Now this is an interesting wine. It’s a Semillon Gris from Swartland (South Africa) stars Mullineux. This is what Andrea Mullineux says about it: Sémillon Gris is historically significant in…
Craig Hawkins: Testalonga and Lammershoek
Craig Hawkins (pictured above with significant other Carla Kretzel in the background) is one of South Africa’s most talented and brave winemakers. He’s the winemaker at Lammershoek, and also makes…
Three lovely, great value South African wines
So much fun to be had with South African wine right now. Here are three wine that are full of interest, and massively over-deliver for the price. They are available…
A brilliant, crazy South African wine
This is a brilliant wine. It’s unusual, as you might expect from a wine called ‘funky white’, made in a solera style with some flor involvement. It’s not really like…
Dirty Julie, a Verdelho from the Swartland
I love everything about this wine. The packaging (you can’t see the wax capsule in this picture), the grape variety (Verdelho), the winemaking (natural ferment), the flavour, and – of…
Mullineux Schist and Granite 2010
Swartland-based Mullineux is one of the most respected of the new wave of South African wine estates, and in the 2012 Platter Guide they achieved a remarkable clean sweep of…
The South Africa Wine and Spirits Board reject Craig Hawkins Cortez Chenin Blanc 2011 for a second time!
I have written before about how export approval systems in New World wine-producing countries can hinder producers who operate outside the commercial norms (here: http://www.wineanorak.com/exportapproval.htm) It’s a big problem for natural…
Video: Lammershoek’s beautiful vineyards
A short film of Lammershoek’s vineyards, which I find rather beautiful. They’re just typical of the Swartland, with most of them dry-grown bush vines.
Only in the Swartland: Hárslevelű and an underwater wine
I have just written up my visit to Swartland producer Lammershoek, which you can read here. It was unusual for two reasons. First of all, they’re making a new series…