Some of the winemakers Food Weekly's wine expert, Joanne Gibson, admires most happen to be women - some of them mothers, making Mother's Day lunch next Sunday the perfect time to open a bottle or two of their wines.
1) KLOOF STREET OLD VINE CHENIN BLANC 2014
The winemaker: Andrea Mullineux needs little introduction as winemaker at Mullineux & Leeu Family Vineyards, where husband Chris nurtures the Swartland and Franschhoek vineyards. Mullineux consistently wows critics with her handcrafted and deservedly pricey Mullineux wines, while her Kloof Street wines are all about freshness, balance and drinkability.
The wine: The Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2014 has a creamy texture with lemony zestiness balancing rich, sun-ripened pear flavours for R85/bottle.
2) TSW SYRAH 2013
The winemaker: Trizanne Barnard, made wine at Klein Constantia and Anwilka before going solo in 2008, sourcing fruit from the Elim and Swartland areas for her Trizanne Signature Wines.
The wine: The TSW Syrah 2013 smells like violets and tastes like cherries, with hints of clove and an alcohol by volume of 13.5%, making it a complex and elegant wine at R80/bottle.
3) DE BOS HANDPICKED VINEYARDS MERLOT 2014
The winemaker: Corlea Fourie of Bosman Family Vineyards - where "family" also extends to the farmworkers. Recently named runner-up ethical company of the year at The Drinks Business Green Awards in London, the Bosman family (through Fourie) handcrafts its De Bos Handpicked Vineyards range in collaboration with the Adama Apollo Workers' Trust.
The wine: De Bos Handpicked Vineyards Merlot 2014 is fresh and peppery with ripe black berry and dark chocolate notes at R95/bottle.
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