Wine Escapes

31/03/2023

What a fantastic tasting our guests enjoyed today on their specialised wine tour "with the idiosyncratic character of the winemaker .spioenkop flowing through every bottle" at Spioenkop. A beautiful wine farm nestled in the heart of the Elgin Valley.

Thank you Koen for your passion and zeal. It shows with every sip 🍷🍷

Did you see those views? Elgin in all her glory ⛰️🍇

🏆Awarded Tim Atkin MW First Growth in SA

27/03/2023

Wine tasting with friends 🥂 Even on our day off we soaking up the beauty of the winelands! We just can't get enough of the Cape! Spoilt for choice!

04/10/2022

It's blooming marvelous to be hosting this Wine and Food Pairing event at the this October for the Bedford Open Gardens!

15/07/2022

A little treat from .

Shiraz is silky smooth, still with loads of bright red fruit and soft spice. Singing!!

Cab has an insane aroma of dark fruit, earth and graphite. Still some good tannic grip and fresh acidity, so could go a while still!!

11/02/2022

A rare find in South Africa at .

Wonderful enticing aroma with fruit, spice and floral notes, concentrated palate, but the elegance, that seems to be the house style, remains. Such a beautiful wine!!

I'm hooked🤣😉

21/01/2022

We are very excited to running two of our online wine courses from February again.

🍷Introduction to Wine - which covers the basics of wine, how to analyse it and how to pair it with food. A great way to create WOW wine and dine evenings.

🍇Grapes - which is a look at some less common grapes varieties, their styles, where to find the best in SA and what foods they pair nicely with.

Scroll through the information in the post and DM us for more information.

Better still, just sign up using the link in our Bio to our online store.

17/01/2022

Beautiful views for a picnic lunch at while exploring Franschhoek with a honeymoon couple from the USA.

Lovely to be showing off our stunning scenery, food and wines again!!

18/11/2021

Top day out in the winelands yesterday tasting some of South Africa best at and .

Different terroir, different styles......all deliciously amazing🔥🔥🍷🍷

15/11/2021

Lovely to be back in Elgin exploring a cooler climate of South Africa with some amazing wines and scenery.

07/11/2021

What a brilliant wine from !!

A Cape White Blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Semillon, this wine showed wonderful perfume and fresh apricots on the nose, while the palate was rich, but still fresh with a long, slightly grippy finish.

Very smart winemaking, awesome stuff.

Perfect with our mild chicken curry!!

31/10/2021

Explaining the origins of Pinotage with our Russian guests yesterday!! Super interesting wines form .

05/10/2021

We are running our ever popular Introduction to Wine online course from 18 October again.

This course really helps lay a foundation of how to taste and analyse Wine, pair it with food and host amazing dinner parties.

We have had so many people do it over the past 18 months who are now WOWING their families and friends with their new found Wine skills.

Send us a DM with your email address for more information or visit the link in our Bio.

28/09/2021

Three shades of Pinotage from . Such an interesting virtual tasting done with Kobus Deetlef about their family owned estate, the second oldest wine estate in South Africa.

Three very different examples of the variety, with all showcasing classic pinotage fruit character. The 2016 red was particularly good with fruit, soft, elegant tannins (not always associated with Pinotage) and a very interesting savoury note.

The MCC was delicious too, it should come with a warning label though and it is dangerously tasty and way to easy to drink a lot of🤣

27/09/2021

So excited to launch our new online course - GRAPES 🍇

STARTING 11 OCTOBER 2021!!

Most of the flavours found in the wines we love come from the grape varieties themselves. Each of them have their own unique characters, personalities, areas and styles they are suited to. If we can understand those, then we can choose more wines we will love from varieties we would have never thought to try.

In this course held online over three weeks we discuss 18 varieties, highlighting some lesser known ones that do well in South Africa.

DM us for more information and sign up to broaden your tasting horizons!!

16/09/2021

Looking forward to our next virtual tasting this evening. Introducing them to some old favourites and some new varieties tonight!!

Always festive, always fun, always a great laugh.....and we do learn a bit too along the way!!

09/09/2021

Could there be any better way to celebrate the woman of the Cape than with a Bubbly, Chocolate and Diamond jewellery making event hosted by . So privileged to have been involved, hosting a comparative tasting of MCC and Champagne.

We tasted Blanc de Blancs MCC against the Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Chsmpagne, highlighting similarities and differences between them....it wasn't supposed to be a competition, but......the MCC was the favourite.

Only slightly biased South African group though😉

Looking forward to the next event happening soon!!

07/09/2021

Lovely way to start the day in Franschhoek. All elegance, class and of course amazing flavours!!

South African Method Cap Classique is superb!!

26/08/2021

It's not often one finds a single variety Verdelho in South Africa, but the "Olindo" from is worth tracking down.

The vineyard is organically grown and the wine made with minimal interference. It has a delightful citrus perfume with some herbs on the nose, while the palate is round and full, but has great acidy to have a refreshing finish.

Cracking label too.......loved it.

06/08/2021

What a privilege to taste this truly great South African Red again after all these years. I first tasted it on release and already then was both amazed by the complexity of the blend, eight varieties, but also the incredible balance they brought to each other.

The wine is still absolutely singing with the most alluring perfume on the nose and a palate that still has great fruit character, fine tannin and some developed meaty notes that add such depth and length to the finish.

Greatness!!

29/07/2021

They say "Diamonds are a girls best friend" but, when you add chocolate and bubbly to the mix then great times are bound to happen!!

Join us at Diamond Works, Cape Town for a sparkling afternoon on the 28 August as we celebrate the amazing Women of our country in style. Check out the link below for more info and to book your tickets.🍾🥂💎🍫

https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1507448432

This Women’s Month reward yourself with all that you want. Join The Diamond Works and be guided through a procured workshop featuring three special elements; CHAMPAGNE: Discover the difference between true French champagne and MCC with John Grant – Director of Wine Escapes, Vine Tribe presenter ...

21/07/2021

We are proud to be partnering with the Vine Tribe to bring you punchy episodes showcasing South African wineries, their winemakers and great wines.....check them out using the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgUSYVOCgAI&t=2s

Subscribe, share and comment and stand a chance to win awesome prizes!!

Cheers to new adventures!!🍷🥂

Episode 1 – We explore Bushmanspad Wine Estate which lies on the slopes of the Langeberg Mountains, near Bonnievale, South Africa. At Bushmanspad Wine Estate...

14/07/2021

The perfect send off to our US guests who have explored the Cape for the past few days with us..... A Gatsby, on Signal Hill, with a beautiful rainbow over Table Mountain!!

09/07/2021

What a wine!!

Shiraz from the Overberg region, growing in tough rocky soils that result in tiny grapes, but all bursting with flavour.

The nose is an array of violets, berries and soft white pepper, none over the top, in perfect harmony. The palate has a freshness and lightness to it, but is still packed with fruit and spice flavours that linger for ages.

I'll say it again.....what a wine!!

08/07/2021

Looking for something to do on a Monday night before curfew starts.....why not sign up for our ever popular Introduction to Wine Course and discover more about this amazing product we love so much!!

This online course is a great way to gear up your wine knowledge and food and wine pairing skills to WOW friends and family when the current alcohol ban in South Africa ends.

Scroll through or DM for more info or visit the website in our Bio.

01/07/2021

Absolutely loved this cool climate Syrah from . Floral with clean, pure fruit and spice on the nose, followed by flavourful palate that was both light and intense at the same time, full of the same fruit and white pepper spice. A beautiful wine in every sense of the word.

Thank you for the spoil!!

20/06/2021

To all the superhero dads out there Happy Father's Day!

Teach them the important things in life from young.....ie: Wine!!

15/06/2021

Very interesting and delicious line up for our latest virtual tasting. These tastings are often a great way to broaden one's wine horizons and discover wines you never thought you might like!!

We had an aged Sauvignon Blanc, a Chenin/Colombard Blend, a Gamay Noir, a Pinot Noir a grenache noir and then a bold red blend with a beer cap closure! The wines were loved and will be enjoyed more often in these households!!
spioenkop

08/06/2021

Looking for a great gift idea for your wine loving Dad this Fathers Day??

Wine not sign him up for one of our popular online wine courses. Introduction to Wine starts on 28 June 2021 and South Africa Uncorked on 30 June 2021.

Better still include a mixed case to go with it and your are sure to be a favourite 😉

Send us a DM for more information or follow the link in our Bio.

01/06/2021

Looking for something to help fight off the winter chill this year?? This is sure to do the trick!!

The Movable Feast from , a blend of Syrah, Tannat, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Barbera and Touriga Nacional, is unusual and downright delicious!

Loads of ripe, dark fruit, perfectly balanced by soft spice and tannins. It is rich and smooth, but still fresh, making it perfect on it's own in front of the fire or feasting on slow cooked, hearty food.

24/05/2021

Another brilliant wine from one of our favourites .
The 2017 The Max is from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it show beautiful red and black fruit with soft, elegant tannins!!
At R165 it is amazing value.

# merlot