Meet the expert: Woolies senior wine buyer, Rebecca Constable
Woolies senior wine buyer Rebecca Constable reveals the new wine you’ll want to try in lockdown level 3, and busts a popular bubbly storage myth
The fantastic thing about being in the wine biz is that I never stop learning. It combines my scientific, logical side with my creative side, and I meet amazing, passionate people who love their craft. I love nothing more than launching a wine and watching it fly. Wines are like books. They all have a story to tell, and I love being able to tell those stories and inspiring people to try great wines.
My favourite Woolies wine ever is the Single Vineyard Block 2A Chardonnay from Paul Cluver. The whole team harvested the grapes, so we were involved from start to finish. It was an awardwinning Chardonnay, typical of the Elgin region, with elegance and restraint. This is the Woolies difference – being involved in blending the wines and forming partnerships with our suppliers. My current favourite range is the Signature Series, which is what our former Single Vineyard range has evolved into. It’s a true collaboration with winemakers to bring wine lovers the best expression of varietals at great value.
My biggest lesson from lockdown is to always keep my cellar fully stocked! I never want to run out of the Signature Cabernet Sauvignon or Steenberg Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc (it doesn’t break the bank when you need to serve a crowd). I also keep Domaine Grier French Rosé as my go-to for lazy weekend lunches, while my husband, Martin, can’t live without the Saronsberg SGM, which is exclusive to Woolies.
What I love most about the SA wine industry is its sense of adventure. The latest wine to get me excited is the Springfield Albariño from Robertson, which brings to life the Bruwer family’s memory of a tasting while on holiday in Uruguay. Albariño is a Spanish cultivar now grown on SA soil. When you taste it, you’re captivated by hints of apricot, nectarine and white flowers, and a crisp, bright acidity. It’s a great match with Martin’s paella – with plenty of prawns and calamari.
White blends are SA’s best-kept wine secret.
We focus so much on reds, and Sauvignon Blanc is queen when it comes to white wine. But the secret is to try something different. White blends are unique and delicious but they don’t sell because people tend to stick to what they know – and they’re missing out! The other secret is to explore wines from the Klein Karoo and Overberg (think “the new Swartland”).
The gadget I can’t live without is definitely a corkscrew. It doesn’t need to be fancy but it must be sturdy – it can get you out of a multitude of problems on a camping holiday, believe me. I’m a bubbles girl, so
I can’t live without a good bottle stopper for those rare times when the bottle can’t be finished. Putting a teaspoon in the bottle neck doesn’t do the trick – that’s a complete myth unfortunately.
Albariño is a Spanish cultivar now grown on SA soil”