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Blog: Behind the Cellar Door

Unearth the secrets of the winelands. Meet the winemakers, tour our favourite wine regions, and learn to taste, select and pair wines just like a pro.

15 November 2019 In Wine Notes

Summer wine selection (pink and orange are the new black)

Orange and pink are the new black… and for summer we just love the lighter, refreshing wines coming from our favourite Blanc de Noirs and Rosés (with or without bubbles!). Perfect to refrigerate, often lower in alcohol (who needs a hangover in summertime!) and just so incredibly moreish.

A little aside, someone once said that Blanc de Noir was just a fancy word for Rosé, and while some like to believe that, there is a difference. READ MORE

18 September 2019 In Cape Rock, Joostenberg, Myburgh Bros, Raised by Wolves, The Foundry, Trizanne, Van Loggerenberg, Wine Notes

Floral notes – Discover wines inspired by the perfumes of Mother Nature

We often use the term “floral notes” in the description of a wine, or hear of “flower aromas” on the nose. What exactly does this refer to when it comes to wine? And where do these floral wine aromas come from? Not only do certain wines give off a particularly floral aromatic, but one can even go as far as to identify the specific type of “bouquet”.

Sound a bit flowery? We went to our winemakers to brush up on our knowledge, and we asked them and our Good Wine Shop curators to recommend their personal favourite wines that exhibit the aromatic perfumes of nature.

21 August 2019 In Meet the Winemakers, Radford Dale

Wines of France vs. South Africa – Alex Dale shares some insight

Bordeaux and Burgundy are two of the most revered names when it comes to wine and are often thrown around to reference the distinct styles of red and white wine that their home regions in France produce. South African regions in particular love to compare. Many will refer to a bold Stellenbosch red wine as “a Bordeaux blend”, while the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of Hermanus and the Walker Bay region are often compared to Burgundy. We chat to Radford Dale co-founder Alex Dale – who grew up, studied and worked in Burgundy and is now based in Stellenbosch – for some insight.

23 July 2019 In food pairing, Joostenberg, Radford Dale, Raised by Wolves

Winter dishes for our top winter wines, from the winemakers

Winter is the ideal time for hibernating and cooking up a storm. Our winemakers have shared their personal favourite winter wines so we thought it would be useful to compile a few recipes that we think would make a great match for these exceptional wines. From aubergine curry to roasted springbok shoulder, who would want to leave the house?

24 June 2019 In Radford Dale, Raised by Wolves, Van Loggerenberg, Wine Notes

Cinsaut or Cinsault? Why the SA heritage varietal is enjoying a global revival

One of the most fascinating stories fuelling the current South African wine revolution is the rise of Cinsaut… or is it Cinsault? We often find both spellings used interchangeably and both spellings are considered correct in South Africa. The latter is the French spelling and refers to its Languedoc-Roussillon (coastal region in southern France) origin, while the former encapsulates its modern-day global renaissance.

7 May 2019 In Cape Rock, Carinus Family Vineyards, food pairing, Hughes Family Wines, Joostenberg, Myburgh Bros, Radford Dale, Raised by Wolves, Trizanne, Van Loggerenberg, Wine Notes

Winter wines – our winemakers select their favourite winter wines and tell us why

Winter is here and we’re sure you are probably keen to stock up the best winter wines for the chilly season. Check out our hand-picked winter wine selection, courtesy of our winemakers, that are guaranteed to fight off the cold.

26 April 2019 In Carinus Family Vineyards, discover the wine region, Hughes Family Wines, Radford Dale, Trizanne, Van Loggerenberg

Discover Swartland: the not-so-new region on the block that suddenly everyone is talking about…

When it comes to South African wines, regions like Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Constantia are historically most lauded and globally best renowned. More recently, the name Swartland seems to be on every wino’s lips… fast becoming recognised for less expensive but great quality wines. Some of our favourites are Trizanne’s Swartland Syrah, Billy Hughes’ Nativo Red Blend, and Carinus’ Chenin Blanc

We chat to the winemakers to uncover the secrets of Swartland: the not-so-new region on the block that suddenly everyone is talking about…

Wine sweetness, semi-sweet, dry or sweet?

24 April 2019 In Wine FYI

What is semi-sweet wine anyway? Misnomer or fact, we look at the wine sweetness chart and what falls where

We often hear the terms ‘dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet or sweet’ in reference to wine. Dry or sweet are easy enough for most of us to differentiate but, when encountering a wine list or waiter who refers to a semi-sweet wine, what do they even mean? Fruity? Sugary? Cheap? How sweet (or dy) is semi-sweet? And how would we classify a wine in this way? If you’ve been puzzled like us, here is a bit of a breakdown and some guiding tips to choose the wine that suits you best.

Harvest time with Billy Hughes, Hughes Family Wines, Swartland

17 April 2019 In Field Notes

Harvest Time – Billy Hughes (Hughes Family Wines)

Harvest time – it’s the most important time of year for our winemakers. Billy Hughes runs a small organic family business in Swartland: Hughes Family Wines. He shares his notes from the field…

11 April 2019 In Wine FYI

Wine terms everyone should know

We all have our favourites and know a wine we like when we taste it, but it is often much harder to describe them, right? Whether you are an avid wine drinker who needs to brush up on terminology or would simply like to decipher the wine descriptions on the tasting notes of a menu, the following wine terms will help you!

Adam Mason, Raised by Wolves: Here’s a little bit o’ the witches’ cauldron vibe, some dry ice creating an eerie plume as it blankets the juice in barrel. Just need the eye of toad

10 April 2019 In Field Notes, Raised by Wolves

Harvest Time – Adam Mason (is) Raised by Wolves

Adam Mason is the winemaker and founder of Raised by Wolves, his “side project” and love project – separate from his role as head of winemaking at the larger, more commercial wine estate Mulderbosch. Raised by Wolves is his “alter ego”.

“The wolf in many cultures represents the dark side. There’s something very primal about our fear of wolves: the fear of the wilderness, that other side, the dark side. So on one hand, it represents our untame self.”

We chatted to Adam about his harvest journey this year, in a time characterised by drought in the Cape, and in particular with his “Law of the Wild” philosophy that he applies to the small-batch wines coming from Raised by Wolves.

1 April 2019 In Meet the Winemakers, Trizanne

Trizanne Barnard on embracing the unknown

“The perfect wine lies with the wine drinker.” – Trizanne Barnard

And if her product can enhance that experience, then this winemaker is happy.

Trizanne Barnard takes an adventurous approach to winemaking for Trizanne Signature Wines, which is certainly an extension of her life philosophy to “embrace the unknown”.

Having worked and travelled extensively, Trizanne believes it’s important to open your eyes to the world and embrace the adventure. Her passions include surfing, raising a family and of course winemaking – with a particular preference in her winemaking for grapes from Elim and the Swartland. Through her wine she hopes she will transport the drinker to its place of origin. We chat to her to find out more…

1 April 2019 In Joostenberg, Meet the Winemakers, Myburgh Bros

Tyrrel Myburgh, organic farmer and experimental winemaker of Joostenberg and Myburgh Bros.

Organic winemaker Tyrrel Myburgh is the avant garde and experimental winemaker behind Joostenberg Wines and one half of Myburgh Bros. His approach to winemaking, and in particular the science and art behind organic wines, is one inspired by his philosophy to leave the earth in a better state than we found it. We caught up with Tyrrel to dig deeper into the processes of organic wine farming and what it actually means.

30 March 2019 In Cape Rock, Field Notes

Harvest time – Gavin Brand of Cape Rock Wines

We met up with Gavin Brand, winemaker for Cape Rock Wines and owner of his own Landscape Architecture firm, to find out exactly what happens in harvest time. Harvest is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking and is undoubtedly the most important time of year for our winemakers. However, as much as it is rewarding, there are also some challenges that arise.