Spice up your Life’ embarking on a journey of flavours and aromas as you discover Spice Route’s Spice Range of Wines featuring Saffron Rosé 2023, Tarragon Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023 (New Release) and Chakalaka Rhône-Style Red Blend 2021. This range of versatile food wines will add flair and flavour to any occasion just as spices add depth and dimension to a dish. Savour the artistry of wine and food harmony when you enjoy these wines with complementary cuisine. SPICE ROUTE SAFFRON ROSÉ 2023 New Vintage Release Retail Price: R150 Saffron is a dry barrel fermented Rosé made from low yielding Gre ..read more

Durbanville, South Africa, April 2024: Winemakers from South Africa’s premier cool-climate winemaking region of Durbanville will unveil the latest vintage of its collaborative Sauvignon Blanc within days – and it’s a keeper! As with its previous two iterations, the 2024 Durbanville Sauvignon Blanc pooled the champion talents of the region’s renowned wine growers and winemakers. As such, it has become a South African super Sauvignon Blanc with the 2024 release raising the bar yet again.   An optimal growing season ahead of harvest ensured fruit was at its very best. In turn, the wine not ..read more

With all eyes on Styria in Austria as host of the largest Sauvignon Blanc competition in the world from 18 to 20 April 2024, a rare treat awaits Sauvignon Blanc enthusiasts to taste award-winning Austrian wines on South African soil. On Friday 26 April, one day after the announcement of the winners of the 2024 Sauvignon Selection by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), Sauvignon Blanc South Africa will host an Austrian Sauvignon Blanc Feast at Kleine Zalze Vineyards in Stellenbosch from 17:00 until 19:30.   Enjoy a feast of wine, ‘brettljause’, and music Guests will be treated to Au ..read more

The Marine  Hotel in Hermanus will join forces with some of the region’s most prestigious wine estates to offer a series of gourmet wine and food dinners during the upcoming months. Head Chef Olof Vorster will prepare a special 5-course menu paired with wines to be presented by the winemaker at each event, hosted in The Origins Restaurant.   The series kicks off on Saturday 27 April with Idiom Wines, presented by winemaker Reino Thiart. The owners of Idiom, the Bottega family, are proud of their Italian heritage, which is celebrated in the Italian g ..read more

A cool growing season in the vineyards on Stellenbosch’s Helderberg, home of Alto Estate, resulted in immense concentration in the grapes harvested for the making of Alto’s Estate Blend from the 2022 vintage. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Shiraz (30%) and Cabernet Franc (10%), the Alto Estate Blend harnesses the three grape varieties for which Alto has become known since vineyards were first planted here over 100 years ago. According to Bertho van der Westhuizen, Alto’s winemaker, the Estate Blend captures the true essence of Alto’s distinctive terroir with each of the wine’s varietal c ..read more

Harvest-time is Mosbolletjie time and this year, La Motte makes even more of this iconic treat. Expect all that you love about these seasonal brioche-type buns, but now, other than being made with must (fermenting grape juice), the innovative baking team in the La Motte Bakery also uses a sweet sourdough culture! The result is a richer taste, a more generous size and in general, just more Mosbolletjie! Viticulture and the idea to use must as a raising agent, were introduced to the region when French Huguenot refugees settled in the Franschhoek Valley (1688). Mosbolletjies were typically made d ..read more

Dr Erna Blancquaert, 2023 honouree in the Viti- and Viniculture category; Carmen Stevens, 2022 recipient of the 1659 Award for Visionary Leadership; Cathy Marston, 2024 honouree in the Wine Advancement category; Dawid Saayman, 2024 honouree in the Viti- and Viniculture category; Norma Ratcliff, 2015 recipient of the 1659 Award for Visionary Leadership; Ilse Ruthford, 2024 honouree for Growing Inclusivity, Wendy Jonker, 2023 honouree in the Wine Advancement category. Back left to right: Rydal Jeftha, 2023 honouree for Growing Inclusivity; Jan Scannell, 2014 recipient of the 1659 Awar ..read more

The South African musical cast have been announced as part of a stellar line-up for FINDING THE LIGHT – AN EVENING WITH MUSICAL THEATRE STARS. The production offers audiences the chance to experience the exhilarating power of some of musical theatre’s best loved shows, with 100% of net proceeds going towards supporting the phenomenal work of the Kolisi Foundation. The organisation was set up by Siya and Rachel Kolisi in 2019 to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing South African communities. FINDING THE LIGHT – AN EVENING WITH MUSICAL THEATRE STARS is the culmination of a coordinated i ..read more

Harvest time is a very special season in the Winelands! It means early mornings in the vineyards and late nights in the cellar, but it comes with a contagious joy and it is the ideal time to enjoy the wonderful tastes and traditions of the harvest. Join us at La Motte for a Harvest Experience and share in the excitement of harvest time on a historic wine estate. Enjoy a tour of the vineyards and cellar and try fermenting grape juice from the tanks. Walk through the beautiful summer gardens to taste the estate’s latest vintages in the Historic Cellar and don’t leave without trying our famous se ..read more

The proud rooster which is the symbol of Le Chant Wines in Polkadraai, Stellenbosch began crowing earlier than usual this year as grape harvesting for the 2024 vintage kicked-off ten days earlier than the average. Grapes for Le Chant Blanc, made from Chenin Blanc, were already hitting the harvest bins at the end of January, while the picking of the melange of red varieties for Le Chant Rouge will also begin earlier than per normal. Petri Venter, winemaker at Le Chant which is owned by the French Oddo family who have substantial wine interests in Stellenbosch and Europe, says that after last ye ..read more