We turned to Cape Sommelier, Ewan Mackenzie to find out what you need to know about the changing wine game.

WELCOME, ROUSSANNE
An aromatic cross between Chenin Blanc and zingy unwooded Chardonnay, with a deliciously pronounced texture you’d usually get from a Sémillon.

ON ICE
Chilling red wine may be untraditional, but if you want to drink red during summer, it’s a necessity.No need to worry about airs and graces here – putting your Merlot on ice is now perfectly acceptable.

BROSÉ
Real men drink pink drinks. The rise of ‘brosé’ has seen winemakers using adventurous grape varieties to get that same rosy tint, resulting in a range of different wines to suit every taste. Look out for lighter reds too.

CORK TALK
Winemakers across the world are recognising the practicality of the screw top. Gung-ho makers are even trying unusual, hands-on bottling techniques: think funnels, hoses and lots of mess!

HELLO, GRENACHE NOIR
Move over Pinot. While Grenache Noir can be light and delicate, it’s a little wild, with flavours of brambles and hedgerow berries. It’s often paired with Syrah and Mourvèdre, but it is even better on its own.

CARMéNèRE–WHO?
This variety is only just coming into the picture, as there’s a lot of red tape from government. A forgotten Bordeaux cultivar that is now synonymous with Argentina, Carménère is set to be hot on the SA line-up.

GLASS ACT
Another welcome trend is a growing by-the-glass menu in restaurants.

TALK THE TALK
Wine is no longer seen as the stuffy drink of the hoity-toity. Speciality shops and wine bars are popping up as places for newbie wine lovers to ask curious questions. Specialised events such as Tuning the Vine in Cape Town bring wine-makers and drinkers together to chat. Social media is also becoming a popular platform for sharing wine stories, info and discussion. So don’t be shy…

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When Tongai Joseph Dhafana (‘Joseph’ to his friends) left Zimbabwe, he didn’t know where his path would lead him next. His first job on South African soil was as a gardener at Bar Bar Black Sheep in Riebeek-Kasteel, but hard work and enthusiasm saw him climb the ranks and into the restaurant as a waiter. This was when his love affair with grapes began and his mentors, Eben Sadie and Chris Mullineux, saw his potential. Joseph enrolled at the Cape Wine Academy in Stellenbosch to earn his qualification in oenology and he the esteemed sommelier at Silvermist’s La Colombe in the Constantia Valley.

In 2015, Dhafana entered a blind tasting wine competition that landed him the third place in South Africa and 12th in the world championship alongside the rest of the national team. Since then, he has started his own company, Mosi Wines, and is exporting to Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

After learning about the great knowledge of this wine connoisseur, we had to ask him what he would pair some of our favourite dishes:

Paella: The Sadie Family Wines Pofadder 2012 is fruity and herbal with
a mineral backbone, this is an excellent choice to accompany any seafood, such as a mussel dish.’
Pulled brisket tacos: The vivid fruity flavour and spicy, gamey quality of the Stony Brook Vineyards Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2010 are great paired with smoked meats or the rich flavour of brisket.
Jelly squares: A fresh and acidic sparkling wine like the Krone Night Nectar Cap Classique 2011 complements a light, fruity jelly superbly.

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What’s the next best thing about wine (after drinking it, of course)? Our list of the coolest and quirkiest wine accessories! Whip out your favourite bottle and take a gander at these tools that will revolutionise your drinking game.

Rapid chiller

An instant wine chiller is a must-have for gatherings where friends bring their own wine. This gadget comes with a built-in cooling element – similar to those found in your fridge. This will chill your wine to perfect sipping temperature within a mere five minutes, and will keep the bottle cool for hours (should it last that long). Use the thermometer to check when it’s reached the perfect drinking temperature.
Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Wine Cooler from takealot.com

Preserver

A slightly more sophisticated gadget, for the truly discerning wine-drinker, is a wine preserver. This handy product will ensure your chosen bottle of wine remain fresh and full of flavour, long after being opened. The Metrokane V-Gauge Wine Preserver features a pressure gauge, which indicates whether you have pumped enough to preserve your wine optimally.
Metrokane V-Gauge Wine Preserver from home.co.za

Stopper

We all know a good bottle of wine becomes better when exposed to oxygen, but when left out to air for too long, the opposite can occur. If wine is exposed to air-born bacteria for an extensive period of time, your long-awaited bottle of vino might end up tasting a bit tangy. Prevent this potentially devastating situation by storing a new bottle on its side. The cork needs to be kept wet to protect the wine from oxidation. If you don’t finish a bottle, be sure to seal it with a wine stopper. Once this is done, the bottle needs to be stored upright – this decreases the surface area exposed to the oxygen still in the bottle.
Sinatra Wine Stopper Set from home.co.za

Journal

Document those truly memorable wine-tasting experiences with the Moleskine Passions journal. Divided into six sections, all based on a specific theme, this iconic range of little black books will allow you to record your best wine moments, from opening that treasured bottle of Albariño to your first scrumptious sip of Zinfandel! It also comes with 202 wine-related self-adhesive stickers.
From Exclusive Books

Aerator

After a particularly long day, one often forsakes the rituals and practices that come with proper wine drinking. The cork is haphazardly popped and you gratefully sip your wine… immediately. Unfortunately, not giving wine enough time to breathe can reduce the potential magic of your tasting experience. Young, dry reds tend to be harsh on the palate due to the large number of tannins. Pouring your fave bottle into a decanter for a few hours allows it to oxidise, releasing the aroma and giving it a luxurious mouthfeel. This handy tool forces oxygen into the wine using the pressure in a chamber. Treat yourself to one to maximise those prized bottles of citrusy whites and velvety reds.
Metrokane Wine Aerator from home.co.za

Thermometer

If you really want to get the most out of your glass, consider investing in a wine thermometer. Sometimes it isn’t enough to know that white wine is served cold and red, cool. With one of these handy gadgets, you know that you are enjoying your wine to its fullest, at the perfect temperature. Sparkling wine should be ice-cold – between 4 and 10ºC. Your whites and rosés should be chilled at 10–15ºC. Red vintages should be cool, between 15 and 21ºC.
Wine Thermometer Set from home.co.za

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Pearl Oliver had always wanted to be a doctor. Despite her interest in medicine, life had other plans. While waitressing at Catharina’s restaurant in Cape Town, Pearl’s manager handed her a glass of Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve. She took a sip – and the rest is history. Now a sommelier at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel’s Planet Restaurant, and in her 10th year of studying the world of wine, she shares some of her knowledge.

Q. What’s great about the SA wine industry?
A. The diversity. It’s phenomenal how many people from different backgrounds this industry brings together.

Q. What local wines should we be drinking?
A. We are spoilt with the spectacular wines being made in the Western Cape. It’s not easy to single out specific vineyards, as there are so many producing outstanding wines. Stellenbosch deserves special mention, though. I have met people who travel to SA just to taste the wines from our Stellies vineyards.

Q. What do you eat and drink at home?
A. I love cheese, but I’ve had to cut back a bit in an effort to slim down for summer. I cook pondu (cassava leaves) and lamb chops from my dear love Paul’s homeland, the DRC. We drink lots of Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Cab-blends.

Q. Tips for the aspiring wine connoisseur?
A. Never stop reading or researching, and make time to sit down and drink wine. It’s the best way to learn.

Q. And finally, good wine is…
A. A lifestyle, to be shared with friends, family and, perhaps, an interesting stranger.

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