“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…
“It was a tasting conceived of more than a year ago and which took over six months of intricate planning to execute without any hitches. The Museum Wines Benchmark South African Tasting at the South African High Commission 2023 was certainly a memorable event, one which the producers who attended in person, the trade, press,…
Celebrating the Great Right Bank Bordeaux Reds of St Emilion and Pomerol While not quite as significant an event in the global fine wine calendar as it used to be in years gone by due to more and more top chateaux wines being held back and sold later once bottled, the annual En-primeur tastings do,…
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…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 17th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 16th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 15th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 15th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 13th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
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…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 12th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
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…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 11th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
“‘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…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 10th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to find something to suit your…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 8th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to find something to suit your…
Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 8th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service. Keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day, be it an investment, something eclectic, or a sure thing midweek wine – you’re bound to…
It’s here, February, and thank God. The year that was January is over, and we can finally get stuck into the new year with purpose. Let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 7th edition of An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging, which in these trying times, is a necessary service.…
With February in sight, dry January should be in the rearview mirror by now, and our celebratory sale something to wash away those January blues. If you’re after something specific, however, let our trusty guide Greg Sherwood MW help with this, his 6th edition of An Informed Opinion. You can trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging. Which in…
Our trustworthy guide Greg Sherwood MW helps navigate the complicated world of wine in the fifth instalment of his three-wines-a-week series, An Informed Opinion. Mid-January at Museum Wines being dry, but only insofar as beautifully DRY wines. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging. Which in these trying times seems like a necessary service. We invite you to keep…
“On the cusp of the 2021 Burgundy En-primeur releases, lovers of fine boned Pinot Noir and racy Chardonnay need not be frightened off by the high prices and impossible availability of this year’s impending releases. There are alternatives and South Africa with its old-world structure and new world fruit purity offers a surfeit of stunning…
While chestnuts roast on an open fire, and Jack Frost nips at your nose… We thought you might be in the market for some festive reading in the spirit of good wine and conversation starters around the Christmas table. Our findings should be good for at least half an hour of small talk, though WITH the actual wine, you might be set…
Our trustworthy guide Greg Sherwood MW helps navigate the complicated world of wine in the second instalment of his three-wines-a-week series, An Informed Opinion. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and interesting. Which in these trying times seems like a necessary service. We invite you to keep an eye out and see what appeals on the day,…
“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…
Our trustworthy guide Greg Sherwood MW helps navigate the complicated world of wine in the fifth instalment of his three-wines-a-week series, An Informed Opinion. Mid-January at Museum Wines being dry, but only insofar as beautifully DRY wines. Trust him to keep your wine selection relevant, nuanced, and engaging. Which in these trying times seems like a necessary service. We invite you to keep…
“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…
“To those out on their own paths, setting little fires.” ― Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere. It was 2013 when the bushfires started for Alex Milner of Natte Valleij. While the Cape is prone to bushfires, I’m not talking about the literal kind, but the light in the darkness kind. Tamlyn Currin of Jancis Robinson…
“I tend to read like I drink: all over the place and rarely the same thing twice.” – José Conde. Stark-Condé is a melting pot of American, Japanese, and South African doctrine in the Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch. Though a Valley such as this, given its own diversity, seems uniquely suited to host such wide-ranging…