In the mid-1990s Hennie, Bussell, Phillip and Neil Retief – famously known as the Four Cousins – joined the family business and today run the company side by side, having made it South Africa’s leading family-owned winery. From the cousins in the Cape to my rack in Joburg came the Retief Reserve, another brand under…
Tag: wine drinking
[REVIEW] Bayede! Prince Cabernet Sauvignon
You have probably seen these beads while you walk down the vino aisles. They belong to Bayede! wines. Bayede! have created a range of premium wines that don’t break the bank. In fact, I think they are the most affordable wines in the market currently. I was first introduced to Bayede! wines in 2016 while…
A taste of the greats with Vriesenhof
Before I get down and dirty with all the juicy details, lets just talk about where it was held. It is at times like these that I am ashamed to call myself a Jozi/Joburg original or even a foodie. There are so many hidden jems in our very own CBD that I have no even…
Alto wines: A centenary of winemaking
Upon searching my parent’s wine collection, I came across an extensive collection of vintage wines. Excited, I decided to archive it all. I had no idea that my parents were holding such great pieces of history. One of those is a 1997 Alto Rouge that I am battling to find information on. With the centenary…
#Virtualtasting 19 August 2018
For this women’s month, Steenberg Wines and Glenelly Wines have delivered their flagship wines (and one extra MCC from Steenberg) for a virtual tasting hosted live on Twitter. I am particularly excited for this pairing as I can bring my two loves together, wine and food. I already have an idea of what I’m going…
Your Winter Wine and Food Pairing Guide
Again, winemag has come to the rescue with this brilliant piece that will warm us up for this winter. When the weather cools down, it’s time to heat things up in the kitchen. If you’re anything like the editors at Wine Enthusiast, you’re craving the soul-warming comfort food and wine pairings that bring family and…
Dieu Donne wine pairing
Starting off the year was the best meet up group on this planet: Wine and Belgium Beer Connect. As usual with this meet up, you meet new friends and catch up with old ones. Sat with my good wine buddy Lindi and she introduced us to some of her partner’s Mexican friends. This made me…
How to Order Wine Without Looking Like an Idiot
This satirical piece I read online will make in the smallest wine lover into a wine snob! No one likes to feel like a dope when staring down a wine list. So here’s a cheat sheet on how to avoid embarrassment, culled from the collective wisdom of sommeliers and other wine professionals. BEFORE THE RESTAURANT…
Be a Glass Snob not just a Wine Snob
For the purpose of this blog, I am going to refer obviously to wine glasses but most importantly, parts of the glass too. This illustration can help you understand: It may not seem like an important factor, but your choice of wine glass can have a big impact on how your wine tastes. Different wine…
Another Meet up with Wine
This last Thursday I went to another one of Wine Connects Meet up at Gorge Krammerville. One this lovely warm evening, we were invited to sit on their upstairs area which overlooked the whole of Sandton, if you were sitting at the right spot. This wine connect was hosted by Simonsig and Jack Black beer…
Its Lady Vera 