Our Stories

A power surge suddenly propels us as our host grins and pushes the accelerator to the floor. Roadside scrub turns to blur as I return my gaze from the chrome-littered dash to the mountains on the other side of the windscreen.

This is a 1956 Cadillac Sedan De Ville, a car-about-town that’s arguably even more suave now than when issued as first of range to the head of General Motors South Africa.

With the beloved annual Constantia Fresh Festival not taking place this year due to safety protocols, the event owners have come up with a way to still celebrate the Constantia region’s fine cuisine and wines with 5 glorious food and wine dinners to be held in the valley’s best restaurants, on Friday 9 April 2021.

The world celebrates the Malbec grape on April 17, the 9^th occasion it has done so since the special day was inaugurated.

The point was initially to promote the Argentinian excellence with a variety that originated in south-west France but has become a star for the South Americans. It has subsequently become an opportunity across the world to cast light on the variety itself.

The story goes that this was the day in 1853 that Malbec was introduced in Argentina. When Phyloxera and later the devastating winter of 1956, struck in Europe, Argentinian wines soared. Especially Malbec thrived in the region and became the star.

Port producers worldwide have long despaired at the drain in worldwide sales. Enthusiasm for Portuguese variety wines however, has given wineries of the Klein Karoo a lift.

Everywhere, the world is re-discovering The Beatles wisdom that “all you need is love, love is all you need”.

This transformation amid tragedy that sees us draw loved ones closer may even conceivably consign the traditional day or month of love to the history books.

Nonetheless, it’s worth reflecting on a few of the many wineland love stories because after all, wine will continue to be love’s most faithful companion.

You may belong to the group who bounded into the New Year, resolving to enjoy a Dry January.

Or you may belong to a second group of South Africans, summoned to a family meeting by Uncle Cyril and unilaterally informed that you too would be practicing Dry January.

If you're longing for an adult beverage and an excuse to get out of the house, our wineries have responded with some delicious mocktails and mocktail and food pairings.

Durbanville’s wine route has a charm of its own; offering warm hospitality, a restaurant on most farms, a child-friendly atmosphere, a wide selection of wines and personal experiences, that keeps locals and visitors coming back again and again.

Durbanville local and the woman behind popular Facebook page 'What's On in Durbanville' takes us on a tour of the valley.

Vineyards are relatively new to the area by comparison to most others, but the region returned to the headlines since wineries officially established themselves under the banner of the Agulhas Wine Triangle last year. As for wineries, they’re spread far apart in this intriguing territory.

Over holidays the stretch of the R43 between its intersection with the N2 and the coast gets particularly busy as families head out to the favourites of Hermanus, Franskraal, De Kelders and Pearly Beach.

At these times, the R43 becomes its own de facto wine route - not by traditional evaluations of terroir or climate, but because of the many of these regions the road traverses. In this example, there are also several world-class wine experiences along the way too.

This then becomes the invitation not only to stock up for the coming weeks of relaxation, but to replenish the home cellar by filling the Ventertjie on the return trip.

One can hardly mention Darling without mentioning Evita Bezuidenhout, or Tannie Evita as she is affectionately known by South Africans. The former stateswoman owns the local railway station and has a whole boulevard in the quaint town named after her.

We sat down with a glass of her favourite wine, Groote Post Old Man's Red Blend, as she shared her recipe for that quintessentially Afrikaans confectionary, koeksisters, with us. Cheers skattie!

Of South Africa’s 23 wine and brandy routes, the Darling Wine Route is one of South Africa’s most charming enclaves. Besides its exquisite West Coast location and famed music festival, Darling draws oenophiles to the route, due to a bevy of reasons. We talk to Charles Withington, proprietor of Withington Wines and the Darling Wine Shop, about what not to miss when visiting this quaint little town.

In the Middle Ages wax seals were used to authenticate documents. South Africa’s own sustainability wine seal does a similar job. The seal guarantees that the information on the bottle label about the variety, vintage and origin of the wine is accurate and that the wine has been grown and made in an environmentally friendly way. To date, South Africa is the only country in the world with such an all-encompassing guarantee.