Pinot Noir has never been the obvious grape for South Africa. It makes up only a small part of the national vineyard, and compared with varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, there simply isn't very much of it around. There's a good reason for that. Pinot Noir is notoriously particular about where [...]
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South African Pinot Noir: What to Drink
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La Figuera: Sindicat Montsant
Venus ‘Sindicat La Figuera Vi Sec’ Garnatxa 2023 begins with an entire village. La Figuera sits high above Montsant in Catalunya, at approximately 575 metres above sea level. The village is surrounded by old Garnatxa vineyards and looks across the neighbouring hills of Priorat. It is a cooler, windier part of the region, producing a [...] More -
Eulogio Pomares: One Winemaker, Two Views of Galicia
For Eulogio Pomares, Galicia cannot be explained through one grape or one denomination. At Bodegas Zárate, he works within a family estate whose history in the Val do Salnés stretches back for centuries. Through Fento Wines, the project he established with his wife, Rebeca Montero, he looks further afield, working with different vineyards, growers and [...] More -
Alsace: Julien Schaal’s 2024 Grand Cru Rieslings
Say “Riesling” and one question usually follows: is it sweet? Sometimes. But not here. The new Julien Schaal releases are dry Alsace Grand Cru Rieslings built around freshness, acidity and the character of three very different vineyards. They are also an excellent reminder that Riesling is not one fixed style. It can be fine and [...] More -
De Keur Grenache | The Third Vintage
'De Keur' Grenache 2024 “Die een se dood is die ander se brood.” One person’s loss is another’s bread. It is an Afrikaans saying that neatly explains how the Grenache vineyard came to be planted on De Keur farm in the Koue Bokkeveld. In 2015, David and Jeannette Clarke identified what they believed could be [...] More -
Trizanne has some Serious Signature Wines | Seascape release 2026
Every year, Trizanne Barnard spends months walking vineyards, tasting berries and asking the same question: Can this be better? Sometimes that means changing how a wine is made. Sometimes it means changing a vineyard. And sometimes it means finding a wine that simply has to become part of the collection. This year, that wine is [...] More -
Tim Atkin | South Africa Report 2026
Tim Atkin MW’s annual South Africa Special Report has landed, bringing fresh attention to the people, places and wines shaping the country’s wine industry. Scores never tell the whole story, but they can put deserving wines in front of a much wider audience. For independent producers working with distinctive vineyards, often in small quantities, that [...] More -
Second Labels by Great South African Winemakers
“Second label” is useful shorthand. It is also slightly misleading. The phrase can make a wine sound like the leftovers from a grander bottle: the fruit that did not make the cut, wearing a "cheaper jacket". That is not what is happening with wines such as Van Loggerenberg’s Break A Leg, Trizanne Barnard’s TSW range, [...] More -
South African Wine Grapes: 10 Varieties You Need to Know
South Africa’s vineyards are home to a remarkably diverse range of grape varieties, shaped by more than 360 years of winemaking history and one of the most varied wine landscapes in the world. From old bush vines growing in the dry soils of the Swartland to Cabernet Sauvignon planted on the slopes of Stellenbosch and [...] More -
3 x 97 Points from Van Loggerenberg Wines 2025
As Lukas van Loggerenberg reflects on his tenth vintage under his own label, it is not the milestone itself that stands out, but the sense of privilege that accompanies it. Privilege to work with extraordinary old vineyards. Privilege to learn from the families who have farmed them for generations. And privilege, above all, to continue [...] More