People, community and tourism

In James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen Dedalus resolves to express himself "as freely as I can and as wholly as I can". Joyce's hero refuses to be just one thing. That same many-sided energy is increasingly being asked of the modern South African winemaker, who has to adopt different faces for different places.

There is ice in the Chenin Blanc, Cap Classique in an ordinary wine glass and a bowl of curry waiting beside a bottle of something pink. By old wine standards, the afternoon is a small crime scene.

Tomorrow’s wine drinker is already here, standing at the braai with a can in one hand and a phone in the other. South African wine still has time to join the occasion, although it may need to loosen its collar first.

Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines has been named World's Best Rising Star at the Golden Vines 2026 Awards Gala in London on 8 November, making it the second year in a row that the Swartland-Franschhoek team has taken the title, following its first win in 2025.

Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, once a prosperous transport stop, experienced economic decline after the N2 highway diverted traffic and commerce. The community now faces unemployment, educational shortcomings, and inadequate housing. Various initiatives seek to improve conditions through social support, skills development, vocational training, and community enhancement projects.

The International Wine Education Centre (IWEC), Africa’s leading provider of the internationally recognised Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) wine courses is celebrating with eight students who have completed their WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines qualification this year.

'n Mens hoef nie noodwendig eers 'n wynkenner te wees voordat jy ‘n belangstelling in wyn ontwikkel nie. Soms begin dit met iets wat jy reeds geniet, en wyn vorm deel van daardie ervaring.

South Africa continues to make its mark on the global stage, taking two of the three World’s Best Rising Star spots, with Mullineux and Alheit Vineyards shortlisted alongside Spain’s Comando G. The Sadie Family Wines, Rising Star winner in 2023 and 2024, has also progressed to the Best Fine Wine Producer in the Rest of the World shortlist. The shortlist is voted for by an Academy of nearly 1,300 senior wine and spirits professionals, whose insights directly inform the full report (released during the awards weekend).

Brookdale Estate has announced the launch of its Wine Club, inviting wine lovers to become part of the estate’s ongoing evolution to discover new and exclusive wines from its Paarl cellar.

What does the next generation of South African wine drinkers want? It is a question the industry keeps asking. This year’s New SA Wine Writer competition suggests that some of the answers might come from a new generation of storytellers.

South Africa Wine's first RDI Day, held on 7 October 2026 at Diamant Estate in Paarl, put the people who have spent more than 27 years building the industry's research, development and innovation capacity at the centre of the programme.

The importance of ethical leadership in business and human rights was at the centre of a recent capacity-building initiative held in the South African wine industry.