Chenin Blanc

Soweto Wine Festival in Diepkloof. Spending the night at the superb Soweto Hotel in Kliptown afterwards, was my contribution to responsible drinking.

De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2011 (R64) for the funky black diamonds of Diepkloof. “I went to Maponya Mall and although I felt out of place, everyone was very friendly.” An unwooded Chardonny with fresh chalky flavours, this hill is the epitome of elegance in a varietal too often overwooded.

An "enthusiastic amateur", he owns a small farm on the Paarderg which supplies a few grapes to Swartland Winery, a producer he has yet to write about. After two decades in the spittoon, he retains a healthy disregard for the anoraks, bowties and Emperors of drink and their new clothes.

What you should be drinking this summer - Times LIVE (blog)

Wosa ), exports to the United Kingdom alone dropped by more than 40 percent in 2010/11. Not ideal for the producer, but fantastic for us, retailing to the South-African end-consumer. These export wines are currently dumped onto the local market and therefore forcing wine prices down.

A:Plenty! At the moment we are experiencing the biggest volumes of excess wine in South Africa ever, resulting in distributors and wine farms approaching us on a daily basis to promote and sell their wines online. We find ourselves in the fortunate position of being spoilt for choice, which allows us to keep the quality of the wines we offer of a very high standard.

An "enthusiastic amateur", he owns a small farm on the Paarderg which supplies a few grapes to Swartland Winery, a producer he has yet to write about. After two decades in the spittoon, he retains a healthy disregard for the anoraks, bowties and Emperors of drink and their new clothes.

Is getwine the cheapest wine retailer in SA? - Times LIVE (blog)

Platter's Wine Guide will be released only next month, the winners of its top ratings were announced this week at the Cape Wine Europe 2011, the enormous tasting of South African wine for professionals held every two years in London.

This year 45 wines rate five stars. They satisfactorily represent the Cape's wine areas, newer and more established wineries, and larger and smaller ones, patterns neatly illustrated by three producers that each have three wines on the list.

Nederburg is by far the oldest and largest, though it is only in the past decade that it has inexorably risen across its various levels to the point where virtually any wine bearing its label arouses expectations of real satisfaction. Ingenuity White, a blend of eight varieties, has won five stars for each of its four releases to date, a record closely followed by that of Newton Johnson Domaine Pinot Noir with an unblemished three. Two dessert wines, Edelkeur and Eminence, were Nederburg's other five-star winners, also of the 2010 vintage.

Remarkably, there have been only three years since 2000 that did not feature either its syrah or cabernet sauvignon. This year both are present, from the 2009 vintage, with the superbly elegant noble late harvest 2008.

Platter high-fives to diverse vineyards - Mail & Guardian Online

The Loire has the ability to make excellent wines from grapes that elsewhere are considered second-rate. Its white chenin blancs are rich and lively, while those in South Africa and California often are criticized as bland. Its cabernet francs stand on their own as raspberry-scented, medium-bodied reds, while even in nearby Bordeaux they are mainly blending grapes adding fragrance to wines based on cabernet sauvignon.

And the Loire’s white muscadet wine, made of a local grape called melon de Bourgogne that’s hardly grown elsewhere, is crisp, light, bone-dry and almost prickly, called the perfect wine for oysters.

The Loire also makes excellent sparkling wines, called mousseux or crémant, from chenin blanc and chardonnay. They can’t call them champagne because, even though they’re French, they aren’t grown in the area northeast of Paris called Champagne.

Best of all, Loire wines have friendly prices. So the next time you look up cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay on a restaurant wine list and frown at the prices, leaf over to the Loire wines and put that smile back on your face.

Loire valley wines winning new fans - MiamiHerald.com

Finding a wine that is readily available, a good value to price and under $15 is not easy. Most of my selections come from the supermarket and the rest from Costco, Bev-Mo, Cost Plus World Market or Trader Joe's. Navigating the supermarket wine wall can be confusing, intimidating and frustrating. I hope my wine picks this past year have been helpful.

Esta Vinho Verde. My favorite wine from this group would be the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc. The wine is blended with viognier, giving it nice floral aromas. With chenin flavors of stone fruits, fresh peaches and nectarines, it works well with light dishes or as an afternoon quaffer. The suggested retail is $15, but it goes on sale for about $11. The best bargain selection would be the Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc, which Costco has for $6.99 for 1.5 liters. This is a perfect house white. It's great for wine coolers and for neighbors who drop by for a glass.

Casto Oaks Mariposa County Cabernet Sauvignon, Kenwood Sonoma County Zinfandel, Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel, Sterling Central Coast Meritage, Square Nail Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot.

J. Lohr Falcon's Perch Pinot Noir, Bota Box Malbec, McManis Petite Sirah and Big House Red. My top red is a tie between Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon and Kenwood Zinfandel. Both list for $14 but on the wine wall are $10, a super deal. The best bargain on the list is a tie between Bota Box Malbec and Big House Red. Both are box wines and are handy for picnics, camping or tailgating. The wine stays fresh for four weeks or more and is perfect for those thirsty neighbors.

Wine Line: Four years and counting - Merced Sun-Star