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Wine
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Clever Online Wine Calculator Tells How How Much To Buy For Your Party
06 May 2014 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
How many of us have thrown a fabulous soirée only to end up with way too much booze left over? Ok, admittedly that doesn’t happen very often in the realm of practicing hedonists, but the other frightening occurrence comes in the form of those situations when we don’t buy ENOUGH booze. And that’s terrifying. Non […]
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Why Is Everyone So Obsessed With Pinot?
29 Apr 2014 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Pinot Noir – two words you’ve been hearing a lot, lately. The delicate grape has enjoyed some serious attention recently, and with the likes of Ard Matthews spouting these sorts of statements wherever he goes, we’re hardly surprised: “I’m convinced that Pinot Noir is one part heat-sensitive grape and 99 parts angel blood. It is the perfect blend between rosé and red, which means it can and must be drunk as often as possible, where possible, if possible.”
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The Harvest Beckons At Beau Constantia – Be The First To Claim Two Free Bottles Of Wine!
19 Mar 2014 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
If you don’t know by now, Beau Constantia is a stunning wine estate perched on the slopes of the Constantia Valley, less than 15 minutes away from the city bowl. The farm’s wine maker, Justin van Wyk has this report on the state of the vines ahead of the 2014 harvest. Make sure you read […]
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STOP EVERYTHING: These Futuristic Cellars Will Blow Your Mind [PICS]
18 Mar 2014 by Seth Rotherham / 1 Comment
You’ve probably seen this kind of thing on Luxuo, or other platforms dedicated to showcasing the very best in home design that people in cities like Helsinki get to enjoy thanks to their very many Euros. Look at this. It’s a cellar IN YOUR KITCHEN FLOOR. Keep looking at this. What if I told you could have this. What if I told you that you could pay a local company to do it. In Rand.
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Bubbly At Breakfast: Your Guide To Brunching Like A Pro [INFOGRAPHIC]
18 Mar 2014 by Seth Rotherham / No Comments
Brunch: it’s excellent. The combination of bubbly, soft poached eggs and hollandaise sauce is what is commonly referred to as “the holy trinity.” But some of you are doing it wrong, and you need to improve your lives.
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A Stunning Little Wine Tasting 12 Minutes From The City Bowl
11 Mar 2014 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
So you want to have a mini-escape from the rat-race of your concrete-jungle life, but you don’t want to spend 45 minutes in a hot car driving out into the sticks and pay through your nose for the sky-rocketing price of petrol? We feel the same way. And that is precisely why Beau Constantia is […]
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These Are The Wines You Can’t Miss At Constantia Fresh 2014
18 Feb 2014 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
The 2014 Constantia Fresh festival is happening this Saturday, and it is quite a vibe. Showcasing the best of the Constantia Wine Route, the festival is a sunshiny afternoon of good food and better wine. But the sheer variety can be quite overwhelming, so we thought we’d give you a quick heads up on the wines […]
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This Is How You Choose Wine On Your Valentine’s Date [INFOGRAPHIC]
06 Feb 2014 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
The Valentine’s Day date is generally a pressurised affair. We don’t necessarily think that’s cool – people need to calm the hell down about the day in general. Nevertheless, life is life, and you may find yourself on a VDay date, and one thing you do NOT want to do is cock-up the wine order. So don’t. Get it figured out, here.
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Friday Knowledge: The Beer Connoisseur’s Guide To Wine [INFORGRAPHIC]
31 Jan 2014 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Ever been on a fine dining date and got a skeef eye thrown at you from across the table, because the pint of your favourite pale ale just doesn’t look classy enough in the establishment? Maybe you’re a wine fundi that sits on the out-skirts of a braai, left alone to sip on your Chardonnay, while the others crack open a beer? Problem solved.
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Celebrate Valentine’s With A View At Beau Constantia
30 Jan 2014 by Seth Rotherham / No Comments
Looking for the ideal spot to sweep that someone special off their feet this Valentine’s Day? We have just the spot for you, and luckily its right on our doorstep. At the very top of Constantia Nek a contemporary boutique wine farm lies hidden waiting to be discovered, offering exquisite views of the Constantia Valley.
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New Year Got You Stressed? Unwind In The Vines With A Spa Day
15 Jan 2014 by Seth Rotherham / No Comments
Sho, but 2014 has started with one hell of a bang. I don’t know about you, but I am certainly due for a treatment. And the Beau Constance Spa is putting the treat in treatment, let me tell you that much. The Beau Constance Spa is set among a shady stand of trees on the […]
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The Parents Are Coming? Swap Tea For Wine Tasting
17 Dec 2013 by Seth Rotherham / No Comments
Beau Constantia – the boutique winery that you didn’t know was less than 15 minutes away from the Cape Town CBD – is where you’ll be taking the relatives when they visit this festive season. As you take that right turn towards Kirstenbosch, they’ll groan inwardly, and then BOOM! You ignore the turn off and […]
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You Didn’t Know This Boutique Winery Was 12 Minutes From The City Bowl
09 Dec 2013 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Summer is most definitely here, and with the office shutdown just over a week away, and the prospect of visiting relatives looming, you will absolutely consider visiting a wine farm in the next month. And if you don’t know about this place, you’ll probably join the herd of schmucks trekking for over an hour beyond the boerewors curtain.
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Guys, The World Is Running Out Of Wine
31 Oct 2013 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Okay,okay we’re not saying that your local bottle store wont have any wine next time you stock up, we’re not saying that we need to start thinking of alternatives – we’re just saying that we haven’t really had to worry about this before, and it’s a little alarming. That’s all.
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This Is The World’s Most Expensive Wine
14 Oct 2013 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
This here is a 12-litre bottle of 2009 Chateau Margaux, and it can be yours for a very cool $195,000 (R1,950,000). Yes, that makes it R25,000 a glass. So, not for the braai, then.
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Flippie’s Spokesperson’s Email To The Wine Industry Is “Riddled With Lies” [Full Email Here]
10 Sep 2013 by Seth Rotherham / 14 Comments
2oceansvibe’s has received a copy of the email Flippie’s rep, Carina Papenfus allegedly sent to SA’s wine industry in July. The email is riddled with inconsistencies and lies*.
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Flippie’s Spokesperson Accused Of Lying To Bolster Case Against Rietvallei
06 Sep 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 12 Comments
Carina Papenfus’ name came up in our previous article about the owner of Rietvallei wines, Johnny Burger, killing himself. And now she is back, with this letter she allegedly wrote to Joost van der Westhuizen.
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Wine Estate Owner Kills Himself Following Negative Social Media Campaign
03 Sep 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 14 Comments
Sources have confirmed that the owner of a wine farm in Robertson, shot and killed himself this morning. He had recently received massive criticism via social media, for his alleged physical abuse of a farm worker.
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The Final Vinous Word From Me
22 May 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 3 Comments
This is the last column from me here, for the known future at least. Which, let’s be honest, is nowhere past my first cup of coffee tomorrow morning. It’s been a blast. Or, as much of a blast as a wine column can be. I have stood on a soapbox a couple times and railed against the insidiously commercial, cynically sweet, and risibly reduced-alcohol wines that plague our shelves.
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From Lekker To… Really Bad – A Roundup Of Recent Freebie Wine Samples
02 May 2013 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
While I was away in the Drakensburg trying to survive for a week on only box wine, a little pile up of samples built up back at home. In this week’s column I go through them at let you know what they’re like.
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Make Your Weekend Plans Now – The Elgin Wine Fest Is Where It’s At
02 May 2013 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
Elgin, it’s a beautiful place. Like a scene from a Blake poem, it’s all dew drops, unpasteurised cheese and wood fires, fresh fruit and good wine. Which makes it’s the perfect place to host a wine festival.
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Pairing Wine & Food Made Easy [INFOGRAPHIC]
28 Apr 2013 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
This is probably the best thing an uneducated wine drinker could ask for. You know that moment when your waiter asks you what wine you’d like to drink with your food, and you panic, and end up going with old faithful? Well this little infographic could save you from tragic pairings in the future.
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Wine PR – Where Words Go To Die
24 Apr 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 2 Comments
I am sure that for every sensible word written about wine, Public Relation teams issue out 100 silly ones. Luckily conscientious writers shield the broader public from much of this hyperbolic guff, however, some of it does slip through on back labels, and boy, is it a load of tripe.
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Oak Chips, Staves And Critters – Why I Avoid Wines With Animals On The Label
04 Apr 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 2 Comments
I remember reading this in the Onion once: “The quality of wine is inversely proportional to the ferocity of the animal on the label.” Sadly for South Africa, we have many animal labels. Producers, it seems, think that they can bottle any crap and then throw on a cutesy label and all is forgiven.
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Why Does The Quality Of 5-Star Hotels In South Africa Vary So Much?
03 Apr 2013 by Seth Rotherham / No Comments
I have just settled down next to the heated pool. This after a game of tennis, some brekkie and a 10 minute steam followed by a shower. Things could be worse. How other hotels can claim to be 5-stars, I don’t know.
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A Foolproof Guide To Starting Your Own Wine Tasting Club
02 Apr 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
Need a little help? Hosting a wine tasting club isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with the theme. Wine Tasting is becoming a little bit of thing lately, so we thought we’d equip you with the knowledge that you’ll need to pull off hosting a wine tasting club succesfully. […]
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5 Ways To Sabrage A Champagne Bottle [VIDEOS]
02 Apr 2013 by Jasmine Stone / No Comments
It’s a short work week. Which means that you’re highly likely to be drinking bubbles this coming Friday. So you might as well do it properly. And by properly, we mean by sabrage. What is sabrage? I’m so glad you asked: The opening of a bottle, normally of champagne, by slicing off the bottle’s neck with […]
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Old Wine For The Win – Why Aging Can Get You Better Results
20 Mar 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 1 Comment
A few columns back I mentioned the RE:CM 10 year old wine awards, and how some of the wines I tasted during the judging (I was filming not judging) were not very good. I couldn’t mention the best ones, as the results had not yet been made public. I can now talk freely as the awards have been handed out.
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Wine Lists – That Hoary ‘Ol Chestnut
15 Mar 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 2 Comments
Fear not, I will not be ranting here. I will not spend 1000 words frothing at the keyboard about the abysmal, facile, corporate, lackluster, insulting, sell-out winelists that do not deserve the bad laminating they have.
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Reimagining Pinot Noir
13 Mar 2013 by Jasmine Stone / 5 Comments
I have been thinking quite a lot about Pinot Noir lately after having written an article on the grape for a local magazine. I feel that I can usefully reconstitute some of those points here in slightly stronger language.
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