Alder Yarrow recently published a piece for Vinography called “Putting South African Chardonnay in a Global Context,” in which he positioned South Africa against some of the world’s great Chardonnay regions (Chablis, Sonoma, etc.). Among those reviewed was the 2020 Van Loggerenberg “Break a Leg” Chardonnay, which Yarrow calls “bright and delicious.” Read more here.

Today's episode is with Alastair Reed of Konpira Maru, which is based in the Whitlands subregion of the King Valley in Victoria, Australia. In this episode you’ll hear what Konpira Maru really means (no, it’s not a Japanese whaling vessel) and how owner Alastair Reed and his former student-turned-business partner Sam Cook almost turned Konpira Maru into a Sherry company. We’ll talk a bit about the grapes and the geography of Australia, and why “diner pepper shaker” is the only kind of pepper aroma Alastair and Sam ever seek to extract from their grapes.

James Suckling recently compiled a list of his top Australian wines in his 2022 Annual Report, highlighting Sami-Odi’s Shirazes as some of the “most exciting wines we tasted, with their fresh and structured palates and hemmed-in alcohol.” Suckling continues, “The texture and clarity of Sami-Odi shiraz, vintage-dated and blended, are seductive and memorable. You really […]

Tim James, one of South Africa’s most lauded wine writers, details a few older-vintage wines he recently opened. Thorne & Daughters was in the line-up; of the 2017 Rocking Horse Cape White Blend, he writes that it “didn’t seem “older” at all; it’s developing nicely, with a good few years to go. Always one of […]

Today's episode is with Tim Wildman of Wildman Wines​. At Vine Street Imports, we import his two "sibling" pét-nats to the US. In this episode, you’ll hear about Tim’s experience becoming a Master of Wine and why he chose to build his business around pét-nat. You’ll hear some hot takes on how he thinks Australia has yet to make its best wine, and you'll hear why he doesn’t think the wine industry should waste its time "demystifying" wine. 

Tim James, one of South Africa’s most prominent wine critics, recounts why “there’s clearly plenty going for the new-wave Cape South Coast.” We’re seeing an exciting movement here akin to the Swartland Revolution a few years back. Among the winemakers mentioned are Natasha Williams of Lelie van Saron and Mark Stephens of Deep Rooted Wines […]

Banele Vakele of Tembela Wines is the newest South African producer to join the Vine Street Imports portfolio. He makes a Chenin Blanc and a Syrah, sourced from regions you wouldn’t necessarily expect (Durbanville for the Chenin, an area better known for Sauvignon Blanc, and a nice yin-yang mix for the Syrah from Constantia and the Swartland). In the words of wine critic Tim Atkin, “Banele Vakele is an exciting young winemaker who is rapidly making a name for himself.”

Trizanne Barnard from Trizanne Signature Wines is a force of nature. She's an avid surfer, rock climber, and acclaimed South African winemaker. In her earlier years, she worked as the assistant winemaker for Klein Constantia, and then she helped...

Join us for a walk-through tasting of Australia’s legendary wines, from the timeless classics to the funky fresh. Along the yellow brick road, you’ll find vinous delights from Vine Street Imports, Little Peacock Imports, Hudson Wine Brokers, and Old Bridge Cellars. Weds 9/14 11a – 3p at Terroir (24 Harrison St., New York, NY) Mon […]