season 2

Today we explore the Durbanville Wine Valley with 3 of its winemakers and discuss what makes this region so special. A mere 20 minutes drive from Cape Town, the Durbanville Wine Valley is fast becoming Cape Town’s destination of choice with its scenic vineyards, award-winning wines, and friendly atmosphere. We explore the Triple D's of Drink, Dine & Discover with De Grendel Cellar master Charles Hopkins, Winemaker & Assistant Manager at Klein Roosboom Piti Coetzee, and newly appointed Winemaker at Nitida Wines, Etienne Louw. You will laugh while you learn with this amazing #viathegrapevine chat! 

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Set in a fertile valley under a dramatic Paarl skyline, Brookdale Estate is tucked between the ancient granite mountains of the Klein Drakenstein and lush Paarl vineyards and farmlands. The historic estate has been lovingly restored by the Rudd family, with the Manor House rebuilt and the vineyards rejuvenated and replanted. A working wine estate, private and accessible only to guests staying on the estate, Brookdale has scooped up a rising star in the winemaking world, Kiara Scott. Guy chats to her about her journey to Brookdale, the CWG Protégé Programme and how its shaped her developing philosophy. 

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With #SauvBlancDay being celebrated on 7 May, and Durbanville Wine Valley ranking as one of the region’s premier destinations and one of the best Sauvignon Blanc growing regions on the continent, it made sense that we celebrate one of the finest Producers of Sauvignon Blanc in South Africa. Six generations of Louws have practiced the art of winemaking at Diemersdal since the Estate passed into their hands in 1885 and Guy caught up with Cellar master Thys Louw for a quick insight into their Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, what Thys believes sets them apart from the competition and what his hidden talent is.  

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 Kleine Zalze’s award-winning wines are known for their distinctly South African character, boasting lively, full-bodied flavours that reflect the local climate and terroir. Guy chats to Cellar master Alastair Rimmer about the cellar ethos, new release Family Reserve Wines, Project "Z" & his hidden talent.
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 THIS IS NOT WINE!! So what is it then? Find out more on #viathegrapevine this week Wednesday when Guy chats to Ross Sleet of Rascallion Rascallion Wines about how he has changed the conversation around wine and his new releases coming end of May 2021! If not, Wine not?  

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 In the heart of the Elgin Valley, nestled between vineyard rows, orchards of apples and pears with an amphitheater of the Kogelberg and Hottentots Holland mountain ranges, lies the home of Elgin Vintners on the Elgin Orchards farm which dates back to 1890. It offers wines with complexity, finesse, and elegance. Winemaker, business manager, and shareholder Marinda Kruger-Claassen joins Guy McDonald to share what makes her award-winning wines so special and what you can expect from her latest range, Cloud Haven   #viathegrapevine proudly brought to you by Liquor City Claremont   

South Africa’s first Cap Classique ever made – the iconic Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel – celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The milestone also marks the birth of the country’s Cap Classique category, which has become the ambassador for South African wine excellence at home and abroad. Guy chats to Johan Malan about his father's legacy and what new varieties could be included in this iconic Cap Classique in the future .  

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 The exciting second vintage of a limited-edition Stellenbosch wine only made in years of exceptional harvests has just been released. The Sense of Place Kastanjeberg 2020 is the flagship wooded, single-vineyard Chenin Blanc made by Stellenbosch Hills. Winemak 

A member of the Old Vine Project, Jordan Wines has been making world-class wines since 1993 on this 164 ha Stellenbosch property. They focus on producing fiercely individual wines that combine the fruity accessibility of the New World with the Classic Elegance of the Old. Here to share more on their wines and entice you to visit is Jacques Steyn, 2nd youngest Cape Wine Master and General Manager of Jordan Wine Estate.  

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  Dirk van Zyl joined the Saxenburg family in December 2019. His 2020 maiden vintage of white wines is now ready to be released and Guy is one of the first besides the estate to taste them; a privilege, especially when it comes to Dirk's Winemaker’s Blend’ which is available exclusively to the Saxenburg Wine Club members. Find out which is Guy's favourite of the four wines as well as why you should become a member of the Saxenburg Wine Club. 

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 If you've ever met a Rhodesian Ridgeback you'll know that they are inquisitive and friendly dogs that are full of character. A visit to Ridgeback Wines will introduce you to a world of distinctive wines that are full of character and very friendly on the palate.  With the launch of their Brand new Tasting Centre, Ridgeback Wines now offer you the opportunity to sample their award-winning wines in a space designed for your comfort with a deck overlooking a dam populated with a range of exotic waterfowl. Guy chats to Luan Aucamp about some of the other changes at Ridgeback that include honing their wine offering.  

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 How would you like to support an all-woman firefighting team that is arguably the only one in Africa? You would? Excellent!! Well, purchase a bottle (or 6) of Circa Pinotage Brut Rosé from Huis van Chevallerie winery and it will be your goodwill purchase-with-a-conscience. Guy chats to Christa von La Chevallerie about how she discovered Juliet Crew, the fledgling firefighting outfit established just over 12 months ago, and why their story resonated with her.     . #viathegrapevine proudly brought to you by Liquor City Claremont  

Que sera, sera as Doris Day sang, whatever will be, will be. Well at Kleinood - Home of Tamboerskloof Wines that will be Que Syrah, Syrah. Nestled in the Blaauwklippen Valley on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain outside Stellenbosch – the premier red wine area in the Cape, Kleinood's focus is on specializing in the production of only a Syrah-based red wine, a small production of Viognier and Syrah Rosé. Guy chats to Winemaker Reynie Oosthuizen and marketing specialist, self-proclaimed farm "gopher" and son of the owners, Spicer de Villiers. Find out what else is produced on the farm besides wine and discover some of the treasures in The Cupboard of Curiosities.  #viathegrapevine proudly brought to you by Liquor City Claremont  

 Home of the Roos Family since 1963 Mooiplaas, meaning beautiful farm, is situated high in the Bottelary Hills of Stellenbosch, the heart of the Cape Winelands. In the final installment of Via The Grapevine for 2020, Guy chats to owner and Cellar Master Louis Roos about the family's biodiversity vision, their recent awards, and acknowledgment from Tim Atkins MW and Decanter as well as their all-important WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Conservation Champion status.  Proudly brought to you by LiquorCity Claremont. Visit their wine emporium for a journey Via The Grapevine.  

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 The Hemel-en-Aarde is widely regarded as one of the most exciting wine areas in South Africa and one of the most beautiful. To many, it is the place for fine, restrained, classically styled South African Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But now there is a new grape variety being explored at Newton Johnson Vineyards and it is delicious. Guy chats to Bevan Newton Johnson and discovers what makes the "Heaven and Earth" valley so special and what he is most proud of in life. Via The Grapevine is brought to you by LiquorCity Claremont nd unique wines to your doorstep with some exclusive wine offers. 

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  Vondeling Wines has extended their limited-release Bowwood range with the launch of a full-bodied, natural-fermented wooded Chenin Blanc. Guy chats to Senior Winemaker Matthew Copeland about this and Matthew's goal to "Ignite the Voor Paardeberg. 

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  Only a 15-minute drive from the city, De Grendel, a historic winery that sits on Cape Town’s Durbanville Wine Route offers a world-class Winelands experience, with award-winning wines, resident wild game, and the best views of Table Mountain setting it apart! Cellarmaster and industry legend Charles Hopkins shares with Guy what keeps him curious about cultivars, his preference for conversation over Google, and as a cellar master who has mentored more Cape Winemakers’ Guild protégés than any other Guild member, what he thinks defines a modern winemaker ? 

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   This Estate is home to not only some of the finest Bordeaux blends created in South Africa but also one of the world's most extraordinary glass collections. Winemaker and Africa Sales Manager at Glenelly Wine estate, Luke O’Cuinneagain joins Guy McDonald to share which 2 grape varieties have most surprised him in their response to Glenelly's unique terroir; some of the ways that he mixes contemporary technology and timeless practices in his winemaking and...is it true that their museum-status glassware collection includes a piece 300 years older than, Jesus     

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  In this installment of Via The Grapevine, Guy chats to Maryna Calow, the Communications Manager at Wines of South Africa – otherwise known as WOSA. He finds out what the impact of Covid 19 Lockdown restrictions have had on our Wine industry and what are the positives (if any) we can take out of this devastation.

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•      Remhoogte Wine Estate Their Great Grandfather discovered the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, and when you taste their wines you'll feel like royalty too. Brothers Rob and Chris Boustred join Guy for a chat about that heritage and the award-winning wines they are currently creating.    #viathegrapevine proudly brought to you by Liquor City Claremont 

     Is a Sommelier just a wine steward? If you can open a bottle of wine without breaking it and pour it without spillage are you ready to be a Somm? Well, actually no. There is a lot more to it and Guy chats to Spencer Fondaumiere, Vice-chairman of the South African Sommeliers Association, about what it takes to be a professional Sommelier. He also gets Spencer to pop the cork on something new... Somm On Call, which puts a Sommelier on Speed Dial and brings rare and unique wines to your doorstep with some exclusive wine offers. #viathegrapevine proudly brought to you by Liquor City Claremont 

 SPIDER PIG WINES - We chat to David Wibberley and David Nel live from their Pig Sty about how a Marketing dream that melds both the love of Bacon & TV shows spawned a wine brand called Spider Pig. We discover that it may be fun and funky on the outside, but on the inside, Spider-Pig is seriously good wine made by some of the most revered names in the industry. 

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  For most people, the word Vriesenhof is synonymous with winemaking legend Jan “Boland” Coetzee. Famous for his rugby prowess and his ability to sidestep the authorities when it came to smuggling Chardonnay vine into SA. Today, Winemaker Nicky Claasens is creating a “Flocking Frenzy” with his talent for  “unobtrusive manipulation”. In this edition, if Via The Grapevine, Guy McDonald finds out what Nicky’s favorite varietal is to drink, which Vriesenhof wine he is pinning his signature hopes on, and a little more about the new release Grenache Rosé.

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   Did you know that Methode Cap Classique turns 50 next year? Guy talks to the effervescent Caroline van Schalkwyk over a glass of Bubbly about the work of the Cap Classique Producers Association of South Africa; new legislation on the definition of a Cap Classique and how you or I can become a member of The Cap Classique Community. As always there is a chance for you to win... this week it is a mixed case of 6 of SA's finest MCC's.

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  “Red, red wine” as the song goes, has always been the focus at Middelvlei Wine Estate but change is afoot with diversification into Bush Vine Chenin Blanc being a new development to look forward to. Find out more from Cellarmaster Tinnie Momberg as he chats to Guy McDonald about his favorite variety to farm & two new releases to look forward to. 

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  It's not every year, never mind every day, that one of the original Stellenbosch wine estates and one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms release a new wine!! Founded in 1682 by Gerrit Jansz Visser, it is of course, Blaauwklippen. We celebrate an exciting new release that pays homage to more than 300 years of wine history and the distinctive blue-grey granite that gave the farm its original name, De Blaauwe Klip 2017. Join winemaker Narina Cloete and Guy McDonald for another fascinating journey. 

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Guy McDonald chats to Bertie Coetzee of Lowerland Wines about this intriguing wine, it’s name, it’s label AND his career as a Rock ‘n Roll Singer. (Remember Zinkplaat? Ja, my bru) You’ll also discover he has some pretty legend winemaking friends!! 

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  Guy McDonald chats to Ann Ferreira of Pieter Ferreira MCCs about her ownership of her husband (“finally”), their maiden Rosé Vintage, ALL those amazing awards they have achieved & when will "Bubbles Ferreira" actually retire from active service (hopefully never).

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