November 2022

Winery: Dalla Cia

Wine Maker: Giorgio Dalla Cia

Winery Location: W/O Stellenbosch, South Africa

Varietal(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Vivino Score: 3.90/5.00

Retail Price: R280

Notes on Wine: Matured in 70% first fill and 30% second fill French oak barrels.

Exhibits intense ruby colours and a gentle bouquet of sweet blueberry cherry, ink and a hint of spiced cedar-wood. On the palate, the wine delivers a well structured and velvety mouth feel with a soft, elegant, lingering aftertaste.
Great aging potential.

Food pairings: Venison curry, coconut and banana on the side with a green salad

Winery: Cape of Good Hope

Winemaker: Dawie Botha

Winery Location: Swartland, South Africa

Varietal(s): 100% Shiraz

Vivino Score: 3.90/5.00

Retail Price: R170.00

Notes on Wine: Fermentation took place in a combination of concrete and stainless steel tanks, with each fermentation vessel contributing to the finesse and fruit evident in this wine. The wine was aged in 225L French oak barrels for approximately 10 to 12 months (none new).

This is a delicious Swartland Syrah. Creamy plum / mulberry with appealing savoury spice notes. Sleek, with fine, grainy tannins, this is not a dense heavily-extracted wine.

Food Pairing: Mushroom soup and hard-crusted bread

Winery: Snow Mountain

Winemaker: Daniel Keulde 

Winery Location: Wellington, South Africa

Varietal(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Vivino Score: 3.70/5.00

Retail Price: R150.00

Notes on Wine: In 2004 a group of likeminded winemakers and fruit growers set out to make a wine from fruit grown in an extreme climate. This ideal saw the first vineyards planted on the steep slopes of the Winterhoek Mountains in Wellington, where they knew they would find the right soil and climate for what they had in mind.

The Snow Mountain Pinot shows classical dark cherry aromas on the nose and palate. Although intense in flavour, textures are mellow and round, evolving into an extraordinarily opulent sensation on the mid-palate, with a lengthy finish that is reminiscent of subtle spice. The Snow Mountain Pinot Noir, with its classical styling pays homage to its Burgundian heritage, delivering a character-driven, berry-focused wine that displays refined complexity and balance.

Food pairing: Duck confit with roast, new-age potatoes

Winery: Natte Valleij

Winemaker: Alexander Milner

Winery Location: Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Varietal(s): Cinsault

Vivino Score: 4.00/5. 00

Retail Price: R150.00

Notes on Wine: The Natte Valleij Cinsault Collective is a culmination of the winemaker’s explorations of the Cape Winelands, seeking out forgotten patches of old dryland bush vine Cinsault that he felt would offered exceptional quality and interest.

This is our Coastal blend, a multi-regional extravagance, based from 5 dryland bush vines ranging in age from 50-14 years. Fermented naturally and aged for 12 months in a variety of concrete egg, foudre and barrel. Oodles of depth and bright-eyed energy, its like the bar down the street being gate crashed by your local rugby team and your lucky enough to be there, you know its going to be fun!

Grapes are pick by hand, bottled by hand, corked by hand, labeled by hand and most defiantly drunk by hand. It’s a family affair and everyone is pulled in at busy times.

Food pairing: Authentic Chicken Chasseur with rustic bread and a green salad

Winery: Boschendal

Winemaker: Jacques Viljoen

Winery Location: Pniel, South Africa

Varietal(s): Shiraz (28%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (14%), Malbec (13%), Petit Verdot (11%), Cabernet Franc (9% )  

Vivino Score: 3.90/5.00

Retail Price: R200.00

Notes on Wine: The Nicolas is an exceptional blend showcasing how skilled craftsmanship can create a masterpiece greater than the individual components on their own. On the nose red cherries, fresh plums, mulberries and cassis are complemented by pencil-shavings, dark chocolate and spicy cigar box flavours. The complex and luscious aromas follow through onto the palate confirming the quality. A vibrant wine smooth tannins, excellent length and timeless elegance.

Food Pairing: A classic & hearty ox-tail potjie

Winery: Groot Constantia

Winemaker: Boela Gerber 

Winery Location: Constantia, South Africa

Varietal(s): Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot

Vivino Score: 4.00/.5.00

Retail Price: R190.00

Notes on Wine: A seductive wine with ripe black fruit like plums and black cherries on the nose, followed by layers of mocha coffee, dried herbs, black current and liquorice. The black fruit follows on the palate, beautifully balanced by soft tannins.

The different components are aged separately for 12 months in 18% 1st fill barrels 25% 2nd 14% 3rd and 43% 4th fill French oak barrels before carefully blended.

Food pairing: Garlic Saikoro Steak

Winery: Cape of Good Hope

Winemaker: Dawie Botha

Winery Location: Swartland, South Africa

Varietal(s): 100% Chenin Blanc 

Vivino Score: 3.7/5.0

Retail Price: R175.00

Notes on Wine: The Riebeeksrivier farm is situated on the slopes of the Kasteelberg, overlooking the Swartland towards the iconic Table Mountain.

“Late, slow and steady” would be the best way to describe the 2021 vintage. The preceding winter was cold and wet, resulting in good dormancy and healthy dam levels prior to the growing season. The cool weather continued into spring which in turn resulted in delayed but relatively even bud break, flowering and fruit set. The moderate summer temperatures slowed the ripening period and resulted in harvest starting about two weeks later than normal. February was uncharacteristically cool, allowing for the gradual ripening of fruit with good flavour and acidity. An exceptional vintage which promises to deliver outstanding wines.

Quince, poached peach and a whiff of vanilla on the nose. The palate is fresh, offering up the peach and quince fruitiness but with a lovely lime tang and vibrance. All of that is offset against a gentle background of creamy oak – which is subtly but beautifully integrated with charming vanilla and butterscotch notes. Textured and long, nothing is overplayed with impressive harmony, palate weight and genuine refinement. Rewarding aftertaste.

Food pairings: Soft cheeses capable of breaking into a trot, fruit, and nuts

Winery: Usana

Winemaker: Pierre & JP Winshaw 

Winery Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa

Varietal(s): 100% pinot gris 

Vivino Score: 4.00/5.00

Retail Price: R118.00

Notes on Wine: Usana is situated in the beautiful and historic Stellenbosch Wine Region on Klein Welmoed, the Winshaw Family farm. The great grandfather, Dr. William Charles Winshaw was born in the USA. He ran away from home when he was 12 years old. He travelled around the USA surviving on the odd job and favour, living a life of adventure.

With time he studied to be medical doctor and later travelled to South Africa caring for the Queen’s Horses. Later he settled in South Africa where he pursued his passion to become a winemaker.

This wine was whole bunch pressed. It was then naturally fermented in predominantly stainless steel and a small portion in old oak. It spent around 6 months on the lees. The wine was later blended before bottling. The wine is nice and fresh with hints of Granny Smith apple some pear and white peach
This cracking wine that shows how Pinot Gris offers a great alternative variety. With an inherent sweetness to the fruit, it’s a dry white that has loads of apple, pear and melon flavours.

Food Pairing: A platter of equal parts hot samosas and spicey cold meats 

Winery: Dalla Cia 

Winemaker: Giorgio Dalla Cia 

Winery Location: W/O Stellenbosch, South Africa

Varietal(s): Sauvignon Blanc 

Vivino Score: 3.7/5.00

Retail Price: R165.00

Notes on Wine: The Sauvignon Blanc presents a gentle bouquet of sweet gooseberry and ripe fig with hints of minerality. Crisp on the palate with a well balanced mouth feel and low acidity. This finish is pleasant and long lingering.

The wine was fermented at 12OC – 14OC and then stabilized on the less for 6 months before bottling.

Ideal serving temperature: 7° – 13° Celsius

Food pairing: Home made pasta, alluring olive oil, cherry tomato, fresh basil, salt, pepper. That’s it.

Winery: Groot Constantia 

Winemaker: Boela Gerber

Winery Location: Constantia, South Africa 

Varietal(s): 91% Sauvignon blanc, 9% Semillon

Vivino Score: 3,90/5.00

Retail Price: R199.00

Notes on Wine: Tropical fruit like melon, guava and passion fruit dominate the nose of the wine, while hints of grass and citrus add complexity. The palate shows beautiful intensity and length, and the natural acidity leaves a crisp, dry finish.

Food pairings: Ravioli with Green Pea Pesto

Winery: Boschendal 

Winemaker: Michael Langenhoven

Winery Location: Pniel, South Africa

Varietal(s): 100% Chardonnay 

Vivino Score: 3.70/5.00

Retail Price: R140.00

Notes on Wine: Big on aroma and flavours, combining a lemony, cinnamon, nutmeg nose with zesty citrus and ripe tropical fruit on the palate. Well balanced, the soft, buttery character adds to the complexity and roundness of the wine.

Food Pairings: Buttered crayfish roll! Dang.

Winery: Blackwater Wine 

Winemaker: Francois Haasbroek

Winery Location: W/O Western Cape, South Africa

Varietal(s): 100% Chenin Blanc

Vivino Score: 3.80/5.00

Retail Price: R125.00

Notes on Wine:

South African Chenin Blanc for the Chablis fan. This 100% Chenin Blanc is harvested from selected old bushvine vineyards on the top slopes of Bottelary Hills and a similar soil structure just northwest in Durbanville. The fruit is destemmed and pressed, settled for 24 hours and fermented in stainless steel and concrete tanks, left on the fine lees for five months. A small bit of battonage was employed to give added texture but this wine was meant to be a compliment to that briny little oyster so not too much lees stirring.

A wine so pure it almost feels like it should be good for you. Here is a perfect example of nervy, unadulterated, unmanipulated, no skin contact, zero RS, zero ML, honest to goodness Chenin Blanc. A clean, lean nerve-tingler with grapefruit, bayleaf, lemon sorbet, muskmelon and sea spray freshness.

Food pairing: Roast chickpea, broccoli, Danish feta, and lemon salad