Fifty-five years ago, South Africa produced its very first bottle of Cap Classique. Today, that once-young category has matured into one of the world’s most exciting sources of traditional-method sparkling wine. Made using the same painstaking bottle fermentation as Champagne, Cap Classique has evolved far beyond being simply an affordable alternative. With exceptional vineyards, longer…
Franschhoek has long been one of South Africa’s most celebrated wine valleys. From elegant Cabernet Sauvignon to age-worthy Bordeaux blends, its wines combine structure, freshness and remarkable longevity. We’ve spent more than two decades exploring the Cape, building relationships with the people behind its most exciting wines. This week, we’ve brought together three very different…
Stony Brook Vineyards 100% Tempranillo, Franschhoek 92 Points – Tim Atkin MW “A very rare sighting in the Cape of Tempranillo, Ovidius would put a smile on the face of a winemaker from Rioja or Ribera del Duero. Stylishly oaked in 65% new barrels, it has appealing bramble and blueberry fruit, plenty of supporting acidity…
Winshaw Vineyards “Smells a little like those tiny Parma Violet sweeties you get in tubes. I’m not terribly sure I would have identified this as Pinot Gris, but there is a bit of ginger in there giving it nip. Nashi pears, nice and fresh.” – Tamlyn Currin. Shop The Runaway Pinot Gris 2024 Earlier this week, we…
Pinotage has spent decades trying to prove it can be powerful. Alex Milner wondered whether it should instead be graceful. After all, Pinotage is the child of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, two naturally lighter, more aromatic grapes. So why make it like Cabernet Sauvignon? His answer is NAT. Light on its feet, fragrant, savoury and quietly…
Some wines are easy to find. Others are as rare as hoendertande, chicken teeth. De Kleine’s Hoendertande Grenache Noir 2023 belongs firmly in the latter camp. Produced in tiny quantities and recently awarded 94 Points by Greg Sherwood MW, this beautifully expressive Grenache comes from the producer behind not one, but two of Platter’s 2026 Wines of the…
“Hey You, take a photo of me!” That was the instruction shouted through a car window on the Cape Flats to the photographer whose image would eventually become the label for Jasper Raats’ Skebenga. In South Africa, Skebenga roughly translates to gangster, rogue or scoundrel, and somehow the name fits the wine perfectly. Wildly characterful and unmistakably Cape,…
It’s Bordeaux En Primeur season once again. Collectors, critics and merchants are busy debating barrel samples, chasing scores and securing allocations that won’t land in cellars for years to come. But while the fine wine world focuses on what might become tomorrow’s great Bordeaux, we prefer not to forget one important thing: Some Bordeaux is already drinking…
Some wines get sold on shelves. Others end up on the world’s best tables. Today, Spioenkop belongs firmly in the latter camp. From FYN in Cape Town to CORE by Clare Smyth and Ikoyi in London, Spioenkop has quietly become one of South Africa’s most sought-after fine wine producers. And once you taste them, it’s…
When we offered Axle Chenin Blanc 2025 on pre-arrival earlier this year, it was quickly secured by those who knew what to expect. It has now landed in the UK, and availability is already tightening. We began with an allocation of just over a quarter of the total 6,000-bottle production, and close to half has…
“I taste a renaissance. The ‘cool wines of the Cahors’?” – Tamlyn Currin. For years, Cahors was defined by its reputation: powerful, tannic Malbecs that demanded patience. But as Tamlyn Currin recently observed, a quiet revolution is underway — one that’s reshaping the identity of this historic region into something far more compelling: wines of…
Back by popular demand, and better than ever, the 2021 vintage of Stony Brook “The Max” has landed. Quietly one of our most consistent best sellers, this Franschhoek red blend has built its reputation the old-fashioned way: through word of mouth, repeat orders, and pure drinkability. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Petit…
“Our vineyard teaches us humility. The 2023 harvest made the truth of this lesson unmistakably clear.” – Mike Ratcliffe For Vilafonté, every vintage is a negotiation with nature, but rarely has a deal been so finely struck as it was in the lead-up to these newly released 2023 wines. A long, measured growing season, meticulous…
Join us for a flavourful journey with Spanish producer Cellar Balart, tasting their fantastic Garnacha and Garnacha Blanc wine! Experience a delightful selection of wines from Cellar Balart, with the winemaker himself Lluis Balart, focusing on Garnacha and Garnacha Blanca, with two cuvees aged in Amfora and two in Barrique. Exciting wines which offer tremendous…
“The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain,” Eliza Doolittle sounds out, her strong Cockney accent finally fading away. The rain (and many other things) in Spain also shapes the many varied styles of Spanish wines, a bounty the world has long profited from. This Easter, we invite you to share in this bounty and…
Spring’s around the corner, Easter’s on the table, and it’s officially rosé time again. M by Sumeire Méditeranée Rosé 2024 has quietly become one of our most reliable best-sellers. Not because it’s flashy or overthought, but because it delivers exactly what you want from a Mediterranean rosé: fresh, dry, easy, and consistently good. It’s the bottle people come…
South Africa’s vineyards don’t just produce remarkable wines, they exist within one of the most extraordinary ecosystems on earth. The Cape Floral Kingdom, a biodiversity treasure found nowhere else, is both the backdrop and the responsibility of the country’s winemakers. As Tamlyn Currin highlights in her latest report for Jancis Robinson MW, this is a wine…
Few producers have reshaped the perception of a grape quite like Comando G. Founded by Daniel Landi and Fernando García in Spain’s Sierra de Gredos, the project set out to revive old Garnacha vines scattered across the region’s granite slopes, vineyards largely abandoned as the variety fell out of favour. Inspired by Burgundy’s reverence for…
From the rugged slopes of Jonkershoek comes a Syrah that captures the valley’s wild beauty and quiet intensity. The Stark-Condé Stellenbosch Syrah 2019 is a wine of perfume, purity and structure, drawn from multiple estate parcels and shaped by the final year of the Cape drought. Co-fermented with a tiny touch of Roussanne and Viognier…
Following the remarkable response to our two 96-point pre-arrival wines, we are delighted to introduce three more standout bottles from the Decanter report, all available now and exclusive to Museum Wines in the UK. From the refined elegance of Swartland’s Swerwer Red Blend, to the structured Helderberg power of Uva Mira’s Fox’s Lair, and the bold Rhône-inspired Cinravèdre from De Kleine…
Kann ich mehr Riesling bitte? Our first encounter with a well-aged Riesling – that unmistakable citrus lift, racy acidity and faint whisper of petrol – sparked something close to Torschlusspanik (the fear that time is running out). If it had taken us this long to realise how complex, layered and compelling Riesling can be, what else might we be…
South Africa’s red blends are enjoying a remarkable moment in the global spotlight, and a recent Decanter panel tasting confirmed exactly why. In a comprehensive blind tasting of 90 wines, an extraordinary 60% scored 90 points or higher, underscoring the Cape’s reputation as one of the world’s most exciting sources of character, quality and value. Leading the pack…
Born into one of France’s most celebrated winemaking families, Mathilde Chapoutier carries forward the extraordinary legacy of her father Michel Chapoutier while confidently forging her own path. With a philosophy rooted in respect for terroir, sustainability and pure drinking pleasure, Mathilde’s wines capture both tradition and modern elegance. Her Grande Ferrage 2023 Côtes de Provence Rosé is everything we…
Few estates in Stellenbosch have defined modern Cabernet Sauvignon with such quiet authority as Stark-Condé Wines. From their dramatic vineyards in the Jonkershoek Valley, owner José Condé and his team have built a reputation as one of South Africa’s most focused premium Cabernet producers — and nowhere is that ambition more evident than in their…
Two of our most popular Bordeaux have just landed back in stock, and they’re available both online and in-store while they last. (Our 10% off any 6 bottle order discount also applies in store.) From the sixth-generation Meyre family in the heart of the Médoc comes Château Julien 2020 (£19.99) and its immensely drinkable sibling Petit Julien 2022 (£14.99) , wines that…
Few winemakers in the Cape command the quiet authority of Adam Mason. From shaping the legacy of Klein Constantia to consulting for heritage names like Vriesenhof and now steering the wines of Terre Paisible, Mason’s touch is unmistakable, precise, polished and profoundly expressive. Nowhere is that mastery clearer than in the 2021 Vigne d’Or Red Blend.…
We are proud to introduce Eisen & Viljoen, a striking new Franschhoek estate brand rooted in one of the Cape’s most historic properties: Normandie Est. 1693, one of the original 29 French Huguenot farms in the valley. Now in the hands of internationally acclaimed fashion designer Mark Eisen and former Vinpro viticultural consultant turned winemaker Johan Viljoen,…
If you’ve been waiting for a reason to explore the Swartland’s new guard, this is it. On 27 February at Museum Wines HQ, we’re pouring a line-up of wines that haven’t just turned heads, they’ve stopped some of the world’s most respected critics in their tracks. We’re talking 97-point and 98-point scores, soaring praise from names like Greg Sherwood…
Some wines are born of place. Others are born of a journey. Paserene Wines is both. Founded in 2013 by third-generation winemaker Martin Smith and businessman Ndavhe Mareda, Paserene represents the culmination of a remarkable global apprenticeship. From a cork factory in Portugal to flying vintages across America, five years at Newton Winery in Saint Helena, and…
Some wines reward patience. This one rewarded speed. When we first offered this 10-year-old Bordeaux from Château L’Éperon, it disappeared almost immediately, even at £16.99. Fully mature claret at everyday-drinking money tends to do that. Now, we’ve been fortunate enough to secure another pallet. A decade in bottle has done the hard work: tannins softened, fruit…
Time is running out to make your glass count. Franschhoek — a valley defined by old vines, mountain drama and centuries of reinvention, is rebuilding after devastating wildfires. For the entire month, we’ve pledged to donate 50% of all profits from Franschhoek wine sales to fire recovery initiatives. Now, with just two weeks remaining until 28 February,…
We’ve just secured a special parcel of Cotes de Provence rosé at a significantly reduced price meaning we can pass that discount onto our customers. Chapoutier are one of the most well known and respected names in French wine production and this Cotes de Provence would ordinarily retail at around £20 per bottle but we’re…
Franschhoek does many things beautifully, dramatic mountain backdrops, world-class hospitality, culinary brilliance, but increasingly, it does Semillon better than almost anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. Once overlooked, now revered, Semillon has emerged as the quiet hero of this storied valley. Home to four of South Africa’s ten centenarian vineyards (three of them Semillon – one recently threatened by…
Some wines feel even more meaningful at the right moment. We’ve just received the 2021 vintage of Stony Brook Vineyards’ The Max Red Blend, a proven top seller and a true expression of Franschhoek. With the valley still reeling from recent wildfires, we’re donating 50% of profits from all Franschhoek wine sales to fire recovery efforts helping estates and…
In Case You Missed It… Over the past weeks, Franschhoek has faced one of the most devastating fire seasons in its history. Estates, vineyards, homes and working cellars, many woven into the fabric of South African wine, have suffered damage that will take years, not months, to repair. At Museum Wines, Franschhoek is not just a name…
Years of tasting, travelling and trusting his instincts have taught Museum Wines’ Managing Director Daniel Grigg one simple truth: exceptional wines announce themselves quietly, if you know how to listen. This month’s Wined-Up Merchant pick is a textbook example. Domaine La Bosque is a little-known (for now), fiercely principled estate tucked into the oak-lined slopes of Saint-Chinian…
Over the past weeks, Franschhoek has faced one of the most devastating fire seasons in its history. Estates, vineyards, homes and working cellars, many woven into the fabric of South African wine, have suffered damage that will take years, not months, to repair. At Museum Wines, Franschhoek is not just a name on a label. It’s a…
Dry January was never meant to be easy, especially when some of South Africa’s most sought-after, rarely discounted wines are sitting at up to 40% off. With just three days left, this is your final chance to stock up on Museum Wines favourites and critically acclaimed classics before February arrives demanding epic libations. From the below-the-radar allure of City on a…
When winter tightens its grip, we naturally gravitate toward deeper, heartier wines. But every so often, a truly great rosé reminds us why this category conquered the world in the first place, offering not just refreshment, but comfort, texture, and pure drinking pleasure. Enter M by Famille Sumeire, Provençal Rosé 2024, one of our all-time best sellers, back…
For more than a week now, wildfires have raged through the Franschhoek Valley, a place as spellbinding as it is vulnerable. With the Chamonix Manor House and offices tragically lost, and fires still out of control, old vine vineyards, historic farm structures and livelihoods remain under very real threat. At this stage, the full extent of…