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A beautiful morning at De Morgenzon
I came across the De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc 2005 during my stint as sommelier and it made a huge impression. I wanted to cry when the vintage changed and the 2006 was a less than stellar attempt, but...
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An Ode to Tracy Chapman… and the Swartland Revolution
When Tracy Chapman sang about a Revolution “Don’t you know you’re talkin’ about a revolution, it sounds like a whisper…” she clearly did not have a wine revolution in mind. There was no whispering at...
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Cape Winemakers Guild Auction 2012
The 28th edition of the yearly CWG auction hosted on Saturday 6 September 2012 at the Spier Convention Center saw a new record for total sales. Here’s some of the stats from the event: Total Sales –...
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A survival guide to a revolution: The Swartland Revolution 2012…and 2013…and...
Nobody “attends” a revolution; you live through it and you experience it. We’ve been “experiencing” the Swartland Revolution since it exploded onto the scene 2 years ago. After that now-iconic first...
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The Swartland Revolution 2013: A celebratory recap
I woke up on Sunday morning with one of those hangovers where you start groaning before you even open your eyes. I should’ve known better being a veteran of 4 Swartland Revolutions, but we enjoyed...
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The wines we drink: AA Badenhorst Family White 2011
“AA Badenhorst Family Wines White Blend ” is quite a mouthful of a name. The list of varieties, too: Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Verdehlo, Colombar, Viognier, Chardonnay,...
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The wines we drink: Mount Abora Koggelbos 2011
The Swartland is the hottest of the South African wine regions where the focus is on still, unfortified wines. Often in the past the hot climate meant confected, overripe red wines, a style that I hate...
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Swartland Revolution 2014: An introspective retrospective
This was going to be our last Swartland Revolution; for the foreseeable future. It was time to give it a rest, 5 years in a row is long enough… The Swartland Revolution has grown from the first event...
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The wines we drink: AA Badenhorst Family Wines Red Blend 2012
The name is quite a mouthful; wait until you get to the blend makeup: Shiraz (75%), Cinsault (12%), Tinta Barocca, Grenache and Mourvedre. The wine itself is even bigger, yet we happily finished the...
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