Out and About with wine.co.za: Wine tastings, awards ceremonies and more in June/July 2022

Friday, 12 August, 2022
wine.co.za
Media days, wine tastings, awards ceremonies, launch parties... Take a look at these snapshots from the events that the wine.co.za team attended in June and July 2022.

SA Wine Industry Media Day at The Wine Arc - Frank & Jeanine

Frank and Jeanine attended Vinpro's annual SA Wine Industry Media Day at The Wine Arc on Friday 3 June. Apart from Vinpro, we listened to industry experts from WoSA, SAWIS, Winetech, and SAWITU. The two main topics of discussion were the South African wine harvest 2022 and the South African wine industry.

 

Vertical showcase of the Simonsig Tiara - Jeanine

Simonsig Wine Estate in Stellenbosch hosted a group of wine lovers for a vertical tasting of the iconic Simonsig Tiara on Tuesday 7 June. The vintages of the Simonsig Tiara on offer at this particular tasting included the 2001 (the editor's personal favourite), 2007, 2008, 2015 (a firm favourite among the guests, esp. in the magnum), current vintage 2017, and the soon-to-be-released 2018 vintage.

 

Launch of the Jack Journal Volume 3 with Bruce Jack Wines - Jeanine & Trudie

Celebrating the release of the Jack Journal Volume 3, was a special gathering of people of all walks of life, sharing a love for art and wine. The launch event took place at Yumcious Cafe in Green Point, Cape Town, on Tuesday 14 June.

Bruce Jack's magazine is about "art, adventure, music, history, food, poetry, beer, social upliftment, surfing and wine". It really does touch on all of those things in a beautiful way. If you want to treat yourself to a print magazine, the Jack Journal is one of those special collectible magazines.

 

WSET Diploma Graduation 2022 at Clara's Barn - Jeanine

The International Wine Education Centre (IWEC) honoured the 9 graduates who completed the taxing WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines qualification with a graduation ceremony on Tuesday 21 June at Clara’s Barn, Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate. To complement the celebration, guests were served delicious dishes from Chef Bertus Basson's kitchen.

 

Inaugural Hallo Merlot Top 10 awards ceremony at Vondeling - Jeanine

The awards ceremony of the inaugural Hallo Merlot Top 10 Competition took place on Wednesday 22 June. Hosted by Vondeling Wines, guests were able to taste the best 26 Merlot wines out of the total of 71 entries from wineries spread throughout the Cape. Merlot wines from the Paarl region, however, led the way. From the 10 top-scoring wines, four originated from Paarl wineries, followed by three from Stellenbosch, with Merlot producers in Elgin, the Swartland and Constantia making up the balance.

 

Revitalised and reimagined: Backsberg re-launches in Franschhoek - Jeanine & Trudie

Now situated in Franschhoek, wine lovers can enjoy a refreshed portfolio of Backsberg wines from their new tasting facility, which was introduced at a glamorous launch party on the evening of Thursday 30 June. Read more about Backberg's new brand home HERE.

 

Investec Trophy Wine Show Awards Function 2022 - Jeanine

The Awards function for the Trophy Wine Show was hosted at Investec Cape Town on Wednesday 6 July 2022. The change from the usual venue heralded a new era in the history of the show. This year, Investec became the headline sponsor of the wine industry’s most prestigious wine competition.

 

Launch of De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2022 - Jeanine

On Wednesday 13 July, Jeanine went to the launch of the latest vintage of De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay at the stunning The Silo Hotel. We tasted the De Wetshof Limestone Hill 2022 as well as the other Chardonnays in De Wetshof's range. The 2022 De Wetshof Limestone Hill emphasises the reputation 2022 is garnering for being a top vintage for white wines in the Cape Winelands.

The wine tasting was followed by a delicious three-course lunch catered by The Silo Hotel.

 

Release of Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2019 - Jeanine

Jeanine was a guest at the launch of the latest Kanonkop Paul Sauer at Kanonkop Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, on Tuesday 19 July. The release of the 2019 Paul Sauer commenced with a presentation by cellarmaster Abrie Beeslaar on the history and heritage of the estate. For the main event, we had a vertical wine tasting of select vintages of Kanonkop's Kadette Cape Blend, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Paul Sauer.

 

Bosman Optenhorst Chenin Blanc Vineyard's 70th Celebration - Jeanine

On the afternoon of Friday 30 July, a group of wine lovers gathered on the farm to celebrate the birthday of Bosman Family Vineyards's Optenhorst Chenin Blanc vineyard. The Optenhorst Chenin Blanc was planted in 1952, making it the third oldest Chenin vineyard in South Africa. Not only are they celebrating this site's birthday but also the 16 years of being able to prepare the wine at their cellar.