This was a delicious and smashable wine, and it didn’t cost very much. It’s a naturally made Swartland Cinsault, and on the back label it says, ‘this wine harks back…
Some fine wines at Ellory, with Texier, Stephan, Foradori, Le Soula, Bosman
Had some lovely wines last night with Angela Jordaan and Thor Gudmundsson at the fabulous Ellory (thoroughly recommended: really good small plates style menu and excellent wine list). Here are my…
Video: what makes Elgin a special wine region?
In this video clip, I interview Andrew Gunn of Iona, and his winemaker Werner Muller, about what makes the Elgin Valley a special wine region. We also talk about Elgin’s…
Elgin vintage experience 4, Elgin Ridge
The final day of my Elgin vintage experience 2017 was spent with biodynamic winery Elgin Ridge. This is a film of the day: We went to the vineyards where Sauvignon…
Elgin vintage experience 3, Almenkerk
Day 3 of my Elgin harvest experiences was at Almenkerk, hosted by owners Joris van Almenkerk and Natalie Opstaele. They are great fun and have a really thoughtful, scientific approach…
Elgin vintage experience 2, Paul Cluver
Paul Cluver is the pioneering wine farm of Elgin. Dr Paul Cluver, a leading neurological consultant, planted vines here in 1987. ‘Everyone thought we were crazy,’ he said, because at…
Elgin vintage experience 1, Iona
The first day of my vintage experience in South Africa’s Elgin region was spent at Iona. I was with Werner Muller, the winemaker, for the day. Iona have three properties:…
In Elgin, South Africa, day 1
I’m currently in South Africa’s Elgin Valley, which I visited last October for the Chardonnay Symposium. I’m here to experience vintage with four different producers: Iona, Almenkerk, Paul Cluver and…
Wines of the year (5) South African stars
I’m continuing the theme of wines of the year. This year I tasted a lot of very good South African wines, both on my three visits, and also in London….