Written by: Clifford Roberts; Photography: Johan Viljoen Quite suddenly, viticulturist Rosa Kruger wails and the telephone dies. I’ve called about a new clone at Kloovenburg that she had a central hand in bringing to South Africa. Seconds later, she rings back. “I’m sorry,” she says. She’s looking after someone’s dog, which got in amongst some […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photography Johan Viljoen Fermented drinks have been around for ages, so you may wonder what the traditional method of making wine is. What does this have to do with the festive season and the Swartland? As it turns out, more than you’d expect. Natural fermentation and effervescence in wines – characteristics […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photography Johan Viljoen We’re a leading producer of wine in the world, but what is the most popular wine in South Africa? You’ll get many answers to this question. You’ll probably get more questions too. We think there’s only really one proper response you could possibly give when deciding on an […]

Author & Photographer: Georgia East Just like sunscreen and soft serve, a proper braai is something that – for most South Africans – is synonymous with summer. Cooking outdoors and serving up dishes flavoured with smoke is how we all love to spend weekends. But when it comes to braai recipes – and especially those […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photographer: Johan Viljoen South Africa makes great rosé wine, but to make sense of the many options available it helps to consider them by region. Rosé wines from a particular area such as the Swartland, share overlapping characteristics. By knowing them you can make a better choice about good rosé wines […]

Written by: Clifford Roberts; Photography: Johan Viljoen In June 2022, one of the Swartland’s latest wards was promulgated under South Africa’s Wine of Origin Scheme. In essence, the approval meant Piket-Bo-berg’s soils, climate and geography were deemed sufficiently different from surrounding production areas and that wines from there may reliably be expected to reflect this […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photography Johan Viljoen Wine can be an intensely complex subject for a newcomer, but a whole new level opens with the first time you need to ask: what is a field blend? Traditionally when the world blend is used, it generally means wine varieties are harvested and vinified separately in the […]

Copy and photography by Cookbook Author: Georgia East; Feature photo: Sleeping Co-pilot produced by Jurgen Gouws of Intellego Wines in the Paardeberg. Beloved for its summery hue and Instagram aesthetic, orange wine is truly having its moment in the sun. Also known as amber wine, orange wine’s versatility allows it to be enjoyed with all […]

Written by Clifford Roberts; Photography Johan Viljoen Our centuries-old pursuit of beauty and health inevitably led to questions like, is olive oil good for the skin? It never gets old because the technology that powers scientific knowledge continues to evolve and drive greater insight. These days, even by products of olive oil production like leaves […]