LOCK, STOCK AND WINE BARREL

Iread an interesting article in our sister publication Food and Home Entertaining on what wine trends to expect in 2017. The best news is that South African wine estates will continue their meteoric rise to produce some of the best quality wines in the world. But quality doesn’t always come with the price tag associated with fine living. You will still be able to pick up a great wine for under R100.

More good news is that we are allowed to refrigerate a red. Expect a batch of new products dubbed “Fridge Reds” that will help set the ball in motion for people to confidently serve a slightly cooler red.

The myth continues that you should serve red wines at room temperature. This temperature is usually measured on European standards where room temperatures are below 20oC.

More people are educating themselves about wine. There has been an increase in people registering for wine-related courses, which directly translates to expected growth. It’s also becoming apparent that people are less afraid to take charge when selecting wine.

Recently I had the experience where a couple of friends walked into a restaurant’s cellar without shame to pick their own bottle. This phenomenon is partly thanks to more wine shows and festivals where cellar masters and winemakers meet the public.

It’s a valuable resource to expand your wine knowledge.

One of the next big events is the annual The Peech Boutique Hotel Wine Festival, a showcase of fine wines from several Cape estates, where visitors can taste and buy wine in one location.

This year’s participating estates include Ataraxia Wines, Avondale Wine, Anthology Wine, Badenhorst Family Wines, Bouchard Finlayson Winery, Constantia Glen, Fram Wines, Gabrielskloof Wine Estate, Glenwood Vineyards, Grangehurst Winery, and Groot Constantia.