With a distinctly warm, amber hue, TOOR, a new entrant onto the South African whisky scene, will release the first of a collective of whiskies set to challenge the whisky category.

Fueled by the thirsty and health-conscious citizens of South Africa, Flying Fish has added a third flavour to its Hard Seltzer range. Made with refreshing sparkling water and alcohol with a burst of bubbles and a dash of fruit juice, the new Flying Fish Seltzer Apple, is the first apple-flavoured Hard Seltzer in South Africa.

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

The spotlight fell squarely on the excellence and multi-generational consistency of Boplaas wines and spirits during the Calitzdorp Expressed Festival, this week. In a rarity, if not first, for the industry, father and son hosted separate master classes that highlighted Boplaas’ award-winning red wines and ports, founded by Carel Nel; and, whiskies, spearheaded by Carel’s son and sixth generation distiller, Daniel.

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.