Well, what I found in the bookcase, guessI should read it.

Tastings of sweet wines, both unfortified & fortified, as well as aged, are hardly everyday events. Presented to our group by The Foundry’s Chris Williams, this diversity of styles was delightfully different & interesting. The Tokaji, Gonzalez Byass & Banyuls were my top 3.

An area new to me; Bordeaux varieties, full-bodied & rather rustic, which gives it a certain attraction & suits the style.

Thanks for the recommend @tomlewiscambridge.bsky.social. Great beer, pizzas & vibe here tonight with my stepdaughter & family.

Winemakers, MWs & wine savvy people blind tasted these 10 2016 Bordeaux, with the aim of identifying each commune. Many confident guesses, few on target (I did get Cos!). Wine is forever humbling.

I’ve learned never to judge a wine on day one if it doesn’t quite live up to expectations; day two may tell a different story, as happened here. From showing lumpy 15% alc & little sign of fruit to a drawstring of acidity, bright flavours & refined delight.

Our tasting group took a little wander through well-known Rioja brands. On the day, always great value Bosconia 2014 prevailed over big brother Tondonia 2012, both have time to go.

Underrated style. One of my favourites. Many need & blossom with age, as this has.

Matias’s Patagonia Semillon 2021 this morning impressed my group, tasted blind. Thanks to Tim Atkin for kind gift. Other wines from our BYO tasting.

Alsace riesling + a classy pinot gris for our monthly tasting group. Schaal easier to get as they make wine here; the RG’s brought back from Alsace made for interesting comparison in levels of sweetness & texture. No duds; all round pleasure.

Gewürztraminer is a marmite wine (you love it or hate it); this is delightful, understated spice, rose petals & Turkish delight, richness with freshness & best, those flavours memorably long. An enjoyable summer sundowner Not every producer is a Trimbach, but gewurz is underrated.

Happy & peaceful Christmas to all. May 2926 bring positivity, reward & hope. 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄

Our motley monthly tasting group, winemakers & others involved in wine, blind tasted this lot (always international wines, no saffas); told one region, different areas. Eventually got there; for now non-plussed 2020 rated best since sliced bread. Buying 2nd bottle of reds to try in 5years.

Just arrived; looking forward to reading & discovering how much being sustainable sometimes follows a twisted path. Thanks for tackling a very important subject @hernehillandy.bsky.social

I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong & I was about this wine. Peter-Allan Finlayson⁩ was, understandably not so happy. All it needed was time to harmonise & evolve to its complex layers of pinot’s pure, dark fruit with the freshness to focus & let them linger. How much I’m enjoying this!

The Swartland, home to golden wheat in rolling fields, to green, eager vines climbing the mountain sides. Taken today in the lush of spring, much wheat yet to be harvested, the vines starting to flower. It’s an inspirational region of the Cape.

New book on the shelves, a memoir of Tim Hamilton-Russell by his daughter, Brigid. She has unearthed much otherwise unknown information about this advertising executive/wine-farmer pioneer in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. He was also an Incubator of many of today’s winemaker stars in the valley.

In September 2023, a storm devastated the Hemel-en-Aarde valley; the river separating north from south-facing slopes cascaded, sweeping away every bridge. The road through the valley is still under repair, the scarred mountain slopes will never be. Fortunately, few vineyards were severely damaged.

This shouldn’t be divisive, but probably will, pinotage can be refined, as this is. Sleek & silky with pure raspberry/strawberry flavours, freshness & neat tannin trim. The next few days are peak pinotage with its centenary art celebrations as a pinot x cinsaut cross

What’s the first duty of pinot - simply to be good, there’s nothing worse or undrinkable than poor pinot. This is very, very good. South African, made by one our star American lady winemakers.

The Swartland is all about wheat, canola & fine wines. A perfect winter’s day to visit Eben Sadie & family for a tasting of the latest releases.

Interest in field blends stems in part from desire for more complexity, adapting to climate change & availability of new varieties. Eben Sadie’s new pair, white & red are from two blocks each planted to 12 different varieties. Two+ pickings, co-fermented. Look forward to tasting them.

I believe there’s confusion about light red wines. This has 13% alc; it feels light & fresh, but has concentration in its savoury flavours, supple texture & the perfect balance of tannins to age. So, light but not light!

No ultra-heavyweight bottle, no taste of new wood, just the taste if wonderful 15-year-old Barolo & ripe, freshening grape tannins. Made for a very wet, cold Cape Town evening.

Sunday morning blind tasting entertainment - Burgundy for the win! There was no doubt it was Burgundy; a pre-mox also gaving a clue.

A riesling for a warm autumnal evening in CapeTown. Tension containing peachy succulence; beautifully balanced acid/sugar. Delicious.

Please never stop making these salty, oxidative & ageworthy wines Tondonia. A magic lunchtime wine with a friend on Workers’ Day.

A windless 31C in Cape Town. Beer probably a good option but this is glorious & so youthful; can’t believe it’s 20 years old. Peachy sweet, tension, length & 7% alc = deliciousness.

A weekend of Revolution & great wine, including these two. Grenache is the future, & present, when the vines are old. #swartlandrevolution2025

During the annual wine harvest, it’s a South African tradition to make mosbolletjies, small buns using fermenting must as a raising agent. If @LaMottewine’s 2025 harvest is as good as this kind gift, it’s one to await with eager anticipation.