Norman McFarlane

Norman McFarlane has conducted a love affair with wine since his late father allowed him his first glass at the age of 15 in a restaurant in Port Elizabeth way back in the early 70's.

After a career spanning 30 years in human resources and information technology, he opted for the pursuit of his first love in life: writing about wine, food and travel. His writing is inclined to be of a technical bent, and he has an inquisitive nose, inclined to sniff out what his readers will hopefully consider interesting stories.

He currently writes for Bolander Lifestyle and Property, Classic WINE, The Month and of course wine.co.za. He runs two blogs - Man in the Kitchen, where he shares his thoughts on wine, food and travel, and Norman's Musings where he pens his thoughts on pretty much anything else (politics, economics, social issues and the like) he chooses to comment on.

Norman has won a number of journalism awards in the last four years, most recently the Franschhoek Literary Festival SA Wine Writer Prize for 2012.

What's happening to SA's vineyards?

The Status of Vineyards, a document issued annually by SAWIS (South African Wine Industry Information & Systems) makes very interesting reading. The most recent edition, December 2011, tells an intriguing tale of where our national vineyard is headed, which may or may not be rather sobering.

Norman McFarlane

The CWG Protégé Program: Transforming the Wine Industry?

When the Cape Winemakers Guild established its Protégé Program in 2006 under chairpersonship of Phillip Costandius, it had a clear intention of kick-starting transformation at winemaker level. Seven years on, as the Guild celebrates its 30th anniversary, what progress has been made?

Norman McFarlane

Landau du Val: a vinous treasure

"When Jane and I bought the farm back in 1986, we had no idea that this vineyard existed," says Basil Landau. We're standing in the centre of an ancient vineyard of Semillon, 106 years old this year, on Basil and Jane Landau's farm La Brie, just off the Robertsvlei Road in the Franschhoek Valley.

Norman McFarlane

24 hours in Darling

The thing that strikes you most as you approach the Groote Post cellar is the lack of vineyards, and the profusion of goats, but if you look up and over the stately Cape Dutch manor house at the Darling Hills beyond, you can see the bright green of vineyards in full leaf, the neophyte berries invisible at this distance, but swelling with the promise of the new harvest.