South Africa

The Polkadraai Hills ward of Stellenbosch is ‘starting to turn heads’

For Decanter, Tim Atkin, MW provides a regional profile of the Polkadraai Hills and highlights his top 10 wines. Among those named were Van Loggerenberg ‘Graft’ Syrah 2021 (97 points) Craven Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (93 points). Plus, Atkin esteems that Boschkloof and Saga Vineyards winemaker Reenen Borman makes “one of the world’s greatest Syrah […]
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South Africa

Forbes highlights Sijnn’s ‘exceptional’ crop quality in their 2024 vintage

For Forbes, writer Jessica Dupuy covers South Africa and our producer, Sjnn, in the first part of her 5-part series about southern hemisphere grape harvests during the 2024 vintage. She writes that Sijnn’s program is “to produce a flagship red and white from any blend of these varieties that best expresses each vintage and the […]
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South Africa

NY Times: “For Thanksgiving, 20 Wines Under $20” – Storm Point wines featured for second time

For the second time, both Storm Point Chenin Blanc and Red Blend were featured on a NYT “20 under $20” list. The latest piece by Eric Asimov is a round up of excellent value wines for Thanksgiving. “Chenin blanc is one of my absolute favorite grapes, but it’s hard to find good examples this inexpensive,” […]
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South Africa

‘A Sijnn retrospective: tasting the past and present of this remarkable vineyard in Malgas, South Africa’

Dr. Jamie Goode visited the Sijnn Estate in Malgas for a tasting and lunch to celebrate the estate’s 20 year anniversary. “The first few years of being here must have been difficult,” writes Goode. “The Afrikaans farmers who were their neighbours would have been very puzzled by vines going into the ground. The closest winery […]
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South Africa

“South African Wine Has Never Been Better—Have Americans Noticed?”

For SevenFifty Daily, Caitlin A. Miller reports on the successes and struggles of South African wine in the United States. Miller questions, “With South Africa producing such exciting, high-quality, value-driven wines, why aren’t more American wine drinkers—and buyers—paying attention?” Our own Aaron Meeker comments on the excellent value of South African wine, and how the […]
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Podcast

South Africa

Episode 25 – Catching up with Mick Craven

Mick Craven from Craven Wines was our very first guest on this little podcast when we launched last year. He was back in town, so we sat down for a quick catch up. In this episode, we talk about the Cravens’ infamous Pinot Gris, which (surprise, surprise) was rejected yet again by the South African Wine & […]
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South Africa

‘The Promise of South Africa’ featuring Thorne & Daughters

For Wine Spectator, Alison Napjus underscores the promise of South African wine. “It remains puzzling that South African wine has been slow to gain momentum and recognition in the United States. By any measure, Cape vintners are turning out both reds and whites that should entice any wine fan,” she writes. After tasting over 200 […]
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South Africa

‘Malu Lambert: South Africa’s black-owned wine labels on the rise’

For South Africa’s WineMag, wine writer Malu Lambert follows the rise of Banele Vakele, the winemaker for Tembela, and comments on the uptick in the country’s black-owned wine projects. Lambert reached out to our very own Aaron Meeker for comment. “Inclusiveness of producers and diversity of wines has done more for the perception – and […]
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Podcast

South Africa

Episode 24 – Franco Lourens (Part 2)

This episode is part 2 of our conversation with Franco Lourens of Lourens Family Wines based in Paarl, South Africa. Go back and check out part 1 if you haven’t already, as this episode is a continuation of our conversation. In this episode, we talk about how Franco launched his own project, as well as the stories […]
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