South Africa

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Diemersfontein wines from South Africa

July 18, 2010 in South Africa, Try New Wines, Wine, Wine & Music by Wine Passionista | 3 comments

Diemersfontein Pinotage 2009

It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for the wines from South Africa. While I can safely say that I don’t have a favourite wine (or at least it changes daily!), I am currently, quite partial to South Africa as a wine region.  The wines have increased in quality dramatically in recent years and thanks to the diversity of the various regions, the array of styles is both exponential and exceptional.

So when I received an invitation to a tasting celebrating the 10th anniversary of the wines from Diemersfontein in Wellington, I was excited to try the wines.  The location (a hotel on Piccadilly), the company (other bloggers and journalists) and the enormous cheese selection, were all impressive. The wines also didn’t disappoint. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Secret Wine Event with Sparkle

May 27, 2010 in Croatia, France, Italy, Mexico, Prosecco, South Africa, Spain, Tasting Wine, Try New Wines, Wine Events, learn about wine by Wine Passionista | 5 comments

The group of ARSEs!

On a recent Sunday in Central London a gathering of an unusual kind took place. Well, the gathering itself wasn’t strange, it was a group of wine bloggers, but the impetus that brought us together was a secret – literally! Andrew Barrow, author of the blog Spittoon, contacted us through Twitter to invite us to ‘Andrew’s Really Secret Event’ for which he used the acronymic and comically jeuvenile hashtag: #ARSE.

Andrew revealed the location of our meeting place, but intriguingly mentioned that we would then be moving on to another even more top secret destination for a tasting (for which we all brought our own secret bottle).  None of us had any idea which other #ARSEs would be joining in, but as we met for a bite to eat and of course, the requisite bottle (or few!) of wine, the secrets began to unravel… Read the rest of this entry »

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Bibendum's World Cup of Wine Semi Finals

May 19, 2010 in Australia, Chardonnay, France, Italy, Pinot Noir, South Africa, World Cup of Wine by Wine Passionista | 4 comments

Last week saw the gathering of many of London’s local wine and food bloggers for the Semi Final of Bibendum’s World Cup of Wine.

In the previous round we had culled out the riff raff (including USA unfortunately!) and were left with four countries: Italy, France, South Africa and Australia. Now it was the chance for these heavyweights to put on their best show and fight for a coveted spot in the finals. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Winemaker Chat about South African Sauvignon Blanc

May 10, 2010 in Choosing Wine, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Tasting Wine, Try New Wines, learn about wine by Wine Passionista | 1 comment

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the world’s most popular grape varieties. It is made in regions all over the world from the classic, elegant styles of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume in France’s Loire Valley, to the zippy, racy versions in New Zealand.  But South Africa is quickly becoming a serious contender in the effort to win hearts and palates with their approach to this appealing grape.

Eikendal winemakers

Edward Jonsson (left) and Nico Grobler, winemakers of Eikendal in South Africa

I recently had the opportunity to chat with the Winemaker, Nico Grobler and Assistant Winemaker and Farm Manager, Edward Jonsson of Eikendal, based in Stellenbosch, and asked them how they think the South African Sauvignon Blancs make their mark. Read the rest of this entry »

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Wines of the World Cup Round 1

April 29, 2010 in Choosing Wine, France, France vs South Africa, South Africa, Try New Wines, learn about wine by Wine Passionista | 8 comments

In a recent post I wrote about the World Cup of Wine – a wine tasting for bloggers hosted by Bibendum where we tasted and scored wines from countries participating in this Summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa. After the upcoming Semis and Finals, we will crown a winner.

So while the title of this article may sound similar, I am taking a slightly different approach to the topic.  Here’s my plan: Read the rest of this entry »

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