Events

Quinta de la Rosa – Fine Single Quinta Douro – R 250

Join us in welcoming Sophia Bergqvist of Quinta de la Rosa – one of the Douro’s finest Single Quintas. Sophia will guide us through some of the world’s most exciting wines, from mineral whites, richly textured reds and serious vintage ports. Having graduated from Cambridge University and with an MBA from INSEAD, Sophia set up Quinta de la Rosa with her father Tim in 1988. Sophia runs Quinta de la Rosa full time and spends a considerable amount of her life travelling around the world promoting the brand. Her outside interests include lecturing for the Wine MBA and University of Buckingham Entrepreneurs course. She is Patron of the charity Afghan Connection and advisor to Q Trust.

Chris Alheit and Chris Mullineux: Wilson Foreigner and Fog Monster wines – R 400

Before their harvests begin, join the Chrises to taste their US wines alongside a few of their local gems. Chris and Andrea Mullineux, Wine Enthusiast's Winemaker of the Year and originally from California, have been sourcing unique vineyards in the Sierra Foothills that are exposed to interesting climatic conditions. In particular, the fog that rolls in from the Pacific Ocean. Hence the project's name – Fog Monster. David Wilson and Chris Alheit met while learning their craft during a harvest at Flagstone. A decade later, they have started a project that sources exciting varieties from unique vineyards in California – Wilson Foreigner. The result is an incredible Albariño and a classy Valdiguié that offer new-wave styling, elegance and favourable texture rather than overt varietal character and sweet fruit.

Tri-nations: The battle continues – R 350

Do you know your Barossa from the Rhône Valley? How about Burgundian Chardonnay versus Chardonnay from Elgin? Join us for this fun tasting where, like-against-like, we’ll compare fine SA wines to the Australian and French versions. Not only will this taste-off be educational and delicious but you’ll get to decide on the winner in our own Tri-nations Championship. Expect top examples from Chapoutier, Joseph Drouhin, Henschke, Jamsheed and more. 

SA vs Europe: Italy, Spain and Portugal – R 350

A great opportunity to taste South Africa’s off-the-beaten-track varieties against the benchmarks from Europe. Our Mediterranean climate and dry growing season could mean that we rely on these ‘new’ varieties to produce the best wines in the future. Expect to taste varieties such as Albariño, Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Touriga Nacional and more. With fine local wines from Steenberg, Newton Johnson, Morgenster and Bloemcool.  

Luxury white taste-off – R 395

We host the Luxury white taste-off every 2 years and it has fast become our most anticipated tasting! We serve you 10 of SA’s most expensive and luxurious whites in a blind tasting setting and you vote for the best. The line-up will also help us understand whether price determines luxury, if luxury determines quality, and if quality determines style. With parallel tastings in Joburg and Cape Town, let’s see which wine is voted South Africa’s top luxury white.

Burgundy workshop – R 350

Why are the wines of Burgundy the most expensive and sought-after in the world? What is the difference between Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny? Join us as we take a tour through Burgundy and introduce the villages, its wines and styles. This is set to be another educational but fun tasting with delicious wines and lots of insight.  

SA vs the Rhône – R 350

South Africa is producing some of the most exciting Rhône-style wines today but how to they compare to the real Rhônes? We explore the Rhône Valley, from north to south, with different styles, varieties and appellations. Expect famous wines from Châteuneuf-du-Pape and Hermitage pit against the best of SA. 

Jamet dinner with Ryan Mostert and Terracura – R 995

Within the wine industry, it’s no secret that Ryan Mostert is the epitome of a wine geek and a self-professed Jamet Junkie. Jean-Paul Jamet is arguably the leading producer in Côte-Rôtie. Ryan’s infatuation with the wines of Jamet must have impressed Jean-Paul because, in 2017, he hired Ryan as his first-ever intern. Undoubtedly, Jamet’s style and approach has been imprinted on Ryan and the Terracura wines he produces. Taste 3 vintages of Terracura and 2 vintages of Jamet Côte-Rôtie followed by dinner in a rare opportunity to understand why Domaine Jamet is so sought-after.

Luxury red taste-off – R 595

We host the Luxury red taste-off every 2 years and it has fast become our most anticipated tasting! We serve you 10 of SA’s most expensive and luxurious reds in a blind tasting setting and you vote for the best. The line-up will also help us understand whether price determines luxury, if luxury determines quality, and if quality determines style. With parallel tastings in Joburg and Cape Town, let’s see which wine is voted South Africa’s top luxury red.

* In order to maintain affordability, we have set the price ceiling for this tasting at R2,000 per bottle. 

Cinsaut workshop with Lukas van Loggerenberg – R 250

Cinsaut has exploded on the scene with a horde of new versions on the market each year. With many of the highly regarded 2017s just being released, we will taste 14 wines from light and bright to serious and savoury. Young Gun Lukas van Loggerenberg will give us deep insight into this Cinderella grape, with highlights from Leeu Passant’s 80-year-old vineyard CWG version and international examples from Chile and the USA.

Rubicon vertical with Chris Williams – R 450

We are delighted to host Chris Williams, the Cellar Master at Meerlust, in introducing the ground-breaking 2015 Rubicon. A culmination of wine growing factors and the incredible 2015 vintage itself have resulted in the best Meerlust Rubicon we have ever tasted. Chris agrees. Having worked at Meerlust for 21 vintages, he believes that their vineyards have fully matured and vinicultural methods have been perfected.

We will taste through the latest Meerlust releases as well as a vertical of great Rubicons, including 2009, 2001 and 1998. We expect this to sell out quickly.