The Blog
Guides, stories, and insights from the world of wine. Explore our collection of articles on regions, grapes, food pairing, and more.
Buying Guides4 min read
A bottle from home, landing in a British October
If you're in South Africa and the person you love is somewhere wet and dark in Britain this month, here's what a Swartland white says that a phone call doesn't.
11 October 2026
Wine Education5 min read
Stellenbosch: what South African wine's famous name means
Mountains, sea air and granite explain why one Cape region keeps turning up on labels. Here's how that geography actually tastes, in two bottles you can open this week.
10 October 2026
Wine Education5 min read
Ten minutes with Darling Cellars Lime Kiln
Most of us drink the first glass without really tasting it. Here's how to spend ten slow minutes with a barrel-fermented Cape white, and what each stage actually tells you.
9 October 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
The Wednesday red and the Saturday red
Two bottles from our range, two completely different jobs. Here's what the Swartland Founders Merlot does that a serious Syrah doesn't, and the other way round.
8 October 2026
Region Guides5 min read
The wind, the stones and the Chenin
What a breezy slope and a patchwork of ancient soils actually do to a glass of Wild Garden Chenin Blanc, and why the cellar leaves them to it.
7 October 2026Wine Education5 min read
South African grapes: what's actually in the glass
From a rescued old-vine white almost nobody has poured to the Cape's own red grape, here is how South Africa's grapes taste when you put them side by side.
6 October 2026
Wine Education4 min read
Kershaw Syrah: open it tonight or let it wait
The 2019 Clonal Selection is drinking beautifully now and built to keep going. Here's how to decide which version of it you want.
5 October 2026
Seasonal4 min read
Rosé in October? This one earns its place
The nights are drawing in and most pink wine has been quietly retired until spring. Wild House Rose is the exception: dry, savoury and built for an autumn roast.
4 October 2026
Buying Guides5 min read
White wine from South Africa: the ones we would pick
Four Cape whites worth your October evenings, from a weeknight Chenin to an Elgin Chardonnay that will make you rethink what the Cape can do.
3 October 2026
Buying Guides5 min read
South African dessert wines: the ones we would pick
Four Cape sweet wines, from a straw-dried Muscat to a fortified Hanepoot, and exactly who each one is for.
2 October 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
South African Sauvignon Blanc: the ones we would pick
Four bottles that show what the Cape does with this grape, from a wild-yeast everyday white to a Swartland-led version with a saline edge. Plus one with bubbles.
1 October 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
Malbec in South Africa: the ones we would pick
Argentina gets all the attention, but the Cape has quietly turned Malbec into something fresher and more savoury. Three bottles we keep coming back to, and who each one suits.
30 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
South African Champagne: what it's really called
The Cape makes sparkling wine the same way Champagne does, but it goes by a different name. Here's what Cap Classique is, and three bottles that explain it better than any definition can.
29 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
South African Pinotage wine, explained properly
The Cape's own red grape divides people more than any other. Here's what it actually is, why place changes it so much, and three bottles that make the case.
28 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
South African dessert wine: the ones we would pick
Straw wine, fortified Hanepoot and gently sweet whites all sit under the same heading, and they do completely different jobs. Here are four Cape bottles worth knowing, and who each one suits.
27 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
If Picpoul or Pinot Grigio is your usual white
The Cape's answer to the crisp weeknight white comes from a grape with a French passport and a South African accent. Here's where KWV Classic Chenin Blanc matches your usual bottle, and where it goes its own way.
27 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
The bottle for the friend who misses the Cape
Some presents need a speech to explain them. Vilafonte's Seriously Old Dirt does its own talking, which is exactly why it lands so well with certain people.
26 September 2026
Wine Education5 min read
Ten minutes with Spice Route Swartland Pinotage
Pinotage rewards a bit of attention. Here's how to spend ten minutes with a glass of Spice Route's Swartland bush-vine red, and what each stage actually tells you.
24 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
The bottle you hand over at the door
There is a small social calculation behind the wine you carry to someone else's house. The Wolftrap White solves it without making a fuss about it.
23 September 2026
Food & Wine4 min read
One lamb shoulder, one Sunday, one bottle from Darling
A slow September roast, a kitchen that smells of rosemary by four o'clock, and a Cape red with the freshness to keep up with all that richness.
22 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
Drink it tonight or put it away: Indaba's Braai Cabernet
Every red you bring home asks a quiet question: open it now or leave it a while? Here's how to answer that yourself, using one honest Cape Cabernet as the lesson.
21 September 2026
Region Guides5 min read
The granite hill behind this Chenin
A low, pale outcrop north of Cape Town decides almost everything about how Marras Los Tros tastes. Here's what that ground actually does.
20 September 2026
Grape Guides4 min read
Learning to spot Chenin Blanc, one glass at a time
South Africa's signature white grape doesn't announce itself with a single flavour. It announces itself with a shape, and this Franschhoek and Paarl blend is a fine place to learn it.
19 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
If your house red usually comes from Europe
A southern Rhone or a young Spanish red is a good habit. Here is how a Western Cape blend does the same job at your table, and the one place where it works quite differently.
18 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
Who to give this Viognier, and why it lands
A bottle of Alvi's Drift Signature Viognier is a small act of good guessing. Here's the person it's meant for, and the moment it works best.
17 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
What a bottle from home says that a phone call doesn't
You already know how this Chenin tastes. That's exactly why it's the right thing to send to someone living a long way from the Cape.
16 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
First Lady white or First Lady red?
Two bottles from Warwick Estate, one name between them, and a genuine decision to make on a September evening. Here's what each one does that the other simply can't.
15 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
Cape Cabernet isn't a copy of Bordeaux
The comparison is fair enough as far as it goes. Then you open a bottle of Kanonkop's Kadette Cabernet Sauvignon and notice it was never trying to be anyone else.
14 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
The bottle you take to someone else's house
On the small social calculation behind a handover bottle, and why Zevenwacht's Tin Mine Red does the job so gracefully.
13 September 2026
Food & Wine5 min read
A September supper built around one Darling white
Whole sea bass under the grill, goat's cheese on sourdough, and one cold bottle from the Cape doing all the work between them.
12 September 2026
Seasonal4 min read
A Pinotage for the September switchover
September in Britain can't decide what it wants to be, warm one afternoon and properly autumnal the next. This Stellenbosch red is built for both halves of it.
11 September 2026
Grape Guides4 min read
How to spot Pinotage in a blind glass
One unoaked bottle from the Western Cape, read closely, will teach you more about South Africa's own grape than a shelf of textbooks.
10 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
If your weeknight red is usually French
Tassenberg is Cinsaut-led, gentle and built for a Tuesday. Here's where it matches the European light red you already reach for, and where it honestly doesn't.
9 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
Circle of Life White: tonight, or in a couple of years?
This is a white with two good futures. Here's how to work out which one you want, using nothing more than your own nose and what's for dinner.
8 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
The bottle for someone who misses Stellenbosch
Some presents need explaining. This one explains itself the moment the label is turned over and the word Simonsberg appears.
7 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
A bottle from home, sent to a British doorstep
You know this wine already. The person you're sending it to knows it too, which is exactly the point.
6 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
Ten minutes with Atticus, in order
A red blend like this one gives up more if you slow down. Here is how to taste it properly, from the pour to the plate, without turning it into homework.
5 September 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
The bottle you hand over at the door
There's a quiet calculation behind the wine you carry to someone else's house. Here's why The Wolftrap Red keeps solving it.
4 September 2026
Food & Wine5 min read
A lamb shoulder, a Sunday, and one bottle
Late September, the oven on for most of the afternoon, and a Cape red that knows exactly what to do with rosemary and garlic. Here's how the whole evening goes.
3 September 2026Wine Education4 min read
Is Cape Syrah just a warmer Shiraz?
The belief is reasonable, and plenty of bottles have earned it. Then there's the DMZ Syrah, which quietly argues the other way.
2 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
What a long Stellenbosch season put in this Cabernet
Warm days, Atlantic breezes and soil that holds its water: how the growing season at Hartenberg ends up as freshness and grip in the glass.
1 September 2026
Wine Education4 min read
The three friends who named a wine after a farmyard
Black Elephant Vintners could have put the grape on the front and played it safe. What they chose instead, on the label and in the cellar, is the whole point of this Sauvignon Blanc.
31 August 2026
Seasonal4 min read
A red for the last of the British summer
August asks a lot of one bottle: warm evenings, sudden rain, a bank holiday grill and a Sunday roast, sometimes in the same week. The Big Easy Red Blend takes all of it in its stride.
30 August 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
Who to give the Kershaw Elgin Chardonnay to
A bottle that makes people turn the label over and ask where you found it. Here's the person it's really for, and the moment it lands.
29 August 2026
Grape Guides4 min read
How to spot Pinotage in a blind glass
South Africa's own grape has a signature you can learn in one bottle. The KWV Classic is the clearest teaching example I know.
28 August 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
If you drink Loire whites, meet Cape Chenin
Vouvray sec, Anjou blanc, Saumur: if one of those is your regular white, you already drink Chenin Blanc. Here is where the Swartland version agrees with you, and where it politely goes its own way.
27 August 2026
Wine Education5 min read
Ten quiet minutes with the Kadette Cape Blend
Most bottles get drunk while something else is happening. Give this one your full attention for ten minutes and it will teach you what a Cape Blend actually is.
26 August 2026
Wine Education4 min read
Meerlust Pinot Noir: tonight, or in five years?
This is a bottle with two personalities, and you get to choose which one you meet. Here's how to make the call without second-guessing yourself.
25 August 2026
Region Guides4 min read
The red ground under Tumbleweed Wild Pinotage
Iron-red koffieklip, a wind that comes in off the Atlantic and a bush-country silence: a look at the Swartland ground that puts the plum and cherry into Bruce Jack's Pinotage.
24 August 2026
Food & Wine5 min read
A sea bass supper for a late August evening
One pan, one bottle, one of those last warm evenings before the light starts going early. Here's how the whole thing comes together.
23 August 2026
Buying Guides7 min read
What wine to buy a South African: a gift guide for the rest of us
You don't need to know the Cape wine list to get this right. You just need to know three things: which regions actually mean something, why Chenin Blanc is the safer bet than Pinotage, and why finding it here is the whole point.
22 August 2026
Buying Guides7 min read
How to choose a South African wine gift (without getting it wrong)
You don't need to know wine to choose it well. You need to know one thing about the person you're buying for, and this guide tells you which one.
22 August 2026
Buying Guides7 min read
Sending wine to the UK from South Africa: how it actually works
You know the wine better than they do. What you need to know is whether it can actually land on their doorstep in one piece, and what happens if nobody's home. Here's the honest version.
22 August 2026
Buying Guides7 min read
South African wine Christmas gifts: how to solve your whole list at once
You've got a boss, a father-in-law, a hosting couple and a secret santa still to sort, and one good idea can solve most of it. Here's how to shop South African wine by person, not by bottle.
22 August 2026
Wine Education5 min read
Two guides said 92. Your glass gets the last word
Tim Atkin MW and Platter's landed on the same score for Black Elephant Vintners' Cap Classique. Here's what that agreement is worth, and why your own verdict still outranks it.
14 August 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
Two bottles, one cellar: a blend and a Shiraz
The Darling Cellars Cabernet Merlot and its Black Granite stablemate come off the same West Coast hills. They ask you for completely different evenings.
13 August 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
A present for the friend who thinks they hate Merlot
False Bay's Peacock Wild Ferment Merlot is the bottle to put in someone's hands when you want them to be genuinely, quietly delighted. Here's who it lands with, and why.
12 August 2026
Grape Guides5 min read
How to spot Cabernet Sauvignon blind, in one glass
Cabernet gives itself away by structure before flavour. Boekenhoutskloof's Stellenbosch bottling is about the clearest lesson in the grape you can pour at home.
11 August 2026
Wine Education4 min read
South African Syrah isn't just a warmer Shiraz
The belief is that Cape Syrah is Shiraz with the heating turned up. A pale copper rosé, made without a stick of oak, is a surprisingly honest place to test that.
10 August 2026
Wine Education4 min read
Ten minutes with Reyneke Organic Red
A slow-motion guide to the first ten minutes of a bottle: what to look for, in what order, and what each thing quietly tells you about how the wine was grown and made.
9 August 2026
Seasonal4 min read
A red for the last of the British barbecue weather
August can't decide between shirtsleeves and jumpers, and neither can the table. Spice Route's Swartland Mourvedre handles both.
8 August 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
If your midweek red usually comes from France
You already reach for Shiraz, Cinsault and Mourvedre without knowing it. Here's how the Cape version of that habit lines up, and where it goes its own way.
7 August 2026
Food & Wine4 min read
Lamb chops, rosemary, and one bottle from Stellenbosch
An August dinner that straddles summer and autumn, from the first sprig of rosemary in the pan to the last inch left in the glass.
7 August 2026
Grape Guides5 min read
South African Shiraz: the Cape's answer to the Rhone
From Swartland bush vines to polished Stellenbosch estates, South African Shiraz offers power with restraint and ripeness with spice.
20 January 2026
Sparkling4 min read
South African sparkling wine: Cap Classique explained
From the cool slopes of Elgin to the coastal winds of Walker Bay, South Africa quietly makes some of the world's best value traditional-method sparkling wine.
16 January 2026
Buying Guides4 min read
The perfect case of wine: why six bottles beat one
From regional showcases to entertaining cases, a case of wine is the gift that keeps going. Here is how to pick the right one.
31 October 2024
Seasonal4 min read
South African wines for Christmas: festive pairings from the Cape
From Cap Classique to bold Pinotage, how South African wines earn their place on the Christmas table.
23 October 2024
Heritage4 min read
Sedgwick's Old Brown Sherry: South Africa's winter classic
For more than a century this deep amber fortified wine has been keeping South Africans warm through winter nights. Here is why "OB's" earns a place in your drinks cabinet.
22 October 2024
Producers3 min read
Boekenhoutskloof: the estate behind your favourite everyday wines
From The Chocolate Block to The Wolftrap, how this Franschhoek estate became one of South Africa's most trusted names, and why UK drinkers keep going back.
28 February 2024
Grape Guides3 min read
Sweet red wine from South Africa: a guide for UK drinkers
Why South African sweet reds are winning over British palates, and how they pair with everything from a Sunday roast to a chocolate pudding.
27 February 2024
Regions4 min read
Stellenbosch wine: a guide to South Africa's premier region
From historic estates to modern cellars, Stellenbosch has set the standard for South African wine for three centuries. Here is what makes it work.
30 August 2023
Producers4 min read
The Chocolate Block: South Africa's cult Syrah blend
Why Boekenhoutskloof's flagship red became a must-have for UK drinkers looking for bold, distinctive South African character.
3 August 2023
Grape Guides5 min read
South African grape varieties: a guide to the Cape's key grapes
From Pinotage to Chenin Blanc, the grapes that define South African wine and what each one actually tastes like.
16 May 2023
Producers3 min read
Goats do Roam: the story behind Fairview's most playful range
How a herd of goats wandering through Paarl vineyards inspired one of the Cape's best-known labels, and why it is more than a clever name.
30 April 2023
Producers3 min read
Fairview: where goats, cheese and good wine meet in Paarl
Charles Back's Fairview has been shaking up South African wine for decades. Here is why this Paarl estate deserves a place on your table.
29 April 2023
Grape Guides4 min read
South African Malbec: the Cape's dark horse red
Argentina made Malbec famous. South Africa is quietly making its own version, and it is earthier, more savoury and considerably less discovered.
8 April 2023
Grape Guides4 min read
South African Sauvignon Blanc: the Cape's cool-climate whites
From Constantia's ocean breezes to Elgin's mountain slopes, South African Sauvignon Blanc is finally getting the recognition it deserves in the UK.
5 April 2023
Producers3 min read
Primordial Soup: the South African red blend that breaks the rules
This Western Cape blend throws Shiraz, Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon together in a wine as characterful as its name. Here is why it is worth your attention.
4 April 2023
Sparkling4 min read
Blanc de blancs: South Africa's pure Chardonnay sparklers
The Cape's blanc de blancs offer elegance, complexity and real value, all from Chardonnay and all made by the same method as Champagne.
1 April 2023
Grape Guides4 min read
Clairette Blanche: South Africa's forgotten white grape
Once dismissed as old-fashioned, this ancient Cape variety is quietly winning over winemakers and drinkers who value character over fashion.
14 March 2023
Producers3 min read
False Bay wines: South African character at everyday prices
Waterkloof's accessible range proves that good Cape wine does not have to be expensive, and the Peacock Wild Ferment bottles are the pick of it.
8 March 2023
Grape Guides4 min read
South African red blends: Cape blends and beyond
From Pinotage-led Cape blends to Bordeaux-style classics and Swartland Rhone styles, here is how to tell South Africa's red blends apart.
7 March 2023
Grape Guides4 min read
South African white wines: a guide to the Cape's finest
From bone-dry Chenin Blanc to rich Cape blends, South African whites offer something genuinely different. Here is what UK drinkers need to know.
6 March 2023
Travel5 min read
Wine tourism in South Africa: from Cape Town to the winelands
Planning a wine trip to the Cape? Here is how to choose regions, plan a route, and bring the good bottles home.
16 January 2023
Heritage5 min read
The story of South African wine, from Cape Colony to now
Three and a half centuries of winemaking have shaped South Africa into one of the world's most interesting wine countries. Here is how it happened.
13 January 2023
Food & Wine4 min read
South African wine and food pairing for UK tables
From Cape Malay curries to Sunday roasts, how South African wines work with the food you actually cook.
12 January 2023
Grape Guides6 min read
South African Chenin Blanc: from Steen to superstar
Why South Africa's most planted white grape has won over drinkers from the Cape to the UK, and how to find the bottle that suits you.
30 December 2022
Regions5 min read
The wine regions of South Africa, from Stellenbosch to Swartland
South Africa's wine regions run from cool coastal valleys to sun-baked inland plains, and each one has its own character and story.
30 December 2022
Grape Guides5 min read
What exactly is South African Pinotage?
From bold and smoky to coffee-scented styles, Pinotage divides opinion like no other grape. Here is why South Africa's signature variety is winning over UK drinkers.
1 November 2022
Grape Guides5 min read
South African red wine: a complete guide to the Cape's finest
From Stellenbosch Cabernet to Swartland Syrah, here is why South African reds are winning over UK drinkers with bold flavours, real value and genuine character.
26 October 2022
Producers4 min read
The history of Waterkloof: from Sheep Mountain to biodynamic pioneer
How a windswept hill above False Bay became home to one of South Africa's most committed organic estates, and why its Seriously Cool Chenin Blanc sells so well here.
21 September 2022
Buying Guides4 min read
How to buy South African wine online in the UK
From Stellenbosch Cabernet to Swartland Chenin Blanc, where to find the good bottles and how to choose well.
21 September 2022