LIQUID INVESTMENTS
MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Springfield Estate experiments spring delicious surprises
Most of the more vocal members of the local wine scene surprisingly prefer innovation to tradition. Wine writers, unsurprisingly, focus on "discovering" new talent and neglect the reliable and long-established wineries that form the heart of SA’s quality wine trade. The volume of editorial dedicated to Meerlust, Rustenberg, Kanonkop, Vergelegen, Thelema, Tokara, Neil Ellis, Steenberg, Graham Beck and Jordan — to name but a few — is disproportionately small compared with the importance of the wines they produce, their presence in quality wine spaces and their share of high-end wine sales. In the first decade of this century the number of wine producers in SA doubled. Even over the past five years, when the pace of change slowed perceptibly, at least 25 new wineries were vying for a share of shelf space annually.The long-established cellars don’t appear to have lost much to these newcomers — a sign, perhaps, of how robust the top end of the business is, but also how its expansion into...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.