October 2023

Winery: Allesverloren

Wine Maker: Wilhelm de Vries

Winery Location: Riebeek Kasteel, Swartland

Varietal(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon;

Vivino Score: 3.8.0/5.00

Retail Price: R175.00

Notes in the wine:

• A rich and full-bodied wine with a good tannic structure, lots of berry fruit flavours such as blackcurrant and cherries with undertones of dark chocolate and a deep ruby red color.
• The grapes were sourced from vineyards in the Riebeek Berg ward, the vines grew in Malmesbury shale, known for its good water retention capacity. The grapes were harvested by hand at 23° to 24° Balling .

Food pairing: Roast chicken, potatoes, carrots under healthy blanket of gravy.

Winery: Lomand

Winemaker: Kobus Gerber

Winery Location: Cape Agulhas

Varietal(s): 100% Syrah

Vivino Score: 3.80/5.00

Retail Price: R185.00

• Abundant aromatic flavours of white pepper with dark fruit and well-structured elegant tannins. Expressive aromas of spice, violets with beautiful blackberry undertones.
•  A blend of Syrah grapes from a variety of soil types to create a wine with great complexity.
• The hand-picked and hand-sorted grapes were destemmed, crushed s and inoculated with a selected yeast culture. On completion of fermentation, the wine spent a further three weeks on the skins for optimal extraction of color and flavour.

Food pairing: beef burrito – go heavy on the chipotle

Winery: Spookfontein

Winemaker:  Nelis Uys

Winery Location: Hemel en Aarde Valley

Varietal(s): Pinot Noir

Vivino Score: 3.8/5.00

Retail Price: R280.00

• Delicacy and strength define this Pinot Noir among its elegant but generous layers with aromas of dark cherry and red berries.
• The careful harmony of this wine is reached with savory undertones and subtle wood spices, complementing a long mineral finish. Aged in French oak for 11 months gives it roundness and distinction.

Food pairing: aromatic lentil curry

Winery: Anuva

Winemaker: Bouma Family

Winery Location: Simondium

Varietal(s): 100% Malbec

Vivino Score: 4.20/5.00

Retail Price: R185.00

Notes on the wine:

• Sweet plums, mulberry and marzipan aromas with a rich mouth feel and a long, smooth finish underlined by liquor ice spice and dried peach tones. 
• Fermentation is initiated in a small open-top tank. With the use of a vibration table, hand sorting is done to ensure only the best berries are selected and processed to tank. After a period of cold maceration (48 hours), the tank was inoculated with commercial yeast to begin fermentation. 
• Anura aims to produce wines which combine the robust fruit of the New World with the elegance and complexity of Old-World winemaking styles.

Food pairing: cheese board of mature cheddars and aged camembert, served with fig preserve.

Winery: Baleia

Winemaker: Gunter Scholtz

Winery Location: Cape south coast

Varietal(s): Tempranillo, Shiraz

Vivino Score: 3.80/ 5.00

Retail Price: R135.00

• Vibrant and juicy bursting with minerality, this ‘Wine From Rock’ made from Tempranillo and Syrah, truly reflects the terroir in which it is grown.
• Fruit is respected by making use of amphorae and large wooden foudres in the cellar, which highlights the unique minerality and makes for a tantalizing wine bursting with character.!

Food pairing: Neapolitan pizza with pineapple and chorizo

Winery: Holden Manz

Winery Location: Franschhoek

Winemaker: Thierry Haberer

Varietal(s): 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot 

Vivino Score: 4.20/5.00

Retail Price: R325.00

Notes on Wine:

• The individual varieties were handpicked and sorted allowing only the best berries to be used for this wine. Selected blocks in the vineyard are allocated to be used in making the Big G. 
• Ripe dark fruit, graphite, cassis, a subtle herbaceousness, nuances of blueberry and thyme backed with hints of cedarwood and pencil shavings.
•  Soft, voluptuous integrated tannins with a rich creamy cassis freshness.  Silky smooth mid-palate with a finish which is full of dark fruit and long lingering flavours.  Great tension!

Food pairing: Roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic

Winery: Baleia

Winemaker: Gunter Schultz

Winery Location: Cape south coast

Varietal(s): 100% Chardonnay

Vivino Score: 3.80/5.00

Retail Price: R165.00

• Grown in pure limestone soil with extremely high mineral content, which results in a lively wine layered with fine structure.
• A crisp Chardonnay with Elder flower and lime blossom aromas, almond biscotti and light oak flavours on the palate.
• Natural salts found in the soils present a delicate sensation of minerality in Baleia’s food-driven wines and prepares the palate beautifully

Food pairing: creamy salmon and caper tagliatelle

Winery: Lomond

Winemaker: Kobus Gerber

Winery Location: Cape Agulhas

Varietal(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vivino Score: 3.90/5.0

Retail Price: R190.00

• Aroma of citrus, distinctive minerality, hints of prickly pear and apricot.
• Brilliantly clear with green hue and hints of stone fruit & gooseberries. Flavors of ripe gooseberries, watermelon and hints of blackcurrant.
• Full bodied, lychee, sweet melon and ripe stone fruit.

Food pairing: freshly braaied snoek

Winery: The Berrio

Winemaker: Bruce Jack

Winery Location: Cape Agulhas

Varietal(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vivino Score: 3.90/ 5.00

Retail Price: R199.00

• The nose shows pear, lime, fynbos and fennel while the palate shows pure fruit and racy acidity, the finish possessing that slightly salty quality so typical of the area.
• Aromas of green pepper, cut grass, asparagus and fresh green peas. The Grapes are from Francis Pratt’s farm. Hand -picked, processed, crushed, in the press with minimal skin contact. 

Food pairing: Basil pesto and pine-nut pasta

Winery: Neethlingshof

Winemaker: De Wet Viljoen

Winery Location: Stellenbosch

Varietal(s): 30% Chardonnay, 25% Chenin Blanc, 22% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Viognier, 7% Weisser Riesling, 6% Gewurztraminer

Vivino Score: 3.90/5.00

Retail Price: R190.00

Notes on the wine:

• Well-textured and broad with flavours of white peach, unripe pear, asparagus with orange marmalade and vanilla. Flavorsome and textural drinkability with a slight char on the finish due to partial oaking.
• Aroma profile of melon, pear, yellow apple lavender and a hint of toast. The premium white wine blend is made up of six quality cultivars chosen by the winemaker from different vineyards aging between 10-30 years.

Food pairing: Chicken and apricot coconut curry

Winery: Spookfontein

Winemaker: Nelis Uys

Winery Location: Hemel en Aarde Valley

Varietal(s): 100% Chenin Blanc

Vivino Score: 3.70/5.00

Retail Price: R220.00

• Notes of crisp apple and yellow stone fruit are well balanced by minerality on the palate, fresh acidity and a well round finish.
• This Chenin Blanc has been harvested from older vines planted in sandy soils and spontaneously fermented in aged ok barrels.

Food pairing: Pork chops

Winery: Holden Manz

Winemaker: Thierry Haberer

Winery Location: Franschhoek

Varietal(s):  100% Chenin Blanc

Vivino Score: 3.70/5.00

Retail Price: R205.00

• Hand-selected bunches from three excellent vineyards in the Stellenbosch/Paarl border area and from the Paardeberg. 100% from bush vines over 40 years old.
• Berries cooled to 5oC prior to “Champagne” crush cycle. The clarified juice is transferred by gravity to barrels and tanks for fermentation.

Food pairing: charcuterie and goats cheese board