpassing a few lifetimes.

The legacy of the Deetlefs Wine Family stretches over 200 years with it being the second oldest family owned wine estate in South Africa under ownership of the same family. A maiden voyage from Europe on 3 October 1752 was the start of a beautiful journey that set-in motion the story of Deetlefs Wine Estate & the family run business it is today. On 3 October 1752 the HAGEVELD (voyage 3566.1) left on 3/10/1752 from Texel, an island north of Amsterdam and close to Denmark with 143 people onboard and arrived in Cape Town 21 March 1753 on her way to Indonesia (Batavia). During this trip 4 people died and 14 left the ship in the Cape of Good Hope. Johannes Deetlefs was a German soldier from the Hennstedt-area in Dittmarchen. He arrived in South Africa in 1753, after being put ashore at Saldanha Bay because he was, reputedly, a bit difficult. Johannes made his way to Tulbagh & settled there with his wife Alette Claasen. He passed 4 years later, leaving behind a son, Nicolaas Johannes Deetlefs.

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Boplaas Family Vineyards has been awarded 93 points and a place among this year’s Top 10 in the Prescient Signature Red Blend Report, presented by Winemag.co.za. The winning wine was the Boplaas Gamka Red Family Reserve 2020. Wines were assessed by a panel headed by respected wine critic Christian Eedes with this being the second major title recently claimed by the Boplaas Gamka Red Family Reserve. Just weeks ago, the same vintage - its latest release - received a platinum award at the National Wine Challenge/SA Top 100 SA Wines.

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BONNIEVALE WINES 24 CHAIRS DINING EXPERIENCE

 

The 24 Chairs dining experience is a unique collection of 24 different chairs placed along a gracefully decorated long table. Each chair is meticulously sourced from across the Bonnievale area and recognises the different stories, characters and experiences that collectively contribute to the story of our beautiful region.

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Stellenbosch has been selected as the global meeting point this November for a prestigious, multi-disciplinary congress on Chenin Blanc, a grape variety regarded as key to the future of wine growing. One of the world’s most heat-tolerant and versatile cultivars, it is South Africa’s signature white wine grape. The country has more Chenin vines planted than the rest of the world combined, but Chenin’s birthplace is the Loire in France.

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This year The Trophy Wine Show Judges’ Feedback Session will be in the form of a webcast, on Thursday 16 June, from 11h00 – 12h00. The session takes place directly after the completion of the Trophy judging. While it would have been wonderful to meet again in person with media and the wine industry, due to certain circumstances, the judging takes place in the week of the public holiday, and a live-streamed event offers the best solution. The link to the webcast will be sent in advance. Please save the date. The announcement in early April that The Trophy Wine Show and The Trophy Spirits Show will be entering a new era with Investec as the title sponsor, has been followed by the publication of the full list of international judges for both competitions. This is the first time since the Covid lockdowns that each of the judging panels at both competitions will include an international specialist invited to South Africa specifically to participate in the competition. As previously – and in fact since 2002 - the wine judging panel will be chaired by South Africa’s most highly regarded wine authority The Trophy Spirits Show .   This year the three international judges for The Trophy Wine Show comprise US wine authority, Anthony Mueller, who covers the South African category for The Wine Advocate; Eric Goettelmann, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Sommellerie and wine director for the Bernard Loisseau Group, and Anthony Rose, wine correspondent for The Independent and well-known wine writer and author.  
The judging panels have been expanded to allow judges to focus on their preferred fields of expertise. The three international judges form part of a star-studded and hugely experienced group whose local members include Heidi Duminy CWM and Principal of the Cape Wine Academy; Tongai Joseph Dhafana, award-winning Sommelier, now winemaker; JD Pretorius, cellarmaster at Warwick Wines; Patson Mathonsi, Sommelier, and regional sales manager for Spier; François Rautenbach, buyer for Singita’s Premier Direct wine progamme, Cathy van Zyl MW, Vice-Chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine's education committee; Gynore Fredericks, winemaker at Great Heart Wines and assistant winemaker at Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines and Spencer Fondaumiere, Chairperson of the South African Sommeliers’ Association.   The international panel for The Trophy Spirits Show will benefit from the expertise of George Harper, Master Blender for Roe & Co. Irish Whiskey and one of the 12 blenders responsible for all of Diageo’s Scotch (and Irish) Whisk(e)y portfolio (the world’s largest whisky business). He will be joined by David T Smith, undoubtedly the world’s most admired gin specialist, and Eric Goettelmann, former chief sommelier for Paul Bocuse and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Sommellerie.
 
Local panelists – all specialists in the field which they have been selected to judge – include Mare-Loe Prinsloo, Head of Research tasked with product development at Distell; Kobus Gelderblom, brandy master; Neil Paterson, whisky maven and owner of WhiskyBrother; Kurt Schlechter, award-winning bartender and drinks consultant; Kresan Naidu, a white spirits (particularly gin and vodka) expert; and Dave Gunns, whisky expert, retailer and educator.   The Trophy Wine Show was designed two decades ago to help the Cape wine industry to calibrate to the expectations of international markets and has played a key role in driving innovation and transformation on the quality side of the spectrum.   The more recently launched Trophy Spirits Show seeks to identify the best spirits available in and for the South African market, or produced in South Africa for export, applying the tried and tested methodology of the Trophy Wine Show.   Investec has been awarded Best Private Bank and Wealth Manager in South Africa, by the Financial Times of London’s Global Private Banking Awards, for nine years in a row. Euromoney’s private banking and wealth management survey has awarded it this same accolade for 10 consecutive years.   Investec partners with private, institutional, and corporate clients, offering international banking, investment and wealth management services in two principal markets, South Africa and the UK, as well as certain other countries. The group was established in 1974 and currently has approximately 8,200+ employees. Investec has a dual listed company structure with listings on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges.

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Strauss &Co Fine Wine Auctions is proud to offer a fine selection of the world’s greatest Organic and Biodynamic wines. Today’s wine producers question their winemaking practices, as demand for more naturally produced and sustainable wines has increased. 

Since each producer has a different farming philosophy, categorising the degree of Organic farming is challenging. Organic production dictates farming without the use of synthetic fertilizers, and wine production without ingredients. Some producers are certificated by industry bodies, while others implement their own organic methods.

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Today marks the first of many exciting wine tasting adventures in the beautiful historic building on Hoffmans Lane, Paarl, dating back to 1797. It is now beautifully renovated and restored – inviting visitors into a lush garden before luring them into a trendy, checkered-tiled courtyard where you are greeted by a new open plan wine bar called The Wine Hive.