My Wine Cellar

My Wine Word of the Week: Redox

Brandon Marc — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:00:24 +0000

Redox – A term describing the reductive-oxidative manner in which wine ages. As one element gains oxygen and becomes oxidized, another element loses oxygen becoming reduced. Early in the lifetime of a wine, it exhibits oxidative aromas and characters due to the recent influence and exposure of oxygen during barrel aging and/or the bottling process. [...]

Who Els?

Brandon Marc — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:00:14 +0000

Ok, the title is a bit cliché but I just couldn’t think of anything Els Jokes aside. To those of you are who are not familiar with international golfing figures, allow me to introduce you to Ernie Els, perhaps South Africa’s greatest golfing export. What does Ernie have to do with wine you might [...]

Dorp Street MCC and Champagne Festival

Brandon Marc — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:00:59 +0000

In keeping with last weeks Champagne theme, here’s your invitation to the inaugural Dorp Street MCC and Champagne Festival! In 1971 South Africa’s premier wine producing region, Stellenbosch, released the country’s first wine modeled on the famous sparkling wines of the Champagne region in France. 39 years later, we have the privilege of announcing the arrival [...]

Oldest Bottle of Bubbly Discovered!

Brandon Marc — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:00:28 +0000

Said to be the oldest drinkable Champagne in the world, about 30 bottles of Veuve Clicquot were brought up by divers from an 18th century shipwreck off Åland, an autonomous Baltic island between Sweden and Finland. The Champagne is said to date back to between 1772 and 1788. The divers wasted no time and cracked open [...]

Cork Just Got Sexy

Brandon Marc — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:00:44 +0000

Recycled cork has never been this sexy. A Portuguese designer has created a line of sexy lingerie made from nothing but cork, and specially designed for use in strip-tease occasions. That’s right, that cork you popped last Christmas has now found its way into the underwear draws of the Eco-conscious eager to strip. The aim [...]

China Thirsty for More

Brandon Marc — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:00:55 +0000

China continues to show impressive growth in wine production, and is fast becoming the next wine ’super power’. Wine consumption grew by 5% in China back in 2006, and 4 years on consumption continues to grow. While regions such as France, Spain and Turkey experience shrinkage of their respective vineyard areas, China has increased by [...]

Explore the Cape Winelands… On Your PC!

Brandon Marc — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:00:50 +0000

With the introduction of ‘Google Streetview’, you are now able to visually explore the Cape Winelands on your PC. I’m certainly not suggesting that this replace the real experience of the Winelands, however this technology can be great for ’sneak-previews’ and travel planning. Click here to see the street view of the road to Delheim Estate, [...]

Winemaker Focus: Stellekaya

Brandon Marc — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:00:38 +0000

Courtesy of BKWine TV, below is a brief interview with the Winemaker of Stellekaya, based in Stellenbosch. Ntsiki Biyela has been making quality wines at Stellenkaya since 2004, and describes how she became involved in winemaking. From My Wine Cellar we wish her all the best in her young winemaking career, and we look forward to [...]

Midsummer Madness

Brandon Marc — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:00:53 +0000

Sweden’s infamous ‘Midsummer’ season is upon us. It might be the middle of winter down in South Africa, but up here in the Nordics it’s time to take some time off and relax in the warm summer sun. The midsummer weekend is particularly popular, and the trip to my local Systembolaget after work was near [...]

Braai Time with WOSA

Brandon Marc — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:00:05 +0000

The European summer is here, and what better way to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa by having a truly South African braai accompanied by South African wines. It was a pleasure to attend the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) event, held at Cliff Barnes restaurant in central Stockholm. The braai was [...]