Online Tasting - A virtual journey through the South African wine world

It was an extraordinary evening that focused on two outstanding women and their exceptional wines: Stephanie Wiid from Thistle & Weed and Jocelyn Hogan from Hogan Wines. Both winemakers are not only passionate vintners, but also owners of their own wineries – their wines speak for themselves: both have received numerous awards and are known for their innovative approach and the excellent quality of their wines.

At Let's Taste Together, we enjoyed a special evening where two of Stellenbosch's most talented winemakers competed against each other in a friendly contest: Rudi Schultz, winemaker at Thelema, and Dirk van Zyl, winemaker at Glenelly.

Both wineries are just a stone's throw away from each other and each presented two of their best wines. Together, we celebrated the diversity and quality of the wines that Stellenbosch has to offer.

2025 marks a very special anniversary: 100 years of Pinotage – South Africa's iconic grape variety celebrates a century of character, change and success. Together with Abrie Beeslaar, one of the country's most renowned winemakers and internationally known as the ‘Pinotage Pope’, we tasted four expressive Pinotage wines – each an example of the style, origin and interpretation of this unique South African grape variety, which is held in high regard by many winemakers and consumers alike.

We kicked off our new tasting season with a real highlight: together we opened the doors to one of South Africa's most impressive wine estates - Babylonstoren. Directly from the heart of the Cape Winelands, Charl Coetzee, the estate's long-serving cellar master, accompanied us through the evening. Babylonstoren is much more than just a winery: it is a place where nature, craftsmanship, aesthetics and enjoyment come together in a unique way. The wines reflect exactly that - they are pure, clear and full of character.

With the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the silhouette of Table Mountain on the other, Cape Point Vineyards is renowned for producing some of South Africa's finest white wines. In a breathtaking landscape, the cool sea breezes and abundant sunshine of southern Africa give the wines an unrivalled freshness and minerality.Hannes Meyer, the cellar master and CEO, brings his expertise and an unrivalled passion and dedication to every detail of the winemaking process.

The Glenelly Estate, founded by Bordeaux legend May de Lencquesaing, is a renowned wine estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

It combines French traditions with modern techniques. The wines are characterised by their quality, sustainability and unique terroir. Under the leadership of CEO Nicolas Bureau, the team works passionately to showcase South African wine culture.

The Keermont wine estate, located in Stellenbosch, is characterised by its unique vineyards that span a variety of microclimates and soil types.

With a deep connection to nature and a philosophy based on sustainability and traditional winemaking, Keermont, together with talented winemaker Alex Starey, creates wines of exceptional elegance and depth.

Spier Wine Farm, a historic estate in Stellenbosch, epitomises the rich tradition and timeless elegance of South African winemaking.

Since its foundation in 1692, it has made a name for itself for outstanding wines. Surrounded by a breathtaking landscape, Spier benefits from a unique microclimate that provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of different grape varieties.

Vergelegen, one of South Africa's most prestigious and historic wine estates, founded in the 17th century, is situated in the picturesque Somerset West region near Cape Town.

The estate, with winemaker Luke O'Cuinneagain, has a long tradition of winemaking and is known for its unwavering commitment to quality and innovation.

The location in Robertson, one of South Africa's leading wine regions, offers optimal conditions for growing grapes of the highest quality.

Thanks to the careful selection of grape varieties and the sustainable cultivation of the vineyards, Springfield Estate is able to produce wines of exceptional depth and complexity.

Hartenberg, in South Africa, with an outstanding location in Stellenbosch, has a long tradition of wine production.

The winery favours sustainable wine production in order to protect the environment and improve the quality of its wines. Carl Schultz, himself a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild, is a respected, high-calibre winemaker.

The South African winery Uva Mira, rises majestically on the Helderberg. Characterised by the cool ocean breeze and the unique terroir, wines of unparalleled quality are produced.

Each bottle tells the story of the Helderberg and the passion of talented winemaker Christiaan Coetzee for winemaking.

The South African winery Thelema, based in Stellenbosch, South Africa, is synonymous with first-class viticulture and quality.

Four outstanding wines from Thelema and Sutherland were presented. The event was hosted by Crescenda, Thelema's experienced Tasting Room Manager.

The South African winery Waterkloof, located in the Western Cape, is a pioneer in biodynamic viticulture.

Louis Boutinot, the passionate owner, leads the philosophy of the winery with enthusiasm and commitment and guided us through an entertaining online tasting.

The South African winery Bouchard Finlayson, located in the"Cool Climate" region, offers ideal conditions for the cultivation of excellent grapes. Bouchard Finlayson specialises in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which are known for their refinement and finesse. Winemaker Chris Albrecht took us on an exciting journey of winemaking and tasting.

With Samantha O'Keefe from Lismore Estate Vineyards, we got to know one of South Africa's outstanding winemakers and her excellent wines this evening. The"Wine of Origin Greyton" designation of origin was created for her business and as second chairwoman of the CapeWinemakers Guild, she is now giving the slightly dusty shop a good airing.

We were welcomed to Haskell, the home of 5-star wines, where the humble and super pleasant winemaker Rudolph Steenkamp guided us through the high-calibre tasting .

He told us about his passion for wine and nature and that he converted the farm to organic farming for this very reason. We can expect the first certified wines in 2023.

Two absolute high-calibre names in the South African wine industry:

Cathy Marshall, a veteran with outstanding wines from the Elgin region. You can expect wines with great depth and intensity, highly prized and award-winning.

Erika Obermeyer has created 5-star wines almost from scratch and was recently inducted into the honourable Cape Winemakers Guild.

There is something magical aboutDeMorgenzon. The enchanting and varied gardens cast a spell over visitors, as does the classical music that plays in the garden, the vines and the wine cellar. The team is firmly convinced that the music influences the growth and quality of the plants. Alastair Rimmer, the former winemaker of Kleine Zalze, led us through the event and presented wines that are harmonious and well-rounded.

Our soil is life. Mach works according to this ethical principle at Avondale. We humans live together with animals, plants, water and the earth in a dynamic system. This system has been put in order at Avondale, thanks to a long and arduous journey. The wines that Johnathan Grieve has presented are in exactly this harmony, soft, round, harmonious and lovingly hand-caressed. Premium qualities from Mother Nature!

De Krans is a small family-run wine farm in the centre of the Klein Karoo. Far away from modern Stellenbosch, the old, very traditional wine estate has a history dating back to 1890 and the Nel family has focussed on Portuguese grape varieties that can withstand this climate. De Krans is one of the leading producers of Port style wines and award-winning table wines. Boets, the humble and friendly owner, invited us on an adventurous wine journey.

There are two possibilities. Either you have never heard of Bartinney and have never tasted anything, or you have tasted it and have been buying regularly ever since. All hypothetically conceivable variants in between are difficult for us to imagine. We got to know some outstanding wines with winemaker Ronell Wiid on this very special evening.

Van Loveren is the largest family-run wine estate in South Africa. It is characterised by its success, its social vein and its loyalty. The wines are among the most popular in our range and cover the entire spectrum from quaffable everyday wines to the highly priced Christina wines. The tasting was interesting for beginners, connoisseurs and the curious alike!

Sommelier Stefan Metzner met winemaking legend Kevin Grant. Together they tasted four current wines and chatted about the "Black Method" of making Chardonnay - a long-forgotten method that originally comes from Burgundy and which Kevin discovered for himself in the 2020 vintage. It was an event for all Ataraxia, Chardonnay and Hemel en Aarde fans.

We experienced a very special hour with one of the most extraordinary women we know. With just two helpers, Mary-Lou Nash produces only top-class wines on her farm. From planting the vines to loading them with a forklift truck, there is nothing that the winemaker from Black Pearl doesn't do herself. She also sits on a number of tasting panels as a judge and trained as a beer sommelier. Some people simply have more energy than others.......

The number of opportunities to meet one of the world's 418 Masters of Wine in person is limited, and this tasting with the slightly eccentric British MW Richard Kershaw was one of them. Known as a perfectionist, the Cape winemaker knows how wine should taste and therefore makes no compromises himself. The conversation between him and Stefan Metzner, who has been collecting Richard's wines for years, was certainly one of the highlights of the tasting year.

The enchanting Bosman Family Vineyards is located near Wellington. Now in its eighth wine-loving generation, this farm is run by the Bosman family and is a true model company in many respects.

And not just because of the elegant wines that Natasha Williams presses here for you and which we got to know on this special evening!

Thelema has been one of South Africa's leading producers for around forty years now and is hard to beat across its entire portfolio in terms of value for money and continuity. From Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay to Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon to exquisite cuvées, the winery serves all personal preferences at a consistently high level. We were accompanied through the evening by Thomas Webb.

Chardonnay is probably the most international of all white grape varieties and is also widely cultivated in the Cape. If some professionals are to be believed, the best Chardonnays in South Africa come from the cool climate region beyond Sir Lowry's Pass. Our sommelier Stefan Metzner told the participants how the wines we selected fared among the international Chardonnays.

Our sommelier Stefan Metzner guided us through this entertaining evening. Together we tasted three current Chenin Blanc wines and chatted.