Vineyards are relatively new to the area by comparison to most others, but the region returned to the headlines since wineries officially established themselves under the banner of the Agulhas Wine Triangle last year. As for wineries, they’re spread far apart in this intriguing territory.
Over holidays the stretch of the R43 between its intersection with the N2 and the coast gets particularly busy as families head out to the favourites of Hermanus, Franskraal, De Kelders and Pearly Beach.
At these times, the R43 becomes its own de facto wine route - not by traditional evaluations of terroir or climate, but because of the many of these regions the road traverses. In this example, there are also several world-class wine experiences along the way too.
This then becomes the invitation not only to stock up for the coming weeks of relaxation, but to replenish the home cellar by filling the Ventertjie on the return trip.
One can hardly mention Darling without mentioning Evita Bezuidenhout, or Tannie Evita as she is affectionately known by South Africans. The former stateswoman owns the local railway station and has a whole boulevard in the quaint town named after her.
We sat down with a glass of her favourite wine, Groote Post Old Man's Red Blend, as she shared her recipe for that quintessentially Afrikaans confectionary, koeksisters, with us. Cheers skattie!
Of South Africa’s 23 wine and brandy routes, the Darling Wine Route is one of South Africa’s most charming enclaves. Besides its exquisite West Coast location and famed music festival, Darling draws oenophiles to the route, due to a bevy of reasons. We talk to Charles Withington, proprietor of Withington Wines and the Darling Wine Shop, about what not to miss when visiting this quaint little town.
In a ground-breaking announcement, Newstead MCC Blanc de Blancs 2015 not only took a Double Gold Medal and the Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs, but was also named the Top Scoring Cap Classique at the 2020 Amorim Challenge.
As if from nowhere, the small producer Tesselaarsdal Wines appeared and quickly became a darling of the wine world. Owner Berene Sauls tells Clifford Roberts how it happened and how she’s dealing with the travails of 2020.
The day August 9 officially highlights the contribution of women in South Africa. In winemaking, they have become leaders in their own right.
Celebrating innovation and excellence in wine tourism throughout the greatest wine regions in the world, Wesgro extends a call for applications across the province for wine producers, wine experiences and wineries to enter into the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism Awards 2021, free of charge.
The South African winelands is not only set up for wining and dining, it is also the perfect backdrop to explore your adventurous side, with the natural elements and lay of the land providing the perfect network of trails for mountain bikers.
In case the grapevine news hasn’t reached you, here’s what you missed. Franschhoek’s Bastille Festival is still on the cards, but instead of the traditional format, the festival will be coming to you.
Since the implementation of Level 3 lockdown regulations, restaurants have sparked into action to implement new ways to reach customers. Many winery restaurants now offer food with wine, available for collection or delivery.
With snowfall covering most of the mountains in the Western Cape at the moment and more rain forecast this week, it's the perfect time to turn to a South African favourite, the humble vetkoek or amagwinya.
However, there's nothing humble about the recipe for delicious Cape Malay curried beef mince vetkoeke that Chef Gordon from The Restaurant at Wildekrans Wine Estate shared with us. Do try this at home with a bottle of your favourite wine!