Featured Food and wine pairing – Pork and Santolin Pinot Noir
Another favourite recipe with Pinot Noir is Donna Hay’s, Crispy Pork Belly with Apples. CRISPY PORK BELLY W/ APPLES INGREDIENTS 1.2kg piece boneless pork belly, skin scored at 5cm intervals 1 tbsp sea salt flakes 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2½ cups (625ml) cloudy apple juice...
Featured winery – Santolin Wines
Adrian and Rebecca Santolin. First generation wine pioneers living the dream, raising a family and making small batch, lo-fi wines in the Yarra Valley. Adrian Santolin grew up in Griffith, NSW, and has worked in the wine industry since he was 15. He moved to the Yarra...
Featured winery – Kings of Kangaroo Ground
Founder and winemaker Ken King planted the vineyard in 1990, selecting the early ripening Burgundy varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the vineyard is planted on a south slope to deliberately delay the ripening of the fruit, which...
Featured winery – No.1 Family Estate Wines
Hearts in Marlborough since 1980, roots in Champagne since 1684 The Le Brun Family in Champagne Records from 1750 in Monthelon in the Champagne district are the first indication of Champagne Le Brun. Since then, members of the Le Brun family have continued the...
Featured grape varietal – Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is one of the most captivating and complex of wines. Today, over 40 mutations of Pinot Noir exist, and they all taste different. The variation sparks passion in winemakers and drinkers to create the pinnacle of Pinot Noir. From earth-scented bottlings with...
Featured Winemaker – Dirk Coetzee
Dirk Coetzee grew up in the small village of Hoekville, in the Knysna Forest on South Africa’s Garden Coast. Exploring mountains, cycling and especially surfing has always been an important part of his life. Today Dirk Coetzee is known as a winemaking trail blazer,...
Featured Winery – L’Avenir Estate
L'Avenir is a hidden gem, located just outside the quaint town of Stellenbosch, but far enough removed to feel like the middle of nowhere. This boutique estate with extraordinary views, nestled in the valley below the magnificent Simonsberg Mountains, is as pretty as...
Featured grape varietal – Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc (often shortened to “cab franc”) is a French red wine grape that is planted in all major wine-producing regions of the world. It is usually blended with other grapes in Bordeaux-style red wines, but Cabernet Franc is also made as a single-varietal wine...
Featured Winemaker – Etienne and Christo Le Riche
As one of the founding members of the Cape Winemakers Guild, celebrated winemaker at Rustenberg for over 20 years and twice named John Platter’s Winemaker of the Year, Etienne Le Riche is as layered as the wines he creates… at once reserved, yet confident, careful to...
Featured Winery – Le Riche
Le Riche winery is located outside of Stellenbosch and for more than 10 years, Etienne Le Riche has been producing his extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignons here. The wines from Le Riche are always one of the highlights of the yearly auction of the Cape Winemakers Guild...
Featured grape varietal – Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot first gained fame as a blending grape for making Bordeaux wine. However, because Petit Verdot often has difficulties reaching full phenolic ripeness, not much of it is planted or used in Bordeaux today. Yet, that was not always the case. In fact, Petit...
Featured grape varietal – Merlot
Merlot is the most popular and widely planted wine grape varietal in France, reaching its true zenith of expression in Bordeaux wine. Around the world, it’s the fifth most planted wine grape. Merlot is a variety of black wine grape that is originally from the Bordeaux...