The finalists for the Diners Club Winemaker and Young Winemaker of the Year awards have been announced. Six winemakers have been shortlisted to compete for the prestigious Winemaker of the Year award, and another six for the Young Winemaker of the Year title. The six who will vie for the Young Winemaker of the Year title are (Back- from left to right) åfrom left to right are Michelle Waldeck (Benguela Cove), Nongcebo Langa (Delheim). The winners will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner at  Arabella Hotel & Spa on November 18.

EVENTS

WINEX IN JOZI

The renowned WineX annual wine festival kicks off with three nights of tastings and interactions with award-winning winemakers at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from October 25 to 27.

Visitors to the show can sample wines, champagnes, Cap Classiques, ports and pot-still brandies from over 150 exhibitors; the who’s who of the South African wine scene. Additionally, there will be specialty meats, olives, cheese, and chocolates, and an opportunity for wine-lovers to pause between tasting to enjoy a light meal or a wholesome snack.  The line-up includes over 800 wines.  Show times are from 17h00 to 21h00, tickets are on sale via webtickets. Ticket prices are R245, R265 and R295 for the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights respectively. There are additional discounts for Standard Bank credit, debit and cheque cardholders.

Bulk tickets (at least 10): Direct bookings can be made through the WineX office at winex@outsorceress.co.za.

VERITAS TASTINGS

Veritas wine competition avails market-ready wines for wine aficionados across the country annually, and this year is no different as several public tasting shows are scheduled in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town again from this week. The Cape Town tasting will take place at the Deloitte office, The Ridge, 6 Marina Rd, Portswood District, V&A Waterfront, on October 27 from 17:00-20:00.

Tickets available at R250 a person through Quicket and will include wine, and brandy tasting, including tasting glass.Wine enthusiasts can get themselves ready to experience the star-studded Veritas double gold and gold medal winning wines and brandies at a series of tastings that will be presented countrywide.

From there, it will be Johannesburg wine lovers’ turn to taste the award-winning Veritas wines at Deloitte office, 5 Magwa Crescent, Waterfall City on November 1, from 17h00. Tickets cost R250 a person.

The Durban tastings will take place at Deloitte office, 1st floor, The Skye, Vuna Close, Umhlanga Ridgeside, Umhlanga Ridge on November 9.  Tickets available at R200 a person .

GOOD JUICE IN JOZI

The inaugural Good Juice Wine Fair Jozi will be hosted at Bad Manors, 28 Rhodes Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg on November 4. Event organisers have teamed up with the crew at ACID to bring the first Johannesburg staging of the Good Juice Wine Fair following the positive response to the first fair in Jan ‘23 in Cape Town, which featured a 28-strong winemaker line-up.

The fair will celebrate a diverse range of producers working in the low-intervention and natural wine space in South Africa and abroad, along with a curated selection of the best local street food and music.Visitors can expect to taste over 100 local wines as well as a showcase of choice imports from top international winemakers. The show starts 11h00, and tickets cost R550 a person.

MICHELANGELO WINE SHOW

A tasting show featuring top wines and spirits brands from the recent Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards are scheduled for November 10 and 11.

Southern Sun will host the exclusive showcase, from which guests can anticipate an adventurous journey through an extensive selection of more than 100 premium South African wine and spirits brands at both shows.

Wines to be featured at the tastings were announced at a glittering Michelangelo Awards ceremony at the Cape Sun recently.  The awards are renowned for assembling an outstanding panel comprising 18 international judges from 15 countries and six accomplished South African wine judges, using the universally acknowledged 100-point OIV judging system, with judges conducting their assessments ‘blind’, guaranteeing impartiality.

Tickets can be purchased online at Computicket for R350 per person. Each ticket provides, bottomless wine tasting, and a light meal.

CAROLINE’S WINE REVIEW

Caroline’s White Wine & Cap Classique Review 2023, hailed as one of the most coveted tasting events on the South African wine calendar, returns to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on November 1.

Presented by Cape Town’s legendary Caroline Rillema, this world-class annual showcase gives wine enthusiasts the rare opportunity to discover and savour the Cape’s very best flagship white wines and Cap Classiques all under one roof.

A total of 85 accolade-achieving winemakers, the crème de la crème of South African wine producers, are invited exclusively to present just one wine – their best of the best – on the evening. The event will take place from 17h00 to 21h00. Tickets available at R450 per person via Quicket.

Stellies Street Soirées

The Stellenbosch Street Soirées, ever-popular series of social events of food, wine and live music beneath the wine capital’s famous oak trees, take place on November 22.

This year’s pop-up series on Drostdy Street will be held on specific days from November to March with the first Soirée happening next month.

The hours of each Soirée is limited to between 18:00 and 20:00. They’re ideal for enjoying pre-dinner drinks with friends ahead of a meal at one of Stellenbosch’s many fine restaurants.

During the event, wine lovers converge for a vibrant sundowner occasion, tasting and snacking. A portion of Drostdy Street will be closed off from traffic and decorated in elegant festive style. Food is supplied in the form of stalls selling light bites while each evening also features a different selection of wineries. The dates pencilled for the whoopee are November 22, December 6, January 10 and 24, February 7 and 21, and March 6 and 20.   Tickets cost R190 a person.