“OK, kids, in the car. We’re off winetasting.”

Dine in the Jordan maturation cellar, nestled between barrels and amphorae, as Chef Marthinus Ferreira makes his debut on the Estate with a series of exclusive dining experiences.

The Journal Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, a wine in the premium offering of Diemersdal Estate in Durbanville, won one of only 28 Gold medals awarded in the South African section of this year’s International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). This year’s judging of the IWSC’s Cape entries was done in South Africa, an ode to Johann Krige, co-owner of Kanonkop, who is this year’s IWSC chairman.

From low-end dives to high-end haunts, Cape Town is rife with brilliant bars. Walk a few blocks and you’ll run into a grungy dive, a pricey cocktail spot, or an overcrowded neighbourhood favourite. Triggered by an ongoing tech boom that has attracted an influx of high-income workers and supported seemingly endless construction, Cape Town has changed dramatically over the last two decades. The growth of the city has enabled a host of great drinking spots to open their doors, some of which aim to center South Africa’s remarkable producers of wine, beer, and spirits, while others express their local roots through the flavours and ingredients they employ.

Stellenbosch has been selected as the global meeting point this November for a prestigious, multi-disciplinary congress on Chenin Blanc, a grape variety regarded as key to the future of wine growing. One of the world’s most heat-tolerant and versatile cultivars, it is South Africa’s signature white wine grape. The country has more Chenin vines planted than the rest of the world combined, but Chenin’s birthplace is the Loire in France.

Two new distinctive flavour-forward Single Malt whisky’s, The Benriach Twelve and The Smoky Twelve are now available in South Africa from the Benriach Distillery, located in Speyside in Scotland. A new look for the Benriach brand coincides with the launch, inspired by the distillery’s creative heritage. 

The international recognition of Chardonnay as a leading South African wine offering received another boost at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, with Paul Clüver from Elgin being one of two Cape Chardonnays to receive a Platinum award and 97pt score at a show described as the world’s most influential wine competition. Paul Clüver Estate, a pioneer of viticulture and winemaking in the cool-climate Elgin region, received a Platinum award for its revered icon Seven Flags Chardonnay 2020, one of only five South African wines to stake a claim in the Platinum category.

Top Image: Owner Paul Cluver with Cellarmaster Andries Burger

Paul Clüver Wines, the pioneering Elgin estate owned and managed by the Clüver family, was one of the leading performers at this year’s Top 100 SA Wines/National Wine Challenge, delivering four Top 100 & Double Platinum awards with three Grand Cru National Champion Awards for wines adjudged Best in their Class. 

A Chenin Blanc wine made from a 56-year-old vineyard planted on the mountain vineyards of Chamonix Estate in Franschhoek achieved a 95pt Gold medal rating at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, one of the world’s most influential wine competitions. Chamonix Old Vine Steen 2021 led the way for the estate at this year’s Decanter Awards, which attracted over 18 200 entries from 54 countries.

De Wetshof’s Bateleur Chardonnay 2020, the flagship wine in the range from Chardonnay pioneering De Wetshof Estate in Robertson, is one of only five South African wines to receive Platinum status at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. The estate’s Bateleur achieved a 97pt rating at this influential wine competition, while De Wetshof’s The Site Chardonnay 2019 garnered 94pts.