I have been guilty of joining the ‘raised eyebrow’ faction when wine scores are announced. ‘How on earth can so many be worth 95 points (of 100) and above?’ we cried. I have watched the debate over whether so-and-so scores too highly and agreed that scoring a wine at astronomic heights leaves it no place for future vintages to go but down. Now, I am revising my position.
With the results of the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc South Africa Top 10 competition still reaping congratulations all round, it is timely to consider what is behind those winning wines, technically speaking.
There has been much speculation lately about what will happen to wine sales and consumption once national, and international lockdowns end.
Imagine a mid-day snack, some cheeses, marmite on fresh bread toast, maybe a croissant and a glass of wine or cold beer. None would be possible without yeast.
Nick Geber’s Post House ‘Black Mail’ Merlot is named after a mailbox in the remote Area 51 of the US Nevada desert, a place known for its UFO ‘sightings’. It was an idea which came to him while his son was watching cartoons.
When does a cook become a chef, and when does a wine steward become a sommelier?
Hidden in the lush valley in the lee of the Helderberg Mountain there is a new wine producer which offers Tapas style dining, log fires, sundowners – and just one wine, a Rosé.
Time for a new WO, ‘Helderberg’ or even ‘Firgrove’, ‘Steynsrust’ or ‘Faure’ perhaps?
David Finlayson, the owner of Edgebaston, the home of Finlayson Family Wines, and co-winemaker Pieter Van Der Merwe, are always on the lookout for interesting grape varieties; “the less fashionable and less well-known”, says Pieter.
The second of four public presentations in Ken’s wine journey over the last 25 years saw yet more fantastic wines, some strong opinions and a few memorable stories.