Dan Really Likes Wine

Growing up in the cellar, making his first wine aged 12, and succeeding his iconic father at the helm of the family business, Cape Winemakers Guild member Danie Steytler charts the story of a journey he was always destined to take.

With an apprenticeship that included an invaluable stint at Steenberg, JD Pretorius was a shrewd pick to take over at Warwick; now well settled at the marquee Stellenbosch estate, the current Cape Winemakers Guild chair is honouring the legacy of the great Norma Ratcliffe family.

As the man who put Bot River on the map with his iconic Luddite shiraz, Cape Winemakers Guild member Niels Verburg has delivered an incredible wine story that’s set to become a family legacy.

Mossop’s big break was taking on the winemaker role in a brand new Stellenbosch winery called Tokara; nearly 10 years after leaving to run his own brand, he recounts his adventures in wine - and his love of surfing.

Juggling celebrity guests, world class wine, and a team of exceptional sommeliers, The Saxon’s Lloyd Jusa has one of the most high profile jobs in South African wine - and a lovely story behind his journey to one of the world’s most iconic hotels.

Starting your own wine brand sounds a grand, romantic adventure - but as House of Azari founder Siphiwe Katjene has discovered in the four years since launching her range of bubbles, it’s a tough (but rewarding) endeavour.

She makes the wine, she looks after the grapes, she fixes broken tractors - there’s nothing that Olifantsberg’s Elizma Visser can’t do, but producing Rhône inspired wine that’s gaining a global fan club remains the flagship role.

She’s a farmer at heart, but still an exceptional winemaker, having made vintages in Napa, Stellenbosch and Italy - and now Lucinda Heyns is combining her multitude of skills under the Illimis label, introduced to the show at this year’s Absa charity celebration.

Not many people know that there’s a winery in the Johannesburg suburb of Craighall Park, where Kiwi winemaker Kath Gerakaris (with help from Adi Badenhorst’s Swartland fruit) has an unlikely home for fine wine.

Amine Ghanem left Lebanon on a champagne pilgrimage that has taken him to Dom Perignon, and the winemaking team behind one of the most iconic wines in the world.

Smuggling chardonnay cuttings into South Africa from France, having a cellar as your childhood playground, and discovering the true joy of chardonnay - Johann de Wet tells the family story of De Wetshof.

Falling in love with South Africa’s very own grape, the year of 100 tastings, and his favourite bottle ever - Absa Pinotage Association chair Beyers Truter shares the gospel of pinotage.

Selling your home in London and moving to France to make rosé sounds like a dream - unless you can’t speak French, have never made wine, and don’t have a fortune to invest. Stephen Cronk relives the Mirabeau fairytale…

Backed by big name judges like Oz Clarke and Cathy van Zyl, Investec Trophy Wine Show chair Michael Fridjhon has named this year’s star performers - and joins the show to celebrate the class of 2026.

From the gathering of industry heavyweights that made up the room at WineTalk Joburg, a special edition of the show featuring Nedbank’s Kensi Nobanda and the Alchemy project, plus winemakers Shawn Mathyse from Ken Forrester, and Delheim’s Nongcebo Langa.

As arguably the world’s most famous champagne house, Moët et Chandon carries enormous prestige - which makes Benoît Gouez, the resident chef de cave, one of the most influential people in French wine.

The Barton family occupy a special place in Bordeaux’s wine story, keeping a multi-generational family property firmly amongst the most revered producers in France. As the latest in a long line of family members to have stood watch over two iconic Bordeaux properties, Damien Barton Sartorius has French wine firmly in his DNA - but also has a very particular love for South Africa.

As the global capital of South African wine sales, Johannesburg has a huge say in the future of the industry - and with the second edition of WineTalk focused on exactly that, Andrew Shelly and Pamela Makhubele set the scene. Andrew Shelly is one of South Africa’s great wine teachers, Pamela Makhubele one of our most passionate supporters - and both will play in a big part in the second edition of...

It’s been shopping season at Van Loveren in recent years, as the Robertson powerhouse added Zandvliet, Neil Ellis, Landskroon and Survivor to the Retief family’s portfolio; Philip Retief talks through the past, the present and a very exciting future.

They’re best known in South Africa for having launched Vilafonté with partner Mike Ratcliffe, but Phil Freese and Zelma Long have a compelling wine story that extends across both South Africa and California.

As he and his brother Frederic hand over the reins of Vieux Télégraphe to a sixth generation, Daniel Brunier reflects on the success of an icon of Chateauneuf du Pape.

Like his celebrity chef brother Ton, sommelier Tam Chaisiri Tassanakajohn started life in the finance world, but is now happily running Michelin star restaurant Nusara, where marquee champagne leads the fine wine offering.

Overseeing wine at a three Michelin star restaurant, celebrating a love of riesling, and appraising a fine dining scene in Bangkok that’s soaring: sommelier Guillaume Perdigues checks in from Restaurant Sühring.

A chance visit to Michelin-starred restaurant Potong inspired Thai sommelier Phuengthum Khathhiphathee to join the (almost) all-woman team, and join Bangkok’s fine food and wine revolution.

Serbian sommerlier Vladimir Kojic swapped idyllic island life for a high octane chaos of Gaggan, Asia’s number one ranked restaurant - and it’s proved to be the greatest adventure of his life.