Category Archives: Stories
A final word from three legends stepping down as Members of the CWG
“It’s time I was on my way Thanks to you I’m much obliged For such a pleasant stay.” Jacques Borman (Boschkloof) quotes Led Zeppelin in the 2021 Nedbank CWG Auction catalogue as he takes the final bow this year with Jeff Grier (Villiera) and Jeremy Walker (Grangehurst) as Members of the Cape Winemakers Guild. These […]
Samantha O’Keefe and JD Pretorius make their CWG Auction debut
Wine has the profound quality of painting a picture of a place and of the person who had the foresight of producing something delicious from it for all to enjoy. Each member invited to join the Cape Winemakers Guild has their own story, and every wine they make builds on this ever-expanding quality unique to […]
Protégés share “sweet spot” to the heart of the young wine drinker
A relationship with quality wine is like a good friendship. There is never a dull moment and the more quality time invested in the relationship, the more you learn to understand and respect the delicate nuances. Plus, of course, your life is enriched because of it. As challenging and stringent the parameters of lockdown were […]
This is how we roll
Oaked, or unoaked, that is always the question, layered with a myriad of answers to help winemakers reach their intended flavour and structural destination. A maturation cellar stacked with oak barrels is a quintessential image that awaits you when visiting a wine estate. Just imagine the sweet-musty smell of an old cellar, the coolness and […]
A spectacle of characterful South African wines await
I clearly remember my first Nedbank CWG pre-auction tasting 15 years ago; the anticipation building as guests arrive in the tasting hall and the chattering growing louder as the room fills up with key role players in the wine industry. And then, as everyone took their seats, the room turned silent for the tasting to […]
Soil searching in the SA winelands
The intimate understanding of terroir begs the empathetic question: Do people care? Why break your head over sublayers of limestone if you know where to find a Chardonnay that consistently delivers on a creamy, citrusy mouthfeel? Or why be bothered about the amount of clay present in a vineyard site if you have a go-to […]
Auction Wines 2021
Ataraxia Under The Gavel Chardonnay 2020 100% Chardonnay Sourced from a single (now fully organically grown), cool, south-facing vineyard, this vin de terroir is made in an old, now seldom used, traditional “black” method – fruit that is vigorously, even harshly, worked; juice that is so excessively aerated that it turns a deep ebony colour at the […]
Auction Wines 2020
Ataraxia Under The Gavel Chardonnay 2019 100% Chardonnay Wine of Origin Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge Sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia in the Hemel- en-Aarde outside Hermanus. Minimalist winemaking and a sensitive wooding regime ensure the most accurate and intimate expression of site and place possible. Entirely fermented in small, tight-grained […]
Auction Wines 2019
Ataraxia Under The Gavel Chardonnay 2018 Once again sourced from a single, cool, south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia, located in the Hemel-en-Aarde outside the Atlantic coastal town of Hermanus. Painstaking fruit selection at harvest was followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented entirely in small, tight-grain French oak barrels, custom ordered […]
Auction Wines 2018
Ataraxia Under The Gavel Chardonnay 2017 Once again, sourced from a single south-facing vineyard on The Skyfields, home to Ataraxia, located in the Hemel-en-Aarde outside the Atlantic coastal town of Hermanus. Fruit selection at harvest was painstaking, followed by an extreme non-interventionist winemaking approach. Fermented in small, tight-grained French oak barrels, custom ordered from selected […]
Auction Wines 2017
AA Badenhorst Family Wines Chase The Spice Swartland Shiraz Fermented in concrete tanks Winemaker: Adi Badenhorst Price raised per case 6 x 750ml or equivalent Highest: R 4 800.00 Lowest: R 2 000.00 Average: R 2 963.00 Packaging Bottle Size 750ml Case Size: 6 x 750ml Cases Produced: 86 Cases Auctioned 60 Analysis Alc: 12.50 vol% RS: 1.70 g/l TA: 6.50 g/l pH: 3.70 Adi Badenhorst & […]