When I bumped into Pieter de Waal in the Loire last month, he gave me a bottle of one of his wines to bring home. I am glad he did:…
Vergelegen GVB 2005
I visited Vergelegen back in December 2005. At that time, they were one of the hottest wineries in South Africa. Since then, they have fallen off the radar a bit,…
Worm farms, biodynamics and a serious Syrah at Waterkloof
I have just written up a lengthy article on Waterkloof, the Stellenbosch winery owned by UK wine merchant Paul Boutinot. It’s a really great project that just beginning to hit…
Video: making wine and visiting vineyards at Kanonkop
Really enjoyed visiting Kanonokop last week. I shot a film of the very traditional winemaking that takes place here, as well as looking at the old Pinotage vineyards.
South Africa, day 3
So the third and final day of my Stellenbosch visit. Next, I’m off to St James. And it was another great day. First up, Rustenberg with Simon and Murray Barlow….
A visit to Haskell and Dombeya
OK, it’s a holiday, but I’m in wine country, and so it’s a chance to add in the odd low key visit. I agreed to lunch at Haskell Vineyards’ Long…
Another good South African
I currently have a few decent South African wines in the tasting queue. Here’s one that yielded a good deal of pleasure: ripe and modern, but not spoofy. Englebrecht Els…