From someone who has perhaps thrown more than his fair share of brickbats at SAA, a bouquet. At Food|Wine|Design, SAA are showcasing four wines that performed at their annual tasting of 1017: from Saronsberg a red, from Villiera a bubbly, from DGB a white and from Boplaas a Port. The entire R25 tasting fee is donated to an Elim clinic for rehabilitation of substance abusers. You rock, SAA!

SAA wine selection has long been seen as a gravy train for fat cats in bow ties in the days when the Wine Lizard would take a posse off to Paris and Reims (shamefully, including yours truly) to choose grower Champagnes you’ve never heard of for service in First and Business. Of course the fatal flaw in this reptilian plan was that folks flying at the pointy end don’t give a fig for flavour. They drink brands.

Still the Lizard made another nice living out of the gig while it lasted and could also import wine identities for his annual Wine ExperienceTM at the Hyatt Hotel using SAA largesse. Brilliant.

At last a little humility has returned to SAA and they should be commended for that.