I love Champagne as much as the next man, especially if someone else is paying. Over the last decade the prices of NV Champagnes have risen sharply. When once you could almost always pick up a Grande Marque for under £20 from somewhere like Oddbins, now anything under £30 is marketed as the best deal since the Yanks bought Alaska. It rather makes the bubbles stick in one’s throat. Bargain-loving fizz fans need an alternative…
Posts Tagged ‘south africa’
Aug
31
Sustainability at SAAM Mountain Vineyards
By Rob Pickard
Commitments to environmental and ethical issues have come to the forefront of business strategy over the last few years, with Corporate Social Responsibility a key area for company investment. Whether you feel these issues are important in the wine industry, or indeed whether eco-friendly wine production would influence the average consumer’s next wine purchase – many wine producers around the world believe in its …
Aug
13
Springfield Estate Wild Yeast Chardonnay 2006 (Robertson, South Africa)
I remember a young South African winemaker not long out of university swirling and sniffing a glass of Springfield Estate Wild Yeast Chardonnay and telling me that the way it was made contradicted everything he was told to do at school. “This is how not to make wine,” he told me “and I love it.”
Jul
28
Graham Beck (1929-2010)
by Bibendum Times
We arrived into work yesterday to the sad news that Graham Beck, the man behind the brand had passed away. Our thoughts are with his wife of 50 years, Rhona, and all the Beck family.
Graham was a pioneer of the modern South African wine industry and a pivotal figure in its resurgence in the years following the end of …
Jul
07
Sijnn Red 2007
I first tasted Sijnn (pronounced ‘Sin’) red at the Bibendum Times tasting at the Saatchi Gallery back in January but had to wait until our Bloggers World Cup Final to have another crack. It was a star performer for the South African team, impressing the judges with its spicy, savoury Rhone-esque style…
Jun
03
It's the World Cup Final!
You may have noticed there is a rather well-hyped football tournament taking place in South Africa this month. To celebrate this momentous occasion we have spent the last few months trying to decide which country would win a wine world cup. To do this we invited the crème de la crème of the London food and wine bloggerati to come and …
Jun
02
Shaka-Zulu South African cuisine & wine
By Steve Evans, http://awinemerchantslife.blogspot.com/
Today I visited Shaka-Zulu the new South African Zulu restaurant which opens in June. Michael Clark (ex sommelier now Shaka-Zulu project manager) and I have just finalised the 100 bin all South African still wine list and I’ve had the chance to see the fit out progress at the site. This included my first real life glimpse of the £2 million worth of …
Apr
06
SAAM 2006 Koopmanskraal Shiraz and roast loin of venison
By Denise Medrano, http://winesleuth.wordpress.com
SAAM Koopmanskraal Shiraz
Bisol Prosecco and Eatlikeagirl ran a competition not long ago to find the best Prosecco and food pairing. I entered but sadly didn’t even make the final (hey, I’m a wine blogger not a chef). Food Urchin won with his dish of Warm Winter Salad with Pheasant. Now, you’re probably wondering why …
Apr
06
De Trafford Chenin Blanc
A full-bodied, complex Chenin that really shows the grape’s potential in South Africa. The nose shows rich apricot and honey, subtle oak and a fine mineral character. The palate is rich and round with a long finish and with ripe fruit and vanilla oak in perfect harmony.
Mar
30
The flying sommelier part 6
By Olivier Gasselin,
View of Robertson with Johann de Wet from De Wetshof
We’re excited to publish a series of extracts from Olivier’s wine rambling in South Africa. This time he visits Hermanus. Olivier is the Head Sommelier at the Bluebird in Chelsea.
On the third day we planned to leave early, as we were meant …