Feb
8
Spotlight on the Swartland Revolution: Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series ‘Soldaat’ 2013
I am going to conclude this series with one of the most misunderstood grapes of the mediterranean climate, Grenache. When over-cropped or grown in overwarm sites, it is blousy and
Jan
24
Spotlight on the Swartland Revolution: Sadie Family Old Vine Series Skurfberg 2013
South Africa has built a brand for its Chenin Blanc, but very few have the interest and character of the magnificently old-vine Chenin from Swartland. Sadie’s Skurfberg is made with
Dec
22
Spotlight on the Swartland Revolution: Sadie Family Old Vine Series Treinspoor 2013
Though Swartland is best known for its red blends and its Syrahs, because of its exceptional diversity of old-vine material, there are some impressively old vines of obscure varieties that
Dec
6
Spotlight on the Swartland Revolution: A. A. Badenhorst White Wine 2010
Swartland has an unusual affinity for grapes. Reds prefer mediterranean varieties but whites succeed best with the distinctly South African blends of Chenin Blanc alongside a crazy mix of Rhone
Nov
28
Spotlight on the Swartland Revolution: A. A. Badenhorst Red Wine 2012
Swartland’s old-vine material seems to permit two approaches to red wine. The first is single variety wines made mostly from Syrah, focused on expressing the unique amalgam of that grape’s
Nov
22
Spotlight on the Swartland Revolution: Mullineux Syrah 2011
Sometimes, following years of commitment, one is drawn to catalogues of past output. As I recently surveyed the many years of work I have put into this blog I realized