What I Drank Last Night

Auctions are theoretically the best way of establishing the true market value of whatever is up for sale so what to make of turnover at the 26th annual Cape Winemakers Guild Auction completed on Saturday  coming in at R3 867 200, down 25% on 2009, which saw the highest ever sales in the auction’s history [...]

The worldwide surface area planted to Shiraz vines has gone from less than 10 000 hectares in the early 1980s to more than 150 000 hectares in 2007/2008, according to Lynne  Sheriff MW, speaking at the 2010 La Motte Shiraz Experience yesterday. Who’s going to buy the stuff ? is the question because as Sherriff [...]

A rare night out for darling and me on Thursday. After attending RMB WineX at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, we headed with intent for Bizerca Bistro and some of chef Laurent Deslandes delicious grub. For mains, darling chose the rabbit fricassee and I ordered chicken jambonnette. Something medium bodied and fresh to drink. [...]

We all know Spain won the World Cup this time around, and Italy won it in Germany four years ago. But who were the runners up? Holland will be remembered as 2010 losers and I can just about recall that Germany and Uruguay were in the play-off for third place this year but I have [...]

The 36th Nederburg Auction takes place on 3 and 4 September and organisers Distell are apparently confident that they can reverse the negative trends that the event has shown in recent years: despite a decline in total auction sales every year since 2005, there will be more wine on offer in 2010 than there has [...]

Yesterday was spent writing introductions for the 2011 edition of Platter’s including that for Calitzdorp winery Axe Hill now owned by Johannesburg businessman Mike Neebe but originally founded by the late Tony Mossop, Cape Wine Master and renowned wine commentator. Mossop was panel chairman at WINE magazine when I started out there, and a big [...]