News

Trying Weather Conditions Result in Expressive Quality Vintage 2023 on Paul Clüver Family Wines

As a Burgundy acolyte, Andries Burger, winemaker and cellar master of Paul Clüver Family Wines in Elgin, found renewed respect for the vignerons of that famous French wine region with this year’s challenging weather conditions Paul Clüver Family Wines experienced during vintage 2023. “Burgundy is known for steep variations from vintage to vintage due to the erratic weather conditions that differ yearly in that part of the world,” says Andries Burger. “The unexpected rainfall experienced in Elgin and throughout the Cape this year, seldom seen in our summer, gave me practical insight into what Burgundy goes through during harvest in terms of its ever-changing array of climatic challenges.”

The Haute Cabrière Education Centre has now been given a fresh purpose as the new home of the Franschhoek Hospitality Academy.

At Haute Cabrière, we are not only passionate about wine, but also the people who enjoy it, who craft it, who serve it and who love to learn about it. As a family-led Franschhoek estate which is home to a beautiful restaurant, event venue, tasting room and bakery – hospitality is one of our core missions, alongside the creation of quality wines for people to enjoy together.

We have always been a team that enjoys learning new things, coming up with new ideas, and pursuing our passions – in wine, in food, in service, in life. Education is at the core of our ability to do so as it gives us the tools, insights and skills to do what we love. Education and sharing knowledge has therefore always been important to us.

South Africa’s “Mr Chenin” and trailblazer, Ken Forrester, was the recipient of the Man of the Year Award by the influential UK publication The Drinks Business for his contribution towards the international wine industry. This prestigious award was presented by The Drinks Business during the London Wine Fair, hosted at Olympia London, on Tuesday, 16 May 2023.

Criteria considered by the panel of judges included unparalleled leadership, business acumen and major deal broking success. This award also recognises outstanding contribution to the broader global wine industry.

“Ken Forrester’s contribution to the South African wine industry is truly remarkable, especially in his role as a champion for Chenin Blanc, which has become a symbol of our country’s winemaking prowess.

De Grendel wine estate’s long-standing commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable farming has been recognised with Conservation Champion status by the WWF, the world’s leading independent conservation organisation.

For the historic Durbanville farm, becoming a WWF Conservation Champion recognises the respect for nature and the environment developed over four generations of the Graaff family’s stewardship of De Grendel.

De Grendel joins more than 50 of South Africa’s leading wine farms that have voluntarily committed to farm regeneratively, enhance biodiversity, and maintain a healthy ecosystem that provides valuable ecosystem services that extend beyond individual farms.

The news is in: Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s restaurant at La Motte in Franschhoek will be back.

JAN Franschhoek first opened for a summer run with a firm start-finish date. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the venue was fully booked just days into the season and no doubt motivated the decision to make a return in September.

It was at the tail end of the first run that I had the chance to dine there. Most people will know that the South African chef rose to major acclaim when he claimed his first star from Europe’s Michelin Restaurant Guide. Now, a string of openings have taken place. They include Klein JAN at Tswalu Kalahari and the JAN Innovation Studio on Kloof Street, Cape Town.

As the autumn leaves begin to fall and the cellar quietens down, we sat with our winemaker Matthew Day and farm manager Craig Harris to reflect on the harvest season for 2023.

2023 marks the longest harvest we have had here at Klein Constantia – starting on the 18th of January and finishing on the 18th of April. It was also one of the earliest with grapes coming in almost 2 weeks prior to normal. The season was divided into 2, before and post the rain. Fortunately, the majority of the fruit ripens quickly and we could harvest most of the white cultivars before the rain came. With high acid levels, with lower pHs and alcohol than normal – the quality of the grapes was fantastic, allowing us to be more liberal with our approach to winemaking and move more away from traditional winemaking methods.

ABOUT THE WINEMAG.CO.ZA TASTING PROGRAMME 2023

Winemag.co.za is set to produce a series of category reports over the course of the year with multinational financial services company Prescient as sponsor. Each report will be based on the outcome of a blind tasting of wines entered within a specific category.

A report includes key findings, tasting notes for the top wines, buyer's guide and scores on the 100-point quality score for all wines entered. Upon release, producers can purchase both Top 10 and regular rating stickers - consumers are encouraged to look out for these in the retail environment.

Chardonnay, you’re golden!

Even though there’s a nip in the air, and most people are reaching for voluptuous reds, there’s something wonderfully cockle-warming about enjoying a glass or two of chardonnay beside a fire on a blustery winter’s evening. And with International Chardonnay Day on 25 May, we’ve taken the opportunity to shout about this proudly South African varietal.

Wine lovers from all over the world can look forward to excellent wines from a much cooler and smaller 2023 wine grape season in South Africa. Thís according to the annual South African Wine Harvest Report 2023.

The 2023 wine grape harvest is estimated at 1 180 093 tonnes, according to the latest harvest estimate by industry body SAWIS (South African Wine Industry Information and Systems) on 12 May 2023. This is 14.2% smaller than the 2022 harvest.

“Compared to other seasons, the 2023 harvest is very similar to previous cooler seasons, such as 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021,” says Conrad Schutte, consultation services manager of the wine industry body Vinpro. “It particularly resembles the combination of cold and wet conditions of 2014 and 2019. In terms of volume, 2023 may be one of the smallest harvests in more than a decade.”