Three of our top reads for 2016 ...

Monday, 2 January, 2017
wine.co.za
The one survived over 60 wine and food tastings in 2016; the other celebrated its 10th anniversary and the third is about a budding young writer who walked away with a grand prize of R15 000.

1. Top ten cellar-door restaurants 2016

Food, wine and travel writer, Graham Howe survived over sixty food and wine tastings on the winelands circuit in 2016 - and picks his top ten favourite cellar-door restaurants of the year.

Lunch at Faber at Avondale in Paarl was one of the highlights of my big eat on the food and wine circuit in 2016. Opened in October by acclaimed winelands chef Eric Bulpitt, Faber (meaning artisan) is one of one of the hottest cellar-door newcomers of the season. Inspired by the chef’s farm childhood and the bio-dynamic ethos of Avondale, much of the fare, from free-range eggs and micro-herbs to fruit and vegetables are sourced from the farm’s organic garden and orchards.

Click HERE to read the article online.

2. Bonnievale Winery celebrates a decade of pioneering growth

Bonnievale Winery celebrated its 10th anniversary. More than just the mere marking of a date, this occasion served as a poignant reminder of the challenges and benefits that come with the choice to strike out on a new path.

The achievements of the past 10 years that have seen Bonnievale Wines become one of the country’s largest producers were lauded by Rico Basson, MD of industry body VinPro, who was the guest speaker at the event.

With a history going back over half a century, Bonnievale Wines was formally established on 1 November 2006, created through the three-way merger of the Bonnievale, Merwespont and Nordale co-operative wineries. The decision was not taken lightly, especially in the light of the merger quite possibly being a first of its kind for South African agriculture. In fact, it was 10 years in the making – the instigators had already read the writing that had been on the wall for the industry for some time.

Click HERE to read the article online.

3. 2016 Veritas Young Wine Writer announced

Budding young wine writer, Tshepang Molisana, walked away with the prestigious Veritas Young Wine Writer title for 2016.

Tshepang, a freelance writer for wine.co.za and former Classic Wine columnist, impressed the judging panel with her article entitled “A world class African vineyard”. In the winning piece she reflects on the country’s long walk to international relevance and pays homage to the pioneering attempts of individuals, regions and organisations that have empowered South Africa to walk into a fierce new era in global wine.
 
In addition to the article, participants also had to submit a more informal, conversational blog entry. Here too, she captivated the jury with her view on the topic: “Could Social Media Replace Traditional Wine Guides?”
 
Tshepang received prize-money of R15 000. The runner-up, Catea Sinclair, assistant winemaker at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate and WSET L3 graduate, collected R7 500.

Click HERE to read the article online.