After a rather fraught train trip from Exeter because our train tickets did not work, we arrived in London Fortunately, no one scanned them! Getting from Paddington Station to our District Line Tube platform was horrendous, dragging cases and ourselves up and down endless staircases, thankfully being assisted by other passengers Apparently, we were directed to the wrong route and there is a lift We arrived exhausted at the home of our friend Angela in Wimbledon We spent the evening catching up on our trip and on Angela's, she had just returned from Oman  Sorting out breakfast the ne ..read more

An invitation from Flagstone Wines in Somerset West to an exclusive celebration in honour of Flagstone’s remarkable achievements this year This gave us a chance to connect with head winemaker Gerhard Swart again, as we keep seeing him at wine competitions They have not had an event at the cellar for quite a while Other media and trade were also invited to this celebration, as were the members of Flagstone's Wine Club The tasting room and a glass of their brand new 2021 Cap Classique  The tasting room was filling up with arrivals Music was provided by Carla Strokes on Sa ..read more

After the Anniversary celebrations, we moved to our cousins Rick and Mary's new ground floor flat in Exmouth on the Exe estuary for a few days Their current house in Clyst St George is only a short drive away Lovely views across the estuary when the tide is in Looking across at the hills too We think this boat has seen better days. You can see Exeter in the far distance The three family dogs were in their element having such a wonderful place to run and chase balls They have a lovely view of Lympstone Manor, the home of famous chef Michael Caines MBE The chef/patron of this luxury hote ..read more

And so began our epic journey to the UK. We were going for a celebration of a long and happy marriage We had been invited by Lynne's cousins Rick and Mary Pratt to celebrate their 60th Wedding anniversary in Devon And, generously, they funded our trip which, after a very hard year for us, was such a joy and a relief and an uplift We booked on Emirates via Dubai as it is very economical A change of bank for Lynne has meant that we have lounge access, a very welcome addition So we celebrated with a glass of Simonsig Cap Classique, one of our favourites When Lynne booked the flights ..read more

This has been a marathon. A large number of stories to write and edit in between visits to doctors and hospital, conducting tours and a myriad other obligations. So we have twelve stories for you, some longer than others and mostly about events in the South African wine industry. And we have managed to complete them in time for boarding a plane to England, where we will visit friends and, most importantly, attend a very special family function. Enjoy the stories and we’ll be in touch again on our return Sunday Pinot noir tasting at Strauss Auctioneers On a Sunday afternoon in late August,&n ..read more

A rare event for us in 2024; the 2024 Veritas Awards dinner at the CTICC The invitation said "Strictly black tie" and many of the men did, indeed, wear suits with black neckties with a reasonable number in proper evening gear, but it was disturbing to note how few had polished their shoes The women, naturally, were beautifully, mostly glamorously, turned out. The men need to polish their act Dr Winifred Bowman CWM, Wosa CEO Siobhan Robinson,  Kendra Robinson, Neil Pendock Lynne in her finery, looking suitably glamorous Glasses of good local Cap Classiques served to keep us hydrate ..read more

  One of the best and most experienced representatives  in the business, Michelle Stewart and her daughter Kirsten have an impressive list of wines and showed them at Judd's Local in Kloof Street The Extreme Team - Michelle and Kirsten Stewart and Harry  Zelda Fox, winemaker at Charles Fox  We tasted and enjoyed the Reserve Rosé Cap Classique, a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier Lovely red berry fruit, crisp and lively with long flavours Hier wines are from the farm Rivergold in Bonnievale and are made by Entrepreneur and Cape Wine Master Jaco Pienaar on Lourens van ..read more

John Collins has hosted his wine trade show at Den Anker in the Waterfront for several years It is a very popular venue for the event with superb Belgian canapés and even a refreshing Belgian beer on tap for the thirsty Jeanette Bruwer and Heike of the Orange guest house with the new Crisp and well made Springfield Garuzis MCC with her niece Jenna Bruwer-Kruger and Miquelle Scheepers showcasing the Springfield wines showing the rest of the Springfield range We love tasting the two Springfield Sauvignons Blanc and, this year, they did not disappoint Life from Stone 2024 is a timeless ..read more

Lynne caught up with Johan Bongani Olivier at the John Collins tasting and he asked her if we would like to join him and his partner at this recital  Diemersfontein hosts a market on Sunday mornings so we enjoyed a pie and a glass of chenin blanc before moving to the manor house for the recital Daniel Conradie and Johann Bongani Olivier who were kind enough to drive us there and back David Sonnenberg presented the performers to the audience Sopranos: Zizhipo Funzo, Molly Dzangare  Tenor: Mkhanyiseli Dyantyi  Baritone: Themba Mdlalose  Pianist and musical director ..read more

After an early start, we arrived at 9 am the Lord Charles Hotel's Conference Centre in Somerset West  Registering at the entrance CWG General manager Kate Jonker with two visitors Breakfast and an aromatic side and socialising over breakfast The "backroom girls" who keep track of the bidding and register the bidders A room for informal tasting of the wines being auctioned Erika Overmeyer with two of the Elsenburg final year students pouring the wines Abrie Beeslaar (Beeslaar and Kanonkop), Pieter Ferreira (Graham Beck), Frans Smit (Spier), Sebastian Beaumont (Beaumont) Samanta O ..read more