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A Christmas Celebration with Hasher Family Estate

Situated in the serene Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, Hasher Family Estate is delighted to announce the third installment of its Family & Fine Wine Feast Series on Saturday, 22 December 2024. This festive gathering harmoniously blends the estate’s exceptional wines with family-oriented activities, offering an unforgettable experience for all ages.

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A weekend getaway in Elgin

Visit the magnificent Elgin Valley that’s just an hour’s drive from Cape Town and you’ll be delighted to find not only excellent wines to please every palette, but also activities that will enchant everyone from thrill seekers to city slickers seeking something off the beaten track.

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Is Franschhoek the Capital of Fizz?

Around the world, purveyors of sparkling wine pursue the spirit of celebration with impassioned fervor. In France, where the method champenoise is trademarked, the pop of a champagne cork signifies celebration. In New York City, the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic celebrated its 12th iteration in 2019. In Paarl, the Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo Cape Town toasted to its ninth annual iteration in 2019.

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Boschendal adds premier artwork to its visitor experiences

The tree-lined path leading to the manor house at Boschendal must rank among the most Instagrammed of the Cape Winelands. These days, however, stepping through the door of that historic Cape Dutch building brings an unexpected scene.

Inside, visitors are greeted by a dramatic visual display of art and a gift shop.

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Six ways to enjoy Worcester Cab

The world celebrates Cabernet Sauvignon Day on September 3. Clifford Roberts highlights Worcester as an area to explore an alternative expression of the variety.

The Worcester wine region has become a champion of Chenin Blanc. So much so that it isn’t popularly associated with Cabernet Sauvignon as much as it once was. To disregard it completely however, is to make a serious mistake.

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Head out to Wellington for a heartwarming experience

Make your way to Wellington’s wine cellars and expect to be welcomed by a soon-to-be familiar scene. A cosy fireplace, friendly faces and an assortment of wines to warm the heart. Add to this epic mountain views, good food and a short drive from Cape Town and you have the perfect weekend break ahead of you.

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Great experiences to learn about South African brandy

Brandy-making in South Africa goes back three hundred years, but its story certainly isn’t stuck in the history books. A good and enjoyable way to learn about this cultural icon, and discover why it consistently wins global competitions, is available at several, top-class brandy experiences.

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The Journey of a Grape

The journey from vine to glass is a matter of science and circumstance. There are a wide number of species of vines which bears a variety of grapes, known as varietals. For instance, the Chardonnay grape is green and produces white or ‘blanc’, Chardonnay wine. Each varietal, affected by soil type, climate, wind, farming practices and other factors, produces various characteristics. In South Africa, it is not legal to add flavourants. As such, when Chardonnay is said to exhibit vanilla, for instance, certain winemaking processes might exhibit that character. For example, aging, or maturing wine in wood can produce certain tastes and smells.

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South African vocabulary for wine tourists

New research suggests that language influences how we perceive the world. So in order to better understand us and our sometimes strange ways, here are some uniquely South African words to help you navigate our winelands and our wine culture.

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The story of Tesselaarsdal Wines

The hamlet of Tesselaarsdal is in the Overberg, about midway between Caledon and Stanford. It’s 135km from Cape Town and after tracking the N2, can be reached via a network of country roads through sprawling farmlands. The wine company named after the settlement is owned by Berene Sauls who was raised there, and its wines are made in the Hemel en Aarde Valley winery of Hamilton Russell. The grapes are from Hemel en Aarde too.

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How to be a South African wine connoisseur

Do you want to learn a bit more about wine this year to talk the talk in the tasting room?

Here are 20 facts every lover of South African wine should know. Armed with this checklist you’ll bluff anyone into believing you are an authority.

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Turnkey project to make Cape wine even more visitor-friendly

South Africa’s winelands have always professed to welcome all. An initiative focused on language rather than tourism or wine, however, promises to take this hospitality and the wine industry in general to new heights.

A series of workshops with mother-tongue speakers of Shona, Zulu and Xhosa that lay the groundwork to make wine appreciation more widely accessible, has just been concluded. Led by the South African Chenin Blanc Association, a sector interest group, and several industry stakeholders, the project involves a re-interpretation of traditional wine descriptions.

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BLACC wine-lovers help spread the word

The Black Cellar Club (BLACC) is a young organisation with a mission to share the story of South African wine.

The Cape’s wine farms are best known for being the intersect of tourism and the business of wine. They also are essential for education and training, as the Black Cellar Club (BLACC) has shown since its establishment in 2016.

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From Vine to Glass: South African Wine & Traceability

In the Middle Ages wax seals were used to authenticate documents. South Africa’s own sustainability wine seal does a similar job. The seal guarantees that the information on the bottle label about the variety, vintage and origin of the wine is accurate and that the wine has been grown and made in an environmentally friendly way. To date, South Africa is the only country in the world with such an all-encompassing guarantee.

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Women have staked their claim in wine

National Women’s Day commemorates the march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria of 20 000 women on August 9, 1956 to petition against Apartheid pass book legislation. The march was led by Albertina Sisulu, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams.

It changed South Africa and demonstrated the power of women in a society dominated by male voices in authority. Many of these ripples are still felt across society, including winemaking.

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South African Chenin Blanc at a glance

Several prominent events are about to put South African Chenin Blanc back in the spotlight. Clifford Roberts gives a brief rundown of the excitement driving the variety.

If there’s a Ground Zero for South African wine, it must be chenin blanc. Few varieties have tracked our history from the start, become as ubiquitous and emerged as a shining light.

The significance of looking at it now? June 17 is #DrinkChenin Day.

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