Org de Rac, the leading organic wine farm in South Africa’s acclaimed Swartland region, has furthered its commitment to offering an organically pure wine proposition by using a revolutionary natural product allowing Org de Rac to offer wines made without any added sulphur. Red Dawn’s RDNT Genesis tannin, a South African product made from indigenous honey-bush plants, eliminates the need for sulphur additions due to its natural anti-oxidant properties and has been used on experimental batches of Org de Rac wine since the 2019 harvest.

Top image: Provisional board members of the new Roodezandt. From left: Francois Naudé, Abé Rossouw, CEO and cellar master, Ben Kriel, chairman and Charl du Toit, vice-charman.

The crystal ball has been gazed into. My personal witch-doctor cast his impressive selection of dry mammal bones, the arrangement of their falling allowing vast insights both spiritual and practical. And hundreds of blogs, tweets and perceptively penned missives, anticipating what 2020 shall hold for the wine industry, have been read. Here’s what we are in for, amigos:

Mountain Ridge Wines, one of the most established wineries in the Cape’s Breedekloof wine region, celebrates its 70^th anniversary this year as an integral part of the South African wine industry’s quest for growth in terms of value and quality wine exports. Mountain Ridge is home to the De Liefde, Jail Break, Mountain Ridge and Romansrivier wine ranges. 

Sauvignon Blanc specialist Diemersdal Wine Estate in Durbanville has added a newcomer to its range of wines, this one originating from the famed Marlborough wine region on New Zealand’s South Island. The Diemersdal Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 was made in Marlborough situated some 11 000kms from Diemersdal’s winery, and it is being offered as a wine representing owner-winemaker Thys Louw’s vision of harnessing a diverse range of exceptional Sauvignon Blanc styles under the Diemersdal label.

Top image: Schalk-Willem Joubert, 2^nd from right, winemaker and MD of Pink Valley, with owners Pascal Oddo, left, Lorraine Oddo and Bertrand Otto.

Top image: Wim Truter

Wim Truter is to join Meerlust Estate as Head Winemaker/Manager. He becomes the third winemaker on this renowned Stellenbosch estate which dates to 1693 and has been owned by the Myburgh family since 1756.

Top image: Diemersdal owner-winemaker Thys Louw (middle) with Christo Pienaar (left) from the SA National Wine Show and Juandré Bruwer, Diemersdal winemaker.

Kanonkop Wine Estate in Simonsberg, Stellenbosch has won the coveted Warren Winiarski Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London. The winning wine, Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, not only affirms this property as an international leader in the making of classic red wines, but also as a New World property whose wines have the ability to grow in stature as they tick-off years in the bottle.

Top image: Danie Nel from Boplaas Estate, named the best producer.

South Africa’s oldest wine estate, Groot Constantia, and the renowned Boplaas Estate in the Klein Karoo walked off with the laurels in the wine section of this year’s Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards, the largest drinks competition on the African continent.