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…
Some wines are designed for market. Others are made simply because someone wanted a glass of something good at home. Axle Chenin Blanc began as the latter. In 2018, Alex Milner made a small amount of Chenin Blanc at Natte Valleij for his wife — his only white wine, from a single old, ocean-facing Darling…
From now on, we’ll be open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, making it easier than ever for the wine lovers we’ve cultivated over the years to drop in, collect, browse, or enjoy a proper conversation about what’s drinking well now, and what’s worth laying down. Our doors are open, the shelves are stocked, and our commitment…
The festive countdown is officially on. To make sure your wines arrive in time for Christmas celebrations, please place your orders by midday on Thursday, 18 December, for guaranteed delivery by 24 December. As always, Museum Wines is here to make the season easy, with extended festive trading hours, expert recommendations, and 10% off any six bottles, pick &…
With Christmas just around the corner, this is your gentle nudge (and friendly warning) that our festive delivery cut-off is midday, Wednesday 18 December 2025, to ensure your wines arrive safely in time for Christmas Eve, 24 December. If you’re planning a well-stocked table, a few thoughtful gifts, or simply don’t want to face the holidays without…
Some estates don’t just make wine — they make history. Overgaauw is one of them. As the producer of South Africa’s very first bottled single-varietal Merlot, Overgaauw helped shape the modern Cape fine wine story long before Merlot was fashionable. After years of quiet rebuilding, the historic Stellenbosch estate has returned to the UK export…
This festive season, forget socks, soap sets and novelty Santa boxers, the ultimate stocking stuffer for your favourite wine-geek (or, let’s be honest, for yourself) is finally here. We’ve just unpacked a treasure trove from Equipo Navazos, the cult Sherry collective that has turned the forgotten corners of Andalusia’s great bodegas into liquid gold. Born from a group…
Exceptional wine shouldn’t be an annual indulgence, and with our New Best Everyday Deals—10% off any 6 bottles—it doesn’t have to be. And there’s no better place to start than with two extraordinary new arrivals from Spioenkop, one of Elgin’s most compelling and conversation-worthy producers. Belgian-born Koen Roose has been crafting some of South Africa’s most distinctive cool-climate wines…
From Portugal’s clay amphorae to Hungary’s volcanic slopes, four new arrivals that fill the gaps and expand your glass. Museum Wines has always been about finding bottles with a story, wines that connect place, history, and character. Our latest arrivals from Hungary and Portugal do just that, offering you a guided tour through regions that have shaped European winemaking…
New Arrivals Van Hunks Bubbles Fresh off the water and fizzing with folklore, our new Sparkling wine from Van Hunks has landed, and it brings more than just brilliant bubbles under £15. Named for Jan van Hunks, the pipe-puffing rogue who once out-smoked the devil himself, these bubbles carry the true spirit of the Cape…
If you’ve followed Uva Mira’s journey, you’ll know that every wine here begins with altitude and ends in elegance. Under winemaker Christiaan Coetzee’s deft touch, now in his 13th vintage, these mountain-grown wines channel both power and precision — the porcelain edge of the Helderberg. It was here, on a misty morning among the fynbos islands preserved…
Between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic lies the prestigious Médoc region — Bordeaux’s historic left bank where centuries of gravel-rich soils, maritime breezes and skilled winemaking have shaped some of the world’s most revered wines. (For a full historical overview of the Médoc appellation, see here.) Museum Wines is delighted to partner with Vins…
This Thursday, we’re popping the corks on one of Champagne’s most storied names, Pol Roger, at an exclusive tasting at Museum HQ. From Brut Réserve to Blanc de Blancs, Vintage and Rosé, you’ll discover why Sir Winston himself called it “the world’s most drinkable address.” But before we pop the bottles, there’s a final Spanish flourish, our limited offer on…
The Winshaw Legacy Continues | New 2021 Releases Rated 95 & 96 Points Few wine stories in Stellenbosch carry the weight, or the romance, of the Winshaw name. From runaway Kentuckian Dr William Charles Winshaw, founder of Stellenbosch Farmers Winery, to great-grandsons Pierre and J.P., who now farm Klein Welmoed with cattle, chickens, and vines in regenerative harmony, this is a…
The festive season is upon us, and we’re opening the doors at Museum HQ for a series of unmissable wine (and whisky!) events designed to toast the year in true Museum Wines style. From Champagne evenings with Pol Roger to Bordeaux drop-ins and a Christmas tasting weekend, our calendar is packed with opportunities to discover new favourites, meet the people…
Last chance to stock up, offers end at midnight, 26 October. We’re down to the final week of our Black Friday in October Sale, and this is your last chance to take advantage of offers that won’t be repeated. To close out the month, we’ve added a final wave of exceptional wines — from Overgaauw’s benchmark Merlot…
De Kleine Wijn Koöp is back with a fresh cast of characters — wines as wild, witty, and wonderfully expressive as the stories behind them. From their new home in the Witzenberg Mountains, Wynand and Anya Grobler continue to redefine what small-batch, artisanal South African wine can be. Meet the new creatures: Kreatuur Cinravédre 2023, Die Posman…
Have you ever gone walkabout? In Australia it describes the coming of age journey of an Aboriginal child, though it can also describe unexplained absences of any kind, a nomadic predisposition to wander aimlessly, though perhaps ‘aimlessly’ is the aim in itself, and thus not aimless at all. We’ve gone walkabout and sourced some truly…
New Wines Just Landed in Our October Black Friday Sale Our Black Friday in October Sale just got even bigger. We’ve added a fresh wave of insider bottles at incredible prices – and they won’t stick around long. This new drop includes cult South African favourites like Naudé Grenache 2020, Oupa 19 & 20, Swerwer Chenin 2022, and Sakkie Mouton’s Vloedvlak…
Expertly sniffed out, seriously good value, and just a little under the radar. We’ve added three new French wines to the portfolio, not the obvious big names, but bottles from producers who punch way above their price. The kind our team loves to unearth: character, pedigree, and real value without the markup of the usual suspects.…
From Portugal’s clay amphorae to Hungary’s volcanic slopes, four new arrivals that fill the gaps and expand your glass. Museum Wines has always been about finding bottles with a story, wines that connect place, history, and character. Our latest arrivals from Hungary and Portugal do just that, offering you a guided tour through regions that have shaped European…
Why wait until November? We’re rolling out Black Friday in October – a full month of unapologetically bold offers on a lineup of insider wines you won’t find in your local supermarket. From cult South African names like Naudé, Natte Valleij, and Minimalist Wines to international gems like Guidalberto from Tenuta San Guido, Langhe Nebbiolo, and fresh Rías Baixas Albariño,…
Eclectic, acclaimed, and exclusively sourced by Museum Wines. This month’s top five sellers prove just how dynamic South African wine has become. Three hail from the Helderberg, a hotspot where reputation meets altitude; the others showcase just how eclectic our producers can be—Cinsault from Darling, Sangiovese from Polkadraai, and a finely tuned blend from Franschhoek.…
We’ve unpacked our boxes in our new Salisbury home and lined the shelves with something a little different: a fresh range of wines under £8 and £15. That’s right, professionally sourced, from the UK’s SA Specialist Retailer four years running, and priced so there’s no excuse for your wine rack to sit bare. Add to that 10% off…
Its growth potential is better suited to the changing Stellenbosch climate than its Bordeaux-stablemate, Merlot and a few key producers have started cottoning on to its unique expression here. Among them, none other than our historic Stellenbosch family, the Winshaws. Their Malbec offered Greg Sherwood MW a unique moment of insight in a recent tasting, proven true on…
Koen Roose is known as the eccentric Belgian who makes wine in Elgin. He’s named three of his wines for notable South African women, including the warrior Queen Manthatisi of the BaThlokwa, who ruled from 1813 to 1824. In her heyday, it is estimated she ruled over 40,000 people and succeeded in keeping her people…
Malbec in France is one of the 5 recognized Bordeaux blend grapes, generally grown in the Cahors region and GENERALLY quite leathery and acidic, with flavours of tart currant, black plum, black pepper, and spice. Best used as a blending component. In ARGENTINA, Malbec is fruit-forward with flavours of blackberry, plum, and black cherry, nuanced…
South Africa is slowly redefining the borders and wards of its winemaking regions. One might argue that the freedom to do so is one of South African wine’s superpowers. Through the redefining and pioneering of new wards and regions, we are capable of producing ever more refined wines, uniquely suited to its terroir and patiently…
Brookdale Estate is situated on the Hawequa Bos Pad in Paarl, just down the road from one of South Africa’s historic wine farms, Nederburg. There, the young Kiara Scott, a Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé, previous assistant winemaker to Duncan Savage, and now Brookdale winemaker, is reimagining what Paarl wine truly means. Or at least, their little slice…
The Winshaw brothers Pierre and JP Winshaw of the Stellenbosch property, Klein Welmoed, make Usana wines and, more recently, their more premium Winshaw Vineyards label. The great-grandsons of Dr. William Charles Winshaw, founder of the Stellenbosch Farmers Winery (later Distell), and grandsons of Bill Winshaw, a key figure in the production of most of SA’s iconic heritage wines, think…
As your fine wine specialist, you can count on Museum Wines to identify and source some of the world’s finest wines. Case in point, this allocation of Lopez de Heredia’s Viña Tondonia Tinto Reserva 2011. The brand is known as the poster child for traditional Rioja winemaking. If you know Rioja and Tempranillo, you know…
“I was his tennis friend.”- Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises. With Wimbledon’s Ladies’ Singles Final today, we remembered a lovely afternoon spent with Alex Milner of Natte Valleij on the farm on the slopes of the Simonsberg. They have a tennis court that presented a tennis-themed photo opportunity, though the only serve we were interested…
Alex Milner of Natte Valleij just completed a 752km bike ride from the Cape to Nieu-Bethesda, where the annual Karoo Stoep Tasting was held this past weekend. * The above is a picture from his time on the road, from the middle of nowhere with Stellenboschvlei to the right. A cyclist with a minor in winemaking,…
“He couldn’t believe it was only Wednesday. And it was made worse when he realized it was actually Tuesday.”― T.J. Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea. One of the functions of a Specialist Wine Merchant is that no matter the price point, we’ve ensured the wines on offer are a smart and thoughtful addition to your cellar and…
Wine aficionados Allan Lambe and Joanne are hosting a fine wine and dining trip to South Africa from the 21st of November – the 30th of November 2023. With 4 spots left, we thought we’d offer you the opportunity to join in! Proposed Schedule Day 1 – 21st November 2023 Arrive at Cape Town International…
Alheit Vineyards is a name mentioned in hushed tones, for no sooner are their vintages released than they are sold out. Therefore better not mention this to everybody. Champions of South African white varieties, which they argue were being planted in the Compagnie Tuine sometime before there was ever any Cabernet Sauvignon growing in the Medoc,…
“For many wine producers, the most important characteristics they look for from their exclusive global distribution agents is a shared sense of purpose, a synergy of vision, and an ongoing commitment to grow together as wine ranges evolve from one vintage to the next. At Museum Wines, we are fortunate enough to work with some…
“‘The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.’ If that quote could be applied to just one winemaker, it would be André van Rensburg. Never one for mediocracy, he has, over the years, often been accused of being obsessive in the pursuit of his vinous vision, and so the madman image has stuck…
“South Africa is a visceral country.” – Neal Martin wrote in his recent report on South African wine, Growing up and Getting Wiser: South Africa in 2022. Visceral means relating to deep inward feeling rather than intellect, and is the golden thread that defines the great men and women of South African wine. They…
“Once you’re here, you don’t want to be anywhere else.”- Jasper Wickens. The Swartland Independent is a group of like-minded winemakers who make wine according to the principles of “Swartlandness”. Meaning a core set of values that THEY believe will help produce the best possible wines from the area. Things like minimal manipulation in both…