“Who is this Cathy Marston?” asked Adi Badenhorst in reaction to Cathy’s maiden (ambiguity intentional) wine column in the Cape Times on Friday. Cathy and Stellekaya winemaker Ntsiki Biyela (the duo will alternate) have replaced JP Rossouw as the English language vinous voices of the mother city and in one column, Cathy has generated more controversy than JP did in an entire career. You go, girl!

This man is in Cathy's sights

While attacking coffee Pinotage is a bit like calling the Dutch soccer team zef (true but expected) proclaiming you don’t like Swartland reds is like trying to milk a sacred bull. For as Cathy points out, these wines are “punted by Platter and praised by Pendock, rated by Robert (Parker, that is) and raved over by Robinson (and that would be Jancis!) these are some of the most exclusive – and expensive – wines in South Africa today.” Joining in the game, one could say they are marveled at by Mr. Min, trumpeted by Tim and adored by Angela.

At lunch today with Peter Finlayson, the Professor of Pinot made the point that young SA winemakers make wine like they make love, thereby inadvertently putting his finger on the reason for much sighted enthusiasm for wines made by Swartland studs: sex appeal. As Mr. Min might say: testosterone trumps terroir.

Cathy’s timing was not the best as today an intriguing invitation clattered into my inbox. From Delana Sadie, sister to the Baby Jesus of SA wine (pace Anton Espost), it announces the launch of six ouwingerdreeks (old vineyard series) wines with evocatively zef names like Skurfberg, Kokerboom, ’T Voetpad, Mev. Kirsten, Pofadder and Eselshoek. The venue is the Royal Hotel in Riebeek-Kasteel, zef-central of the Swartland and it all happens on Women’s Day which is quite appropriate, really. Let’s hope that Cathy cracks an invitation.