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A wooded Shiraz from Diemersdal won the General Smuts Trophy as the overall SA Champion Young Wine of 2022.

A wooded Shiraz from Diemersdal Wine Estate in Durbanville has won the prestigious General Smuts Trophy as the overall SA Champion Young Wine of 2022, after also receiving the trophy for the best South African Shiraz (wooded) at the SA Young Wine Show.

The General Smuts Trophy was last awarded to a Shiraz 18 years ago, in 2004. It is the second time that Diemersdal Wine Estate has won the General Smuts Trophy since their success in 2013 when they won the trophy with a Sauvignon Blanc.

Every year since 2008 the Mullineuxs have made a vintage Straw Wine. The two vineyards they chose to make this very sweet but incredibly special Straw Wine are naturally very high in acid, flavour and structure. This way, when they pick the grapes at normal ripeness and then dry them outside during the desiccation process, they are not just concentrating sugar and flavour but also increasing the intense, zesty acidity that is so critically important when making a balanced Straw Wine.

Every year since 2008 the Mullineuxs have made a vintage Straw Wine. The two vineyards they chose to make this very sweet but incredibly special Straw Wine are naturally very high in acid, flavour and structure.

Thys Louw has just spent a frosty Cape morning in the vineyards. “The guys are doing the winter pruning, it’s important for me to be there. I like to be involved in every aspect of the business.” Now in this book-lined study the sixth generation winemaker reflects on his family’s legacy. “There aren’t that many family owned, generational estates left,” he muses. The number he guesses is around 15.

Diemersdal Wine Estate though, Diemersdal isn’t going anywhere anytime time soon.

In fact this Durbanville sauvignon blanc powerhouse is going from strength to strength.

As Anthonij Rupert Wyne says goodbye to Gary Baumgarten after 11 years, he'll be replaced by newly appointed Carel Chapman.

Anthonij Rupert Wyne says goodbye to managing director Gary Baumgarten who hangs up his hat after 11 years and who has played a pivotal role in the running of the farms. He will be replaced by newly appointed Carel Chapman, himself no stranger to the company.

Hailing from a farm in Gobabis, Namibia, Carel completed his BCom Hons in Financial Economics from the University of Stellenbosch in 2005.

Winter was late in coming this year, but when it did arrive it really made its presence known. Drenching rains – always welcomed by the post-summer soils – icy temperatures, especially during the evenings and early mornings, and even a light dusting of snow on the mountains surrounding the beautiful Robertson Valley.

This is a time of bright, champagne days and clear skies, with the cellar filled with the heady aromas of this year’s wines maturing in the barrels. It is a time of investigating what the vintage of 2022 has provided in terms of flavour profiles, structure and nuance.

The international recognition of Chardonnay as a leading South African wine offering received another boost at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, with Paul Clüver from Elgin being one of two Cape Chardonnays to receive a Platinum award and 97pt score at a show described as the world’s most influential wine competition. Paul Clüver Estate, a pioneer of viticulture and winemaking in the cool-climate Elgin region, received a Platinum award for its revered icon Seven Flags Chardonnay 2020, one of only five South African wines to stake a claim in the Platinum category.

Elgin producer Paul Clüver’s Seven Flags 2020 underscores the status and pedigree of Cape Chardonnay at the 2022 Decanter Awards.

The international recognition of Chardonnay as a leading South African wine offering received another boost at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, with Paul Clüver from Elgin being one of two Cape Chardonnays to receive a Platinum award and 97 point score at a show described as the world’s most influential wine competition.

Paul Clüver Wines, the pioneering Elgin estate owned and managed by the Clüver family, was one of the leading performers at this year’s Top 100 SA Wines/National Wine Challenge, delivering four Top 100 & Double Platinum awards with three Grand Cru National Champion Awards for wines adjudged Best in their Class.

Top 100/Double Platinum awards went to Paul Clüver Sauvignon Blanc 2021; Seven Flags Chardonnay 2020; Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2017 and Noble Late Harvest 2021.

In this interview, Warwick Estate CEO Christiane von Arnim talks about what makes wines from South Africa, France and Germany so unique and more. She has been leading the next chapter of the Warwick legacy since 2018.

Are there any essential wine hacks you wish more people knew about?

When opening a bottle with a wax closure, ignore it and pull it out the way you usually would instead of cutting and picking away the wax. This is much easier and neater – and a lot less frustrating.