Charles Withington Farewell in Darling - Judy
Charles is such a gentleman. He is also a great salesman, and this was apparent at his farewell held in early May at the Darling Museum, as he was handing over the keys of his beloved Darling Wine Shop to Christelle van der Vyver. I have known Charles for many years, and he always reminds me of driving up to Backsberg in my little red VW Citigolf many years ago, trying to get wineries on board at wine.co.za. Wonderful memories.
Reaching for Young Stars Winemakers' Lunch at Taj Cape Town - Judy
Showcook organises two big competitions annually, one of which is the Reaching for Young Stars, where they pair up candidates from leading culinary academies in the Western Cape with wineries. At the media launch, Showcook and Taj Cape Town treated us to an incredible Winemakers' Lunch on 7 May 2026, where the wineries showcased their wines selected for the competition, paired with delicious Indian dishes.
Shiraz SA Shootout at Clay Pigeon Adventures at Lourensford - Jeanine
On Friday, 8 May 2026, Shiraz SA hosted a thrilling shootout event at Clay Pigeon Adventures at Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West. A group of local Shiraz winemaker and aficionados gathered for an action-packed day of competition, all vying for the coveted title of Shiraz Shootout Champion.
Next Generation Awards at The Vineyard Hotel - Jeanine
The third annual Next Generation Awards, sponsored by iTOO and convened by Winemag.co.za, set out to identify South Africa's most promising winemakers aged 35 and under. The results of this wine competition were announced at an awards function on Tuesday, 19 May 2026 at The Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, Cape Town.
Wine Tourism Conference at Cavalli Estate - Judy
This is the 10th year of the Wine Tourism Conference – and the second year under the guidance of OnePoint Group and the first time the format was three days. Taking place from 19-21 May 2026, the first two days were an in-house conference at Cavalli Estate as before, including a number of panel discussions, and then the third day out in the field in various wine regions, experiencing real wine tourism.
Vergelegen Tasting with Luke O'Cuinneagain - Judy
What a pleasure to attend a wine tasting and lunch at Vergelegen, with cellarmaster Luke O’Cuinneagain taking us through their portfolio of wines: the Estate Range, the Reserve Range and the V. Our tasting concluded with lunch in the new temporary restaurant Firehorse, so named as it replaces Stables, which is being restored after a fire a few months ago. What a stunning space!
Launch of Du Bois Sonop Chenin Blanc 2025 on Sonop Farm - Jeanine
The Du Bois family of Du Bois Vineyards hosted the launch event of the 2025 vintage of Du Bois Vineyards Sonop Chenin Blanc on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 on their family farm, Sonop, outside Stellenbosch. They invited a select group of media and trade to celebrate the release of the latest vintage of their old vine Chenin Blanc, with a wine tasting and an alfresco lunch by Hygge Hygge among the vineyards.
Top 10 Merlot Awards at Klein Alto - Judy
The #HalloMerlot campaign started 5 years ago, and continues to honour those producing great Merlot. The 2026 Taransaud Merlot Top 10 awards ceremony was hosted on Wednesday, 18 June 2026 at Klein Alto in Stellenbosch. Here, the top 10 Merlot wines were announced, with top honours going to wineries like Delaire Graff, Dornier, Glenelly, Rainbow's End, Villiera, and others.
Diemersdal x De Wetshof Wineglobe Tasting at Galjoen - Jeanine
Diemersdal and De Wetshof hosted wine media and trade for a comparative tasting of the only two wines in South Africa fermented and matured in glass Wineglobe containers: Diemersdal The Globe Sauvignon Blanc 2024 and De Wetshof The Shard Chardonnay 2025. The tasting took place on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 at Galjoen Restaurant in Cape Town.
