Top image: Erica Crawford, Loveblock Vineyards in New Zealand.

With the first Sauvignon Blanc Wine Tasting Test Match between South Africa and New Zealand poised on a knife edge, South Africa put in a superb showing in the final rounds, winning this unique competition with an average score of 90.4/100pts to the Kiwis’ 89.4/100. It was New Zealand, however, who produced the top scoring wines of the day with its Villa Maria Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2020 and Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc 2020 topping the score-sheets with ratings of 93.4/100 and 93/100 respectively. South African winery Stark-Conde from Stellenbosch put in the best showing by a Cape wine with a commendable 92.8/100.

Featured image: Emile Joubert, from team South Africa.

Wine history will be made next week when South Africa and New Zealand square-up in the first Southern Sauvignon Blanc Encounter in Cape Town which sees the two countries’ best Sauvignon Blanc wines being judged to determine which nation can claim to be the king of this universally popular white grape.

The second vintage of Diemersdal’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc made on New Zealand’s South Island has landed in South Africa to give local wine-lovers a taste of the exuberant flavour spectrum offered by Sauvignon Blancs made in the Land of the Long White Cloud and for which the Kiwis have become world famous. 

Vintage 2020 in Marlborough, New Zealand is being described as a clean, disease-free harvest delivering “stunning flavours” in this region’s world-famous Sauvignon Blanc wines. A batch of these will be shipped to South Africa later this year under the Diemersdal Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc label, the second year this Durbanville estate will be introducing South African wine-lovers to the marvels of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

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: Thys Louw

Amarone della Valpolicella comes from a small part of Italy's Veneto region, but it's made friends around the world, as Alfonso Cevola reports.

The Ribera del Duero producer moves into Rioja and looks further afield, as demand for its wine outstrips supply.

Interest in the magazine's top-rated wines has risen and prices are likely to follow.

Today marks the remarkable rebirth of a grape that was thought to have been lost for more than a century.