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The vintage of 2019 followed the break of the longest drought in living memory. The crop delivered was of fine quality though of medium size. The grapes for the De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2019 came from chosen vineyards in weathered shale soils in Lutzville and Darling, while a small dash of Semillon from the De Grendel Vineyards.

Once in the cellar, the hand harvested bunches were destemmed and crushed grapes and then allowed skin contact for 6 hours. The juice was cool settled and taken for inoculation and fermentation in stainless steel tanks. 18% of the juice was fermented in a mix of new and second fill French Oak barrels and was allowed to lie on the fine lees for 100 days. The Semillon, which makes up 9% of the blend was also fermented in oak barrels. Once ready, the wine was blended and prepared for bottling.

For those of you who have not yet had the chance to tour a winery cave, here’s a brief introduction: A wine cave is a subterranean chamber built into a hillside (usually) and is used for storage and aging of wine.

An underground tasting experience is not only the best solution to savour wines at its organoleptic splendour, but it also offers visitors an insight into the estate’s history while getting a taste of their best bottles.

A fair amount of wineries in the Cape winelands have wine grottos that are open to visitors, offering sit-down tastings or guided walks. Some even allow guests to sample wines straight from the barrels, while others zhoosh things up with ambrosial food and wine pairings.

Here are eleven wine caves worth visiting the next time you’re out and about in the South African winelands.

Simonsig heads into harvest 2020 in conditions described as the best in the past five years. Although these are early days yet, since harvesting of Simonsig’s grapes began on 20 January, winemaker Michael Malan says even-ripening and healthy grape bunches are what he and the harvest teams are seeing at the moment.

“As with most of the Stellenbosch region, Simonsig vineyards experienced a cold winter and a truly wonderful cool, mild growing season since the vines began flowering in September,” he says. “There were no sudden spikes in temperature during October and November, critical months for berry development, with the gorgeous temperate weather continuing. Showers in October contributed to better flowering and berry-set. The splash of rain at Christmas time was an added bonus, being just enough to provide refreshment to the ripening bunches and to cool and moisten the soils.”

As 2019 draws to a close it is time to look back and reflect on the past year, and we certainly had a lot to celebrate! South Africa became Rugby World Champions for the third time when Siya Kolisi lifted the Rugby World Cup in Japan and Zozibini Tunzi became the third South African woman to be crowned Miss Universe. At Simonsig our Redhill Pinotage claimed the trophy for one of South Africa’s Top 10 Pinotage’s for the seventh time. Our maiden vintage of our Kaapse Vonkel Satin Nectar Rosé won the inaugural Trophy for the best Cap Classique in the Demi Sec style. And, to top it off, we had our best ever showing at the Veritas Awards; winning 4 Double Gold and 3 Gold medals! Our dams were also full for the first time since 2014.

There were some less happy moments too, starting on 1 January when a flare ignited the Betty’s Bay Fire which burned for two weeks.

Throughout the world, stories are the threads that link the past to the present, connecting us to one another and to our heritage. These legends are woven together and create the tapestry of our history, rich and varied, both perfect and blemished. This is true for every continent, country, town and community, with each thread contributing to the magnificence of the end product.

Delaire Graff Estate continues to be a source of superb contributions to the vivid heritage of the Stellenbosch region. This week, the Estate unveils its latest gem – a tribute to the region of Banghoek and its deep history, following an exceptional year for Cabernet Franc wines in 2016. The Banghoek 2016 is a love letter to its namesake, showcasing a delicate mélange of history, structure, aroma, tannin and flavour of poised distinction.

25 years since the von Arnim family launched the iconic Haute Cabrière cellar, the winery has transformed into a world-class space for visitors to immerse themselves in the culture established by proprietor Achim von Arnim. The newly renovated space makes Haute Cabrière the ultimate belle femme of the Franschhoek Valley.

The renovation journey was aimed at building on the past 25 years, and setting the scene for the next. “The project has been about honouring the legacy of our heritage; while celebrating the beauty of evolution. Even though the wines and the destination are ever changing, it will never lose its essence,” says Takuan von Arnim, Director of Wine and 2nd generation Cellar Master.

“Every element of the project was ultimately designed to allow and inspire our guests to create and celebrate their own beautiful food and wine experiences,” continues von Arnim.

South African wine writer Malu Lambert happened to be in London when her country’s most famous wine was displayed in all its glory. We asked her for a report.

Vin de Constance is living history. It’s South Africa’s most fêted wine, and it has been for centuries. In the early 19th century, Constantia’s sweet wines were all the rage in the European courts. Nobility was said to prefer it over the likes of Yquem and Tokaji.

But unlike these two famous sweet wines, Vin de Constance isn’t botrytised. Termed a natural sweet wine, it is made from pale-skinned Muscat de Frontignan grapes left on the vine to dessicate until almost raisined. The must is fermented partly in tank and partly in barrel, then the wine is matured in oak, without fortification.

Vin de Constance is described as ‘a recreation of the legendary Constantia sweet wine made in the 18th and 19th centuries'.

One of South Africa’s most unique and awarded Sauvignon Blanc wines, the Winter Ferment from Diemersdal Estate in Durbanville, has seen the release of its third vintage. This wine, made from grapes harvested in February 2019, undergoes fermentation in the South African winter months after the freshly crushed juice was frozen for four months to give the wine a uniquely expressive fruit profile.

Since the first vintage of Winter Ferment in 2017 the wine has won numerous accolades, including spots in the FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc Competition and the Sauvignon Blanc Trophy at the National Young Wine Show.

In a quest for optimum tropical fruit expression in Sauvignon Blanc, Thys Louw, owner-winemaker at Diemersdal, released the first Winter Ferment in 2017. The wine is made by freezing the grape must to -20°C soon after the grapes were harvested in February. The frozen must is thawed in June, inoculated and allowed to ferment as per normal.

A wine farm in winter might not show the verdant rows of vineyards or the blooming wildflowers and trees one finds in late spring and summer. But this time of year has a beauty of its own, a dramatic one where the vines are leafless and bare, showing their knuckled scions and shoots reaching for the skies like eerie thin fingers.

The air is crisp and cold and the light sharply clear as it opens up the vineyards to the eye of the beholder. There is a peacefulness. After their energy-sapping growing-season, the spent vines have shed their leaves and are now in a state of dormancy. Resting to recuperate. Mustering the energy and power that will be required when the first birdsong and warm breeze of spring awakens them, heralding the start of another period of growth. Then the vines will be fresh with the urge to ripen grapes for the next harvest.

As far as activities on the farm goes, this is the time to prune. The workers are out in the vineyards with their secateurs busy with the art of pruning, something as old as viticulture itself.