Wine know-how: how to meet your perfect match

Shiraz or Chenin Blanc? Wooded or unwooded? Old World or New World? The best way to answer your own questions is to drink more wine (easy!), be adventurous, and turn your quest into an experience

1. Do an urban wine route

You don’t have to wait for the weekend to spend a day in the winelands. Cape Town’s monthly Tuning the Vine sees wine lovers, maps and tasting glasses in hand, strolling through the streets between participating bars and restaurants on the inner-city wine route. Venues offer menus to match the wines on offer, winemakers offer 20-minute wine crash courses, and if you want more in-depth knowledge about what’s in your glass, you can even book a sommelier tour for a group of six to eight people. Usually the first Wednesday of every month: visit tuningthevine.co.za for more details on the route, upcoming dates and ticket information.

2. Visit Joburg’s only winery

Garagiste winemaker Kath Gerakaris and her husband, Minos, are behind Gerakaris Family Wines based at the REEA Foundation urban farm in Craighall Park. Kath sources her grapes from the Swartland and, during harvest season, Joburgers are welcome to pop in to watch the pressing process – everything, from fermentation to bottling, happens on the premises. If you’re planning to visit with more than two people, be sure to book a tasting in advance (two Chenins and two Syrahs) with olives and a small cheese platter. Also visit the garden nursery, bookstore, charity shop and Delta Café on the property. gerakaris.co.za

3. Frequent a really good wine bar

The Nine Barrels Wine Bar in Maboneng is where Jozi’s cool kids go for monthly wine showcases in the ground-floor bar, or just to chill and enjoy the views from the rooftop space. Food options include tapas, meze platters, steak and fries, and seafood. The long wine list includes easy-drinking wines by the glass, special reserves by the bottle from the likes of Waterford and Constantia Glen, and international offerings from Hungary, Lebanon and Spain. In Cape Town, the Italian-inspired Openwine “enoteca” on Wale Street is where you should go for

a meal paired with wine in the lounge area, or a tasting in the cellar area hosted by winemakers who offer inside info that’ll help you choose your favourite bottle to take home. You can also taste beer, gin and local olive oils. ninebarrels.

com; facebook.com/openwineza

4. Make every Wednesday wine day

The Werehouse at 82 Hunter Street in Durban is where lovers of bubbly and wine meet every Wednesday to enjoy wine tastings, live music and a variety of other entertainment dreamed up by entrepreneur Lindo Buthelezi. He says the idea behind Wine Wednesdays is to give locals a central, affordable midweek night out and the chance to sample, and learn about wines they haven’t tried before. For updates on dates and weekly line-ups, follow @winewednesdays_sa on Instagram and visit facebook.com/winewednesdaysdbn.

5. Think beyond the Cape winelands

KZN has three pioneering wine farms in the Midlands and central Drakensberg that are well worth a visit if you’re a local – or look for their unique wines on lists around the country (or order online) – to discover more about this lesser known South African wine-producing region.

Abingdon Estate produced the first-ever certified estate wine made in KwaZulu-Natal – their maiden vintage, the Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2007. Visit the tasting bar for a personalised tasting with the family team – who are happy to discuss the qualities of their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo cultivars. Then spend a lazy afternoon under the trees (or around the fire) with an array of tapas and a glass, or bottle, of your favourite find.

Highgate Wine Estate, located next to the popular Piggly Wiggly market, pioneered the first certified Chardonnay in KwaZulu-Natal and it now makes eight certified wines, including Pinotage and Merlot. Join the team in the tasting room for an interactive tasting with a selection of tapas (Chardonnay with calamari, patatas bravas with Syrah) , then carefully consider trying their wild berry or blueberry grappa next …

Cathedral Peak is where to go for a light lunch – you’ll definitely need the sustenance of home-made bobotie or Drakensberg smoked trout salad before trying the wines available for tasting, including the Pinotage and the Cellar Door red blend. Be sure to book ahead. abingdonestate.co.za; highgatewineestate.co.za; cathpeakwines.com

Tuning the Vine sees wine lovers, maps and tasting glasses in hand, strolling through

the streets”