Building the future. Exploring the past

On June the 18th, premium wine and port distributor, John E. Fells & Sons, in partnership with Wines of South Africa (WOSA), invited fellow wine importers, media, and a selection of trade customers for an in-depth masterclass and panel discussion.  Master Sommelier Stefan Neumann led the proceedings, reflecting on the positive change that a decade made in the evolution of South African winemaking expertise and the wine-growing philosophy.

Discussions centred around the finer details of wine luxury, the definition of fine wine and the positive perception of the general consumer, growing in confidence by investing in South Africa’s best. The panel of experts included Pauline Vicard from Areni Global, Bruwer Raats and Michael S Ratcliffe.

The tasting focused on South African wines made from Bordeaux varietals, with an historical provenance in France, but now also finding a varietal expression in the South African terroir.

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South African wines have in the last 10 years shown expeditious growth in quality and refinement, now standing proudly alongside some of the best in the wine world. The 2011 and 2021 vintages from Meerlust, Vilafonté, Glenelly Estate and MR de Compostella of Raats Family Wines were shown to reflect the expeditious growth in quality and refinement – a journey to standing proudly alongside some of the best in the wine world.  Attendees agreed that the technical input and a greater understanding of the intricacies of the South African terroir shows proudly in the 2021 vintage – possibly a future classic.