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The Ken Forrester Old Vines Reserve Chenin Blanc 2021 was awarded a Best in Show Award at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards, cementing Forrester’s reputation as the pioneering leader of Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc.

Almost three decades since Ken Forrester made the career shift from prominent Johannesburg restaurateur to Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc specialist, the Chenin Blanc category has evolved vastly and this variety is now widely regarded as South Africa’s white flagship.

In viniculture, blends are commonplace. In fact, almost all wines are blends in some way or another.

Blends can range from wines combined from different barrels, grapes from different vineyards or vineyard blocks, and – of course – different varietals. At Haute Cabrière, we pride ourselves on pioneering new wine blends. It’s a part of our DNA and something we continue to explore generation on generation.

WWF South Africa is delighted to announce that five more wine farms have been welcomed into its prestigious Conservation Champion programme, bringing to 55 the total number of WWF Conservation Champions in the Cape Winelands, which overlaps two major global biodiversity hotspots – the Cape Floral Kingdom and the Succulent Karoo.

Biodiversity loss is among the top environmental risks according to the 2021 Global Risk Report from the World Economic Forum.

During the vineyard dormant period, it is important to keep a keen eye out for disease, pests, and maintenance needs, this requires a combination of responsiveness and strategic planning.

Post-harvest disease management is key to the ongoing health of the vineyard. This period is heavily influenced by seasonal weather that can increase the potential of fungi to occur. The infamous forms are Powdery and Downy mildew which interrupt the plant’s ability to photosynthesise and threaten the grape bunches during the growing season and the carbohydrate storage in preparation for the dormant phase.

Once the harvest is complete it is tempting to forget about the vineyard and focus on making wine, however, this time is exceptionally important for the vines and future vintages. The period in focus is after the ripe fruits have been harvested and before the leaves start to fall from the vines.

During this time the vines are hard at work storing carbohydrates in preparation for winter when they move into a dormant phase. It is during this busy time when the leaves are still healthy and green that they are photosynthesising and looking for as many nutrients as possible to prepare for the cold.

De Grendel’s 2022 harvest has set a record for the largest intake to date but, more than quantity, it is the early signs of excellent quality that have the De Grendel winemaking team in optimistic spirits about the new vintage.

With De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2022 already bottled and the rest of the 2022 vintage in various stages of maturation in the cellar, De Grendel cellar master Charles Hopkins and assistant winemaker Morgan Steyn reflected on the high points and challenges of harvest 2022.

Tokara has won international acclaim with its handcrafted XO Potstill Brandy bringing home a second Brandy Masters Gold Medal.

Tokara, the prestigious family-owned wine estate in Stellenbosch, has won international acclaim once again with its luxurious, handcrafted XO Potstill Brandy bringing home a second Brandy Masters Gold Medal.

This annual competition is presented by The Spirits Business, the leading international spirits trade publication based in the UK. The highly contested 2022 Brandy Masters rewarded the finest brandies on the world stage with 120 entries judged by a panel of spirits specialists.

Johann and Peter de Wet, third generation owners of De Wetshof Estate in Robertson, didn't acquire an approach to sustainability on their family farm, they were born with it.

Danie de Wet, who made De Wetshof the first wine estate in the Robertson Valley, inherited an ethos of conservation from his father, who bought De Wetshof in 1949.

A philosophy of respect

Since taking ownership of the farm known as De Wetshof, three generations of the De Wet family have realised their responsibilities as custodians of a unique natural environment.

Noble Late Harvest is a special wine where a magical transformation takes place in the vineyard. It is a specific sequence of events that enables the “T” Noble Late Harvest to be made, let’s take a closer look at this iconic wine.

The term Late Harvest is used for wines made from berries that are left on the vine to gain extreme ripeness which drives up the sugar levels. In unique conditions, these ripe bunches pick up a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, which grows on the skins and slowly causes the very ripe berries to dehydrate. In the viticulture world, this fungus is known as Noble rot, hence Noble Late Harvest.