We have been so excited to launch our all-new Sir David Graaff, First Baronet of Cape Town 2013 red blend. This premium wine is a wonderful addition to our offering, and a highly-collectible, says De Grendel cellarmaster Charles Hopkins. But what really makes a wine collectible, and whats the difference between a delicious bottle of red that comes with a R70 price tag compared to one that clocks in at over R1 000?

Is it oaked?

The most desired wines in the world age their wines in oak. The process ads “flavours” to the wine and exposes it to oxygen. “Oxygen does some amazing stuff to wine: the tannins become less intense and the taste of the wine becomes smoother. Since oxygen permeates through the barrels, some of the wine inside also evaporates at a rate of about 2% per year. This evaporation is called the ‘angel’s share’ but the result is that the wine in the barrel tastes more concentrated,” explains WineFolly. Regarding the First Baronet, “the wine spends 20 to 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels,” says Hopkins.