South Africa

  • Jam Shed Sauvignon Blanc 1.5l Box

    Jam Shed Sauvignon Blanc 1.5l Box

    Jam Shed Sauvignon Blanc is a new wine under the familiar Jam Shed label, appearing in a smaller 1.5-litre mini box format, the equivalent of two standard bottles. This release comes from Vinarchy, a wine company formed in 2025 from the merger of Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard Winemakers. The name blends Vin, French for…

  • Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine

    Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine

    Part of my #awards25 series, this South African sparkling has a Gold Medal from the IWSC 2025 with an impressive 96 points. It’s from Robertson in the Western Cape and is an example of a ‘blanc de blancs’, a term that means white wine made solely from white grapes. In this case, it’s 100% Chardonnay….

  • No.1 Cederberg Syrah

    No.1 Cederberg Syrah

    I had to include this one in my awards25 series because the 2022 vintage earned both an IWC Silver and an IWSC Silver. From the West Coast of South Africa, this Syrah comes from Cederberg, where the fifth generation of the Nieuwoudt family now oversees the estate. They are widely regarded as one of the…

  • Bellingham Old Vine Chenin Blanc

    Bellingham Old Vine Chenin Blanc

    Bellingham Old Vine Chenin Blanc stood out when I first discovered at a Sainsbury’s press wine tasting. It is new to their range and was easily one of the highlights of the event. Once found only in independent wine merchants, it has now found its way onto supermarket shelves, making it more accessible. The wine…

  • The Best of South Africa

    The Best of South Africa

    In mid-May 2025, I attended the Tim Atkin MW The Best of South Africa Tasting, an event Tim described as likely the finest presentation of South African wines in the UK this year. That claim stood up, the range and calibre of wines on show were outstanding. Tim Atkin MW is known for producing an…

  • Mount Rozier Reserve Merlot

    Mount Rozier Reserve Merlot

    Mount Rozier Reserve Merlot comes from the foothills of the Hottentot Mountains in South Africa’s Western Cape, produced by the Mount Rozier winery. The estate traces its roots back to the early 1800s, when Annie Rozier, a flower merchant known for foraging wild blooms in the Schapenberg hills, established a reputation for creating natural remedies….

  • Mount Rozier Chenin Blanc Reserve

    Mount Rozier Chenin Blanc Reserve

    Mount Rozier Chenin Blanc Reserve is a white wine from the foothills of the Hottentot Mountains, produced by the Mount Rozier winery in South Africa’s Western Cape wine region. The estate has a rich heritage, founded at the turn of the 19th century by Annie Rozier, a local flower merchant known for gathering wildflowers in…

  • Amandla Signature Chenin Blanc

    Amandla Signature Chenin Blanc

    Amandla Signature Chenin Blanc comes from the Western Cape, South Africa, and is made by an innovative all-black, all-female team, led by winemaker Praisy Dlamini and viticulturalist Ruth Faro. The name “Amandla” translates to “power within us,” a fitting tribute to the passion behind this wine. I have seen this Amandla promoted a lot but…

  • Fairview Barrel-Aged Pinotage

    Fairview Barrel-Aged Pinotage

    Fairview has been producing Pinotage since the 1970s, with vintner Charles Back continuing the tradition with this wine. This particular vintage, from 2022, has an ABV of 13.5% and has been aged in seasoned oak barrels. The 2020 vintage previously won a bronze medal at the International Wine Challenge. Pinotage was created in 1925 by…

  • Rustenberg Stellenbosch Malbec

    Rustenberg Stellenbosch Malbec

    This bottle was a gift from someone who came to one of my past wine tastings – thanks, Hugh. It already has a few accolades, including 91 points from James Suckling in 2023, 90 points from the Tim Atkin SA Report and a Gold Medal from the Michelangelo Wine and Spirits Awards . At 14%…

  • Understanding South African Wine

    Understanding South African Wine

    South African wine, with its rich heritage dating back to the 17th century, has evolved into a dynamic industry renowned for its diverse terroirs and innovative winemaking. The country’s wine regions, clustered primarily in the Western Cape, produce a wide array of styles, from robust reds to crisp whites, underpinned by unique grape varieties such…

  • Spier Villa Blue Albariño

    Spier Villa Blue Albariño

    Spier Villa Blue Albariño is an intriguing take on the classic Albariño (or Alvarinho), a grape most commonly associated with Galicia in Spain and its Portuguese counterpart. However, this particular wine comes from South Africa, produced by Spier Estate in the premium wine region of Stellenbosch. As one of the Cape’s oldest wineries, Spier has…

  • Capaia One

    Capaia One

    Capaia One is the flagship red wine from Capaia Estate, located in the village of Philadelphia within the Tygerberg district, just north of Cape Town, South Africa. The estate benefits from a climate that allows the grapes to ripen slowly, resulting in wines with concentrated and complex flavours. Made by winemaker Stephan von Neipperg, who…

  • Bruce Jack Pinotage Malbec

    Bruce Jack Pinotage Malbec

    This South African red wine from the Breedekloof Valley in the Western Cape is a more unusual blend of 70% Pinotage and 30% Malbec. Pinotage is a grape that tends to produce wines that polarise opinion, but I find this wine to be a standout example. It opens with a lovely smoky aroma, complemented by…

  • Cap Maritime Pinot Noir

    Cap Maritime Pinot Noir

    Tesco has introduced another noteworthy addition to its wine range as part of its, previously mentioned, continued focus on premium offerings. Cap Maritime Pinot Noir, imported by New Generation Wines, is also available through select independent wine merchants. This South African wine comes from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in the Cape South Coast region. The…

  • Deluxe Pinotage

    Deluxe Pinotage

    Pinotage wine often flies under the radar, and this particular Deluxe Pinotage from Lidl is especially elusive as it isn’t listed on Lidl’s website. The Pinotage grape was first cultivated in 1925 through the crossbreeding of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut by Abraham Izak Perold, the inaugural Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. Known for its…

  • Babylonstoren Sprankel

    Babylonstoren Sprankel

    The Babylonstoren Sprankel 2018, from the Western Cape, offers an intriguing alternative to traditional Champagne. It’s part of the growing selection of Cap Classique wines from South Africa with over 260 producers and more than 400 different cuvées. South Africa now produces an impressive 11 million bottles annually and the Sprankel is a great example…

  • Global Chenin Blanc Masters 2024

    Global Chenin Blanc Masters 2024

    The Global Chenin Blanc Masters competition recently highlighted the remarkable versatility of Chenin Blanc, which produces some of the finest sweet and dry white wines, both with and without oak, as well as sparkling wines. The Loire Valley is its historic home, producing notable sparkling and sweet wines, such as Crémant de Loire, sparkling Vouvray,…

  • ASDA Extra Special Pinotage

    ASDA Extra Special Pinotage

    Having recently enjoyed this wine at an Asda press tasting, I decided to purchase a bottle to experience it in a different setting. This wine comes from South Africa. Pinotage originated in 1925 as a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut and was developed by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch…

  • Amava Vines Coastal Reserve White Blend

    Amava Vines Coastal Reserve White Blend

    This wine has been created by Nadia Engelbrecht of the Perdeberg Group in South Africa. The Amava Vines Cape white 2020, a blend from the dry-farmed Coastal vineyards of Swartland and Paarl encapsulates the rich heritage in the word ‘Amava’ – a reference to roots tradition, and staying connected to one’s origins. This wine presents…

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Did You Know?

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More