South African Wine Cellar

20/02/2023

20/02/2023

ꜱᴏᴜᴛʜ ᴀꜰʀɪᴄᴀɴ ᴡɪɴᴇ ᴄᴇʟʟᴀʀ ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ ᴅɪɴɴᴇʀ

28 February 2023 @ 7pm

Join us on this exclusive pairing dinner curated by South-African Wine-Cellar and specially created menu by Chef Zoel.

Hurry as tickets are selling fast ⚡⚡⚡

*𝘓𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 20 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴

23/12/2022

We’re in the spirit of giving this Festive Season!!
So hop onto our site to take advantage of our discount promotion on all our wines 🍷✨
www.southafricanwinecellar.com


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14/09/2022

Looking to introduce more eonophiles to Meinert wines in Singapore. 🍷

17/06/2022

Harvest 2022 Featuring Meinert Wines

Meinert is a small premium producer, whose commercial production only began in 1997, and located in the picturesque Devon Valley within the Stellenbosch Region of the Western Cape of South Africa. Martin Meinert, original owner, farmer and winemaker, is behind multiple award winning wines over the last 30 years, that are extraordinarily special, including the highly rated Synchronicity, Merlot and Printer’s Ink Pinotage.

Martin Meinert’s first appointment was as assistant winemaker at Simonsig Estate from 1984 to 1986 after which he left to travel extensively for the love of wine. In 1992 he worked at Chateau Lafite Rothschild in the Medoc, and in 1994 at Los Vascos in Chile. Over the years, he returned to California, France and Australia several times and has also visited Portugal, Argentina and Italy.

The distinctive Meinert labels have their origin in the colours of the Devon Crest vineyard: red-brown soils, dark green vine leaves and the sky overhead. The handwriting is that of winemaker Martin Meinert, who feels that his boutique style wines should have a distinctive personal stamp. With only 80,000 bottles produced annually, every blend is personal and has its own characteristic appeal.

Here the video illustrating the destemming machine, which removes the stems from the grape clusters and lightly crushes the grapes. Although not typically normal for red wine, once crushed, the grapes are transferred into a press, where grapes are pressed to extract the juice and leave behind the grape skins. The pure juice is then transferred back into tanks where fermentation will begin.

Meinert wines are truly special and do not fail to surprise and should have a space reserved in every wine collection.



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10/06/2022

Harvest 2022 Featuring Bosman Family Vineyards

The 1st Generation of the Bosman family settled on the farm in 1798. Now in its 8th generation of winemaking, it has made social responsibility its core value. The farm produces wines for the local and export market, and is home to one of the most influential vine nurseries in Africa.

From extending ownership through a workers’ trust, to spearheading social projects in the farm community, Bosman Family Vineyards has long been a pioneer in uplifting the local wine industry with its innovative model that weaves environmental and social responsibility into the fabric of the business.

In 2008, a landmark joint venture between Bosman Family Vineyards and the Adama Workers Trust saw the formation of the biggest Black Economic Empowerment deal in the South African wine industry to date, with eligible workers receiving co-ownership of 430ha of farming land. Many of the 260 full-time workers on the estate are from 5th generation families who together own 26% of the business. This has made them our ideal partner & we are proud to represent them.

For this years harvest, during March, a bunch of special friends & extended family were invited and gathered at the Bosman farm in Wellington to pick the Nero d’Avola grape, a one-of-a-kind Sicilian grape grown exclusively by the Bosman Family in South Africa. It was all hands-on deck as the group scavenged for the heavy bunches of dark red grapes, learning all about optimum ripeness and vineyard management. Following this once-in-a-lifetime-experience, the group headed back down the mountain to the cool cellar to see the grapes being sorted, destemmed and crushed, and a quick trip past fermenting tanks, before gathering in the 270-year-old barrel cellar, where they could indulge in the 2021 vintage directly from the barrel,
and then enjoy more of the previous vintages, including other Bosman wines.

We look forward to what this years marvel has in store for us in future. Feel free to sample some bottles we already have in stock.



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07/06/2022

Harvest 2022 Featuring Opstal Estate

Opstal Estate’s rich history dates back to 1847 when JC Rossouw acquired the farm De Opstal bij de Fonteine. Which, to date is under the current family operational duo of Zak and Attie Louw, who are the 7th generation descendants of JC ‘Lang Jan’ Rossouw.

Opstal Estate is situated at the foot of the Slanghoek mountains in the heart of the breathtakingly beautiful Slanghoek Valley on the Breedekloof Wine Route. This is approximately just over an hour drive outside Cape Town, where you'll be enchanted with hospitality, friendliness and award -winning wines. I mean it's known as Chenin Blanc Country.

With 3rd generation families living and working on the farm, it's no wonder Opstal Estate have pretty much refined harvesting to an art. Opstal also employs the process of both manually cutting grapes via sheers or by harvest machine. Here we see Zak using the harvest machine to pick the grapes at different times of the day, which will be determined on the most optimum levels they require the grapes sugar levels. As efficient as the harvest machine might be, there is a draw back in using it. It has difficulties in distinguishing between ripe, healthy grapes and unripe or rotted bunches which must still be sorted out at the winemaking facility.

For simplicity, the basic vine to wine harvest process includes the following.
Pick the grapes --> Crush the grapes --> Ferment the grapes into wine --> Age the wine --> Bottle the wine

Watch the video on the next post for more details.



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Opstal Estate & Restaurant Wine Theatre - Zaine Pritchard

03/06/2022

Featuring Benguela Cove Estate

For most of South African wineries, harvest season is pretty much complete. You can expect to have some vintages being bottled and released pretty soon. We wanted to show you some highlights of what transpired behind the scenes from our wineries.

For one Benguela Cove Estate lies in Walker Bay wine region, which is located in the Western Cape, between Cape Town and Hermanus. The estate boasts the longest stretch of ocean facing vineyards (2.6km), grown at the lowest altitude (2.7m above sea level). The estate is planted with a variety of red and white wine cultivars, as well as various clones thereof to create a diverse winemaking canvas. Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate is also a leading South African ecotourism wine destination, located in the UNESCO designated Kogelberg Biosphere. World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has awarded the estate the top award for excellence.

The Estate uses a combination of picking grapes by hand and also using the grape harvesting machine, as seen in the video. Typically this process will start very early in the morning before sunrise, as to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Picking the grapes when they are cold, helps concentrate the aromas and flavours. Cool fruit means better control over the fermentation process. You’re looking for crispness and aroma – especially important for white wines.

Here we have the Grape Harvester, which works by driving over each individual row of vines. Bow-like rubber rods shake the vines to drop the fruit. The grape clusters are dropped into conveyor belts and emptied into onboard storage bin, before they are unloaded into large crates or containers, where they'll sent to be sorted between ripe, healthy, unripe or rotted grapes at the winemaking facility. Operating this machine is no easy feat, as the Grape Harvester has to be continuously adjusted for the changing slope & variable size of the vines.



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29/04/2022

Happy International Viognier Day!!

Drink in the perfume of wine!!


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27/04/2022

Viognier (“Vee-own-yay”)

The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown, however folk tale has it that it originated in Dalmatia, which is present day Croatia. It was then brought to Rhône (France) by the Romans around 281 AD. Viognier was once fairly common however in 1965, the grape was almost extinct. A source reported that only eight acres of the grape were planted in Northern Rhône, producing just 1,900 litres of wine at that time. And in the mid 80's, records show that there were only 80 acres planted in the entire world. The popularity and price of the wine have risen, and the number of plantings has increased worldwide.

Charles Back of Fairview in Paarl was a driving force in the introduction of Viognier to South Africa. The first plant material was imported into South Africa in 1989 and Back became the first producer to plant and release a Viognier labelled wine in the 1990s. The variety has nevertheless been planted in all the wine producing regions of South Africa, with Paarl accounting for the biggest area under production, followed by the Swartland and Stellenbosch.

Viognier is known for those individuals who love to stop and smell the flowers. Viognier is a typically rich, oily floral white wine. Viognier ranges in taste from lighter flavours of tangerine, mango and honeysuckle to creamier aromas of vanilla and exotic spices. If you're a fan of Chardonnay, you'll definitely love Viognier, which is a bit more gentle on the acidity, and expressive on floral notes. Swipe right and have a look the Viognier profile, and our suggested food pairings.

It is sold as a single varietal wine or blended with other red or white varieties, such as Chardonnay or Syrah/Shiraz. We've selected 4 bottles within our range that express Viognier the best, so go on and try them out.



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17/04/2022

We at South African Wine Cellar would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter!!



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16/04/2022

Tomorrow is World Malbec Day!

Argentina’s most important variety Malbec. Before Argentina took on Malbec, it was just a minor grape in South-West France. Today, Malbec makes up three quarters of Argentina’s vineyards and is spread throughout the world, including South Africa.

Malbec wines are loved for their rich, dark fruit flavors and smooth chocolatey finish. Single-varietal Malbec wines are tasty, but be sure to try a Malbec blend with Cabernet Sauvignon. Malbec is a blending grape for typical styled Bordeaux Blends.

We've prepared a taste profile for Malbec, along with some suggested wines from our cellar. Go on and try either of our Benguela Cove "Collage" Blend or Avondale "La Luna" Blend or both 😊🍷



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14/04/2022

We're proud to have this in our wine cellar! Grab your bottle soonest to taste this highly rated wine!!

Be sure to grab a bottle of one of the Top 20 Wines in South Africa!

Carmen Stevens Sauvignon Blanc 2019

A wine with an inviting summer expression on the nose. Fresh on the palate with a great depth of fruit and a lasting finish, which is true to the Sauvignon Blanc varietal.

Available from our cellar door and online shop:

www.carmenstevenswines.co.za

OR

Visit The Wine Arc:

Corner of Helshoogte Road & R44, Stellenbosch,7599

www.thewinearc.co.za

01/04/2022

Harvesting Season in South Africa is currently in full steam mode and has already passed the halfway mark.

The harvest season typically falls between February & April in the Southern Hemisphere and August & October in the Northern Hemisphere. With various climate conditions, grape varieties, and wine styles the harvesting of grapes could happen in every month of the calendar year somewhere in the world.

After a slower start this season in South Africa due to cooler weather, which led to late ripening, predictions are that the crops will yield smaller quantities than 2021, but higher than the 5 year average. The coastal regions are close to harvesting their last grapes, while most of the inland regions have passed the halfway mark. Whilst with improvement of technology over the years, a lot of the wineries still hand-pick their grapes and others opting for machines or a combination of both.

Early in the season each winery will typically undergo a crop forecast, which is essential in determining the expected volume of grapes per vineyard and the total yield of the farm, in order to determine the number of workers needed to bring in the harvest.

It will also help to plan the cost of the harvest and possible income. In addition, the crop forecast helps the winemaker to plan their wine-making and marketing of the wines. The best way to determine a crop forecast is to count the number of grape bunches per vine. Wine grapes are harvested at a predetermined sugar:acid ratio using a refractometer, depending on the end product and wine style required. The sugar:acid ratio is the amount of sugar and acid in grapes and an indication of ripeness. Other ripeness indicators are: Sugar level, acidity, colour, flavour development and pH level.

Keep tuned as we show some content from our wineries during the harvest season.



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31/03/2022

A woman who has built her business empire from the ground up, with no handouts, generational wealth, bank loans nor investors. Having lived in a homeless shelter at a young age to being one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in South Africa & the United Kingdom. A true champion for her employees and women in business. She's continuously held her candle high, shining on to others in the dark, uplifting & helping those who have faced difficult challenges.

Meet Penny Streeter OBE, CEO of A24 Group and Benguela Collection. A24 Group, a medical staffing company that she founded in 1996 and Benguela Collection, which is a wine and hospitality group, that includes Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate in South Africa, and Mannings Heath Golf & Wine Club and Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens in the UK.

Her many accolades include being awarded Business Woman of the Year in 2019 and notably in 2006, Penny was honoured by the Queen of England, with the title of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for "Services to Enterprise".

Benguela Cove wines have recently been accredited as standout performers, in the ninth annual South Africa Special Report compiled by leading UK wine writer Tim Atkin MW and released on September 10th, 2021. Medals of Excellence were awarded for all seven of its entries for the second consecutive year with each wine achieving 90 or more points out of 100. We'd suggest to go onto to our site and try out some of these outstanding wines.

Read more on Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate and Penny Streeter OBE on our site.
https://southafricanwinecellar.com/bengula-cove/


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30/03/2022

Trailblazer, leader amongst her peers, leveller, relentless, non-conformist and ground breaker, would be some of the traits we would describe this amazing Woman!!

Her name is Carmen Stevens, who is the wine owner for namesake brand. She's been through it all, and the woman who carved the landscape in wine industry, for both men & women of colour in South Africa. Credited as the first woman of colour on the continent to qualify as a winemaker, she knows no bounds and has been instrumental in fighting for change, equality, representation and inclusivity in the industry.

Rejected during apartheid in studying winemaking from University of Elsenburg not once but three times in 90, 91 & 92; eventually she had enough of their rejections, challenged the system and successfully was admitted in 1993 and qualified in 1995, which was a first in the country and Africa! This is one of the many reasons that have made her resilient and determined in helping shape the landscape and for others. Till this day she feels that her journey isn't complete and there is so much more to still do.

Her winemaking philosophy captured through her wines, have had remarkable success, with many accolades and awards.

Read more on her story here…
https://southafricanwinecellar.com/carmen-stevens/

Find some of her wine collection on our website, showcasing why she is one of the best!



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29/03/2022

It's an honour to work with female wine owner Ntsiki Biyela from Aslina Wines.

From humble beginnings growing up in a rural village in South Africa and also working as a domestic helper, there's nothing that could stop her ambitions, and one day realising those dreams. As the stars aligned, they brought us the first black winemaker in Africa, who had never tasted wine prior to studying winemaking.

Her beloved grandmother was the guiding light in her life and it became obvious that her new brand should be named Aslina in the Matriarch’s honour. Her winemaking philosophy drew upon earlier experiences of harvest in Tuscany and Bordeaux, where she discovered a close affinity with nature that rekindled her own deep connection with the soil growing up in KwaZulu-Natal.

From being invited to make a wine for The Winemakers’ Collection in France, an opportunity afforded to a handful of winemakers from around the world, to her latest prestigious 2021 accolade in receiving the Diversity and Transformation award for her pioneering work in the industry in South Africa, she's clearly paving the way for others by eliminating barriers and setting an example to inspiring others.

Read more about her story here.
https://southafricanwinecellar.com/aslina-wines/

Here is some of her wine collection we stock. Go on and get a bottle to indulge in her craft.


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28/03/2022

Introducing Nondumiso Pikashe from Ses'fikile Wines.

Ses'fikile wines are rare, fine blends. The quality of the grape is their priority. Ses’fikile, which means “We have arrived” in Zulu, came about after her and a group of women decided to reinvent themselves and founded a wine company. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered how difficult & resource intensive the wine industry is, and after some demoralising failures, she set about further pursuing the prospect on her own.

Nondumiso's profession was a teacher for about 11 years, until she decided she should break the mold and in 2004 her entrepreneurial spirit took over, and she set about a drastic change, venturing into a world she had never interacted before. Simply she wanted to disprove the contentious quote "Those who can, do and those that can't teach.

Read more on her journey on this link...
https://southafricanwinecellar.com/sesfikile-wines/



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28/03/2022

Introducing our Female Wine Owners.

March is synonymous with International Women's Day. However, we feel that the whole of March should be in fact a month to celebrate women from their diverse backgrounds, continuous battles, innovation, rise to success and achievements. It should be a call to action for empowerment, recognition, representation and bridging the gap, so future generations so don't have to go through unnecessary similar challenges.

It is one of the significant reasons why we at South African Wine Cellar chose these wineries, to represent them on the Global map. We seek to do more in future and ensure that the wine industry successes is contributed on their adversities, sacrifices & resilience.

Please join me in introducing,
Carmen Stevens from Carmen Stevens Wines
Ntsiki Biyela from Aslina Wines,
Penny Streeter OBE from Benguela Cove Estate and
Nondumiso Pikashe from Ses'fikile Wines.

4 Days remaining in March and we will be show casing their wines to celebrate some of the women in the wine industry in South Africa.



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13/03/2022

Happy International Riesling Day

Riesling is an aromatic white wine grape variety that yields a floral white wine with fruit flavors. Quality examples abound in Alsace, which was once part of Germany. Here, the wines are typically richer and more generous than their German counterparts. Fine Rieslings are also produced in Austria, as well as New Zealand, South Africa and, famously, Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys. Common characteristics of Riesling wines include light body and aromas of citrus, stone fruit, white flowers, and petrol. Due to its naturally high acidity, Riesling is one of the most popular varieties used to produce late harvest wines.

Some older Riesling wines can smell like gasoline, kerosene, or even burnt rubber. For less experienced tasters, that aroma can be off-putting enough to make the entire experience unpleasant. In fact, the scent of petrol signifies that a bottle of Riesling is of higher quality than most Riesling with more pleasant aromas, because all the factors that lead to the scent of gasoline in Riesling grapes—lots of exposure to the sun and to water stress, for example—are the same factors that contribute to higher quality wines.

Riesling is a grape you either love to love or love to hate. Those who love Riesling appreciate it for its pronounced aromatics and food-friendliness. Sweeter style Rieslings make a perfect accompaniment to spicy dishes, such as Asian foods. The often overlooked drier styles of Riesling pair well with light meats and fish.

Go on and try our delicious Meinert - "The German Job" Riesling



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12/03/2022

International Riesling Day is coming up on 13 March 2022.

One of the underrated and less spoken about grape varietals internationally. Very big in Germany and Alsace region in France. So do make sure that you're stocked up on Riesling wine from South African Wine Cellar to celebrate the day!



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08/03/2022

We would like to wish Women from all over the world, from all walks of life, a Happy International Women's Day!!

The International Women's Day website has announced that this year's theme is . The organisation is calling on people to “imagine a gender equal world” which is free of biases, stereotypes and discrimination against women. The UN's theme is “gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.

For South African Wine Cellar, this is one of our core values. It is no accident that almost 50% of our wines are owned by women and we continually ensure that we promote women & diversity within our offering. The industry has sadly been shaped & dominated for centuries by men, but for the last 2/3 decades, we've seen a lot more women break barriers and the status quo, showing the world how more deserved they are, not for just a seat at the table, but in redesigning the table, and have equal number of seats!! For those women, we thank them for chartering new frontiers inspiring others and reshaping the landscape to fulfill the next generations dreams and ambitions.

We don't believe that women should be celebrated only for one day, and thus we will use the month of March to celebrate and showcase the wineries owned by women. Watch this space for more details!!

Please raise your glass to all the Wonderful & Amazing Women in our lives and everywhere around the world!!!

01/02/2022

We at South African Wine Cellar, would like to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!!



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31/01/2022

Do you know that this Chinese New Year is the Year of the Tiger.

The Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig make up the animals in the Chinese Zodiac, which runs on a 12-year cycle. Every Spring Festival, one of the 12 animals is celebrated for that year, paired with one of the five elements, water, wood, fire, earth or metal.

It is calculated that this will be the year of the Water Tiger. Since the Year of the Tiger and its element Water is upon us, it is said that water will bring prosperity and flow – if we are lucky, it may seep into this coming year. Tiger years have the potential to be explosive, but because 2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger, it may be less aggressive. The water tiger is a more of an open-minded tiger.

According to superstition, a person born in a particular year takes on the traits of that year’s animal. So people born in the years of the Tiger which include 2022, 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, 1926 - tend to be powerful, rebellious, dynamic, adventurous, fiery, impulsive and unpredictable. Tigers also typically have strong ethics, so they’re very passionate about causes.

Bring out the Tiger in you and take advantage of our 22% Chinese New Year Offer!!



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25/01/2022

Chinese New Year is Upon Us, and we're celebrating with you!!

Whether you gift your loved ones or your purchase a special bottle or two for your collection, we want to join you in celebrations by offering a whopping 22% discount on your palate with South African Wines!! By far the biggest discount you'll see anywhere or us for the year!!

Happy Chinese New Year Celebrations!!



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25/01/2022

Like all traditional festivals in China, Chinese New Year is steeped with stories and myths. One of the most popular, is thousands of years ago, a mythical beast named Nian (/nyen/), would attack villagers at the beginning of each new year and also eat livestock and crops. (It's interesting that Nian, the 'yearly beast', sounds the same as 'year' in Chinese.)

It's said that a wise old man figured out that Nian was scared of loud noises, bright lights and the color red. Then, people put red lanterns and red scrolls on their windows and doors, to stop Nian from coming inside, and crackled bamboo (later replaced by firecrackers) to scare Nian away. The monster Nian never showed up again.

Celebrations to usher out the old year and bring forth the luck and prosperity of the new one, therefore, often include firecrackers, fireworks, and red clothes and decorations. Young people are given money in colourful red envelopes. In addition, Chinese New Year is a time to feast and to visit family members.

In the spirit of Nian and the Chinese New Year, go on and gift your loved ones or acquire a bottle of South African red wine to chase the evil spirits away!!



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21/01/2022

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important among the traditional Chinese festivals.

The origin of the Chinese New Year festival can be traced back to about 3,500 years ago. It is an annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon that occurs sometime between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars. Festivities last until the following full moon.

This year, Chinese New Year will occur on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, in many of the countries that celebrate it.

Stay tuned for our upcoming promotions!



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