Agog at Nine Barrels’ range

MABONENG MAGIC: MORE THAN 300 DIFFERENT WINES CAN BE BOUGHT BY THE GLASS THERE

Each week Marie-Lais looks out for the unusual, the unique, the downright quirky or just something or someone we might have had no idea about, even though we live here. We like to travel our own cities and their surrounds, curious to feel them out. This week she moves from expectation to Creation. Marie-Lais Emond

The word “agog” always conjures a sight and sound scene for me of saucer-eyed, transfixed children hardly breathing, expecting something astonishing to materialise at the climax of the drum roll.

Anthony has just asked if Heather and I know what it means. I wax enthusiastically about how visitors to Joburg and its denizens can taste more than 300 wines from all the regions of South Africa at Nine Barrels, right here in Maboneng.

“Agog,” repeats Anthony. “Not Nine Barrels.” “Yes, but that’s agog too.” Better restaurants and bars are now listing many, if not all, of their wines by the glass. Nine Barrels, however, beats them silly at wine-by-the-glass numbers. There are more wines to be had by the glass here than at any other wine bar in South Africa. “Let me show you around,” Anthony says.

“This is like a whole SA wine route in one place” I rave.

The first floor is an art gallery, always art with a travel theme. Anthony is from Belgium and is an Agog founder partner. I realise he’s doing this to demonstrate the complete experience of art with glasses of wine in hand. We go to the second floor, part of the art gallery, where food is often presented, like tapas, for those with glasses in hand. Food-and-wine tastings are also held here and the chef is fantastic.

On the rooftop is the Q-Club, a whisky lounge, that is also part of the Agog experience. Patrick, an Agog director, joins us. It turns out all of us love Creation wines. I for their unusual pelargonium tastes. With Nine Barrels’ glasses in three hands, we survey the astonishing urban vista of the stadium, the highways, the nearby murals up close, happy in the knowledge that many more than 299 other wines can be had by the glass downstairs.

Agog, 12 Lower Ross Street, Maboneng.