Wine & Wineries

The luxuriously smooth spirit, Viva Vodka

25 April, 2013 by Wotz Leave a Comment

Sleek, seductive and bravely beautiful, the red Viva Vodka bottle is a standout on shelf and a bold embodiment of expression that perfectly befits the launch of South Africa’s first super-premium vodka.Reflecting the challenging, confident nature of the product, the bottle’s striking silhouette (with the icon of Africa placed front and center) packs a visual punch as powerful as the luxuriously smooth spirit within it. Manufactured through a carbon-filtered process and then distilled five times over a base of cane, there’s no mistaking it: Viva is a vodka in every way! Proudly standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the very best on the market for its exceptional smoothness and drinkability, Viva is firmly set to challenge other

Tagged With: carbon-filtered, distilled five times, luxuriously smooth spirit, red Viva Vodka bottle, VIVA VODKA, “Live the Moment!”

Western Cape Gem… Lanzerac

25 March, 2013 by Wotz Leave a Comment

For those interested in our wine heritage, and history, be sure to make your way to the Lanzerac - currently offering a tour around the Estate - but only until the end of March. With a glass of Rosé to get you going, your tour guide will provide you with a brief overview of what to expect during the tour. Highlights will include a tasting of the "Mrs English", a reserve Chardonnay. This wine is a tribute to Mrs English who purchased the farm in 1914, changing its name from Schoongezicht to Lanzerac. This will be followed by an introduction, and a tasting of the Estate's Pinotage. From an historical point of view, the world’s first commercially produced Pinotage - a 1959 vintage came from this Estate. (It was

Tagged With: Historic Tour of Lanzerac Estate, history of wine, mrs english, pinotage, professor perold, SOUTH AFRICA, Stellenbosch, wine tours

Circumstance Cape Coral 2012

18 February, 2013 by Wotz Leave a Comment

Waterkloof Estate has released the 2012 vintage of its dry rosé – the Cape Coral Mourvèdre. The hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed Mourvèdre grapes used for this rosé, originate from the Stellenbosch region, characterised by mild winters and long hot summers, with the vines planted in cool, deep red soils which provide adequate water for this late ripening variety. Waterkloof follows time-honoured traditional winemaking techniques in its state-of-the-art gravitational cellar and in their pursuit of more individually styled wines, the team relied on natural, wild yeast fermentation which took five months to complete. The wine was left on the primary lees for another five months to add further complexity before

Tagged With: cape coral mourverde, helderberg, Rose, Waterkloof, wine estate

An all new wooded white wine blossoms out of Stellenbosch

8 February, 2013 by Wotz Leave a Comment

De-Wet-Viljoen-Neethlingshof-winemaker-LR-266x400

The Neethlingshof estate outside Stellenbosch has launched its first wooded white wine, a blend of the six white cultivars that grow on the farm. Called The Six Flowers, it forms part of the estate’s exclusive Short Story Collection range which includes two reds – The Owl Post Pinotage and The Caracal Bordeaux blend – in addition to The Maria, its much awarded noble late harvest wine. The Maria was named for Maria Marais, the feisty widow of Charles Marais who dominated life on Neethlingshof for close on 50 years in the early 1800s. She is indirectly also responsible for the name of the new wine. She and her husband bought the property in 1788. He died 25 years later, in 1813, leaving her the farm and the care of their

Tagged With: Chenin blanc and Chardonnay, De Wet Viljoen, Gewürztraminer and Weisser Riesling, neethlingshof, Sauvignon blanc (20%) and Viognier (10%), The Caracal Bordeaux blend, The Owl Post Pinotage, The Six Flowers, wooded white wine

ZAHarmonie Wine Cellar, Sutherland

8 January, 2013 by Wotz Leave a Comment

To most of us Sutherland is the land of infinite landscapes, bossie-veld that stretches till the eye meets the horizon, and by night… star studded skies take your breathe away. Naturally this is home to Karoo lamb and B&B’s are plentiful as Capetonians flock there to gaze at the magnificent starry skies and see white blankets of snow in winter. But would you have guessed that a boutique winery could survive there… Winemaker Bi-Anne du Toit was born and raised in the Swartland and comes from a family of determined farmers. Having completed her studies in oenology and viticulture at Elsenburg in 2003, she then headed to France to work on a wine estate and this would be the start to her amazing journey in winemaking…

Tagged With: Anti-Freeze, Bi-Anne Du Toit, Boutique, Coldest Winery in South Africa, Snow, Stars, sutherland, The Maiden 2011, The Palms Market, Wine, Winery, ZAHarmonie

Spit or Swallow Box Wine Awards 2012

17 December, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

Du Toitskloof’s Chenin Blanc has been named the best boxed white wine at the third annual Spit or Swallow Box Wine Awards held at Mercury Live in Cape Town on November 29. The cellar’s Pinotage Merlot Ruby Cabernet took the Best Red Box Wine award in 2010. The panel of Freddy Mercury look-a-like judges included everyday wine drinkers to wine connoisseurs who set out to choose the best red and white wines from the 33 box wines tasted. The selection process included a blind tasting where participants tweeted their scores out of ten. The three liter Du Toitskloof Chenin Blanc has become a firm favourite amongst wine enthusiasts due to the wine being exactly the same as that in the 750ml bottle. The wine is well balanced and

Tagged With: best boxed white wine, du Toitskloofs Chenin Blanc, The Spit or Swallow Box Wine Awards

The definitive wine guide – Platter’s 2013

13 December, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

As synonymous with South African wine as the Western Cape itself, so too is the Platter’s Wine Guide. The 2013 edition is packed with information, happenings, trends and ratings of the South African wine industry. A new concept, ‘backstories’, aims to ‘‘put the romance back into wine”, by bringing to the foreground again the stories behind South Africa’s cellars, people and brands. This is further enhanced with the inclusion of the full-colour photo gallery, re-imagined by up-and-coming photographer, Teddy Sambu. Now in its 33rd edition, this is the trusted and definitive guide for both the connoisseur and plebian alike. It features over 900 South African wine producers, merchants and brands, including 54 new

Tagged With: Melck’s Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Muratie Estate, Platter's Wine Guide 2013, Superquaffer, Teddy Sambu, Wine, Wineries, ‘backstories’, ‘‘put the romance back into wine”

The Magic of the Melck’s and Muratie

30 November, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

The array of prestigious local and international awards won this year by Muratie Wine Estate underlines the significance of their recent rejuvenation. This included improved viticultural practices and the refashioning of the cellar, both to enhance the quality of their wines, yet at the same time adhering to the Melck family’s deep respect for the Estate’s rich heritage. Muratie is indeed steeped in history, reaching as far back as the 17th century, as one of the oldest wineries in the Cape Winelands. The Melck family has recently honoured the Estate’s fascinating history by naming Muratie’s Iconic Wines after extraordinary iconic characters from Muratie’s colourful past, each with its own enchanting story described on

Tagged With: 0218652330, melck, muratie, muratie wine estate, ronnie melck

Cape Wine 2012

18 September, 2012 by WotzUpPE Leave a Comment

Cape Wine, hosted by Wines of South Africa (WOSA), is back after four years with a significant commitment from producers keen to showcase the major advances in local winemaking to the international trade fraternity of wine buyers, restaurateurs, sommeliers and media. The three-day trade exhibition, to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from September 25 to 27, has already drawn strong support from two-thirds of the country’s winemakers, including the major corporates, independents and artisanal producers who have confirmed their participation. According to WOSA CEO Su Birch delegates will be coming from across Europe, the UK, North America, as well as Africa, Latin America, Hong Kong, China and

The Wine Show

7 June, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

The Wine Show is just around the corner kicking off tomorrow at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Top class exhibitors include Blaauwklippen, Diemersfontein, Gabriëlskloof, Raka, Simonsig Estate, The Winery of Good Hope and Topaz Wine Company. John Woodward, Director of The Wine Show has a great philosophy behind this successful event “Our aim at The Wine Show is to strip away the snobbery from wine and prove to visitors that you don’t need to be a connoisseur to enjoy a good glass of vino. In South Africa we are blessed with a multitude of local wines to suit every occasion, meal and mood.” The Wine Show Nelson Mandela Bay will once again give us the opportunity to sample a variety of wines from

Tagged With: Blaauwklippen, Diemersfontein, Gabriëlskloof, Nelson Mandella Bay Stadium, Raka, Simonsig Estate, The Wine Show, The Winery of Good Hope, Topaz Wine Company