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Winemakers tease what to expect at WineX
WineX is considered the ideal place to make vinous discoveries, catch the latest vintage launches and enjoy the Cape wine scene.
WineX | Picture; Supplied
One of South Africa’s most beloved wine festivals – The Wine Festival, also known as WineX – will take place in its traditional end-October slot on the Jozi social and wine calendar.
Anticipation for this event is at an all-time high with the event also returning to its home at the Sandton Convention Centre.
It is considered the ideal place and time to make vinous discoveries, catch the latest vintage launches and enjoy the limitless variety of the Cape wine scene.
When is WineX 2022?
Tickets for WineX have been on sale since 15 September via webtickets and the event is set to take place from 26 to 28 October 2022.
Early Bird tickets for Thursday and Friday were on sale for R195 for Thursday and R220 for Friday per person. The early bird special came to an end on 15 October, and full-rate tickets were on sale thereafter at a price of R245 and R275 for the Thursday and Friday nights respectively.
Bulk tickets – for groups of at least 10 – can be organised through direct bookings with the WineX office at winex@outsorceress.co.za.
What to expect at WineX 2022
According to organisers, “WineX is the definitive occasion to meet and mingle with award-winning winemakers and wine-passionate enthusiasts.”
At the time of writing, the event’s official website featured over 150 exhibitors.
In addition to the regular award-winning brands and boutique winery favourites, WineX is delighted to welcome newcomers Clarington, Haus, Icewine Africa, Le Chant, Onoma, Tempel, Tesselaarsdal and Yethu Wines.
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“Wine lovers will also be treated to delicious samplings from Babylonstoren Pantry, Ghana Chocolatiers, Mari’s with Love and be able to buy Mastrantonio’s food-on-the-move deli offerings to sip wine by.”
Meeting the exhibitors
Some of the WineX exhibitors have been fortunate enough to host some intimate gatherings in Johannesburg to highlight the work they are doing and will be showcasing at the upcoming event.
Spier Good Natured
One such brand is Spier, a long-time leader in South African sustainability and recognised WWF-SA Conservation Champion.
In an effort to showcase what it calls an unwavering commitment to organic, Spier recently introduced a new line of wines; the holistically farmed Good Natured Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon.
The variants have been introduced as the wine farm looks to reach a net zero carbon footprint by 2030.
“Good wine starts with good, healthy soil. The lead-up to the launch of the new Good Natured range has required seven patient years since Spier was first organically certified in 2015.
“During this time, Spier has launched a few special ranges of organic wines – and collected some notable awards along the way. Yet the launch of the new Good Natured range marks a milestone, highlighting Spier’s commitment to working with long-term partners in the Cape to increase organic sourcing,” explained the brand.
The wines in Spiers Good Natured range are made with fruit grown in organic vineyards free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers.
“Instead, nature is invited back into the vineyard to encourage a diverse ecosystem of plants, insects, and microorganisms to thrive. In the winter, oat, mustard and clover seeds are planted for cover crops to germinate and add nutrition to the soil.
Bees, bugs and birds act as welcome pest control and by the time harvest rolls around, the team handpick vines and returns as much back to the earth for composting or recycling.”
“I believe the winemaking process should involve as little interference as possible. The less we fiddle with nature, the better the results. When nature is in a good place, so is everything. Wine included,” commented Spier’s Organic Winemaker, Tania Kleintjes who is expected to be in town for WineX.
The Spier Good Natured wines also include leading local and international ethical certifications (including WIETA and amfori BSCI).
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If you cannot attend WineX but would like to experience the Good Natured range, you can check out the Spier Tasting Room which has launched an Organic Wine Tasting.
“From 1 September – 31 October, visitors can enjoy four delicious, freshly-prepared vegetarian bites paired with four exceptional organic wines, including the new Good Natured Organic Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Bookings for the Spier Tasting Room are essential. Contact +27 (21) 809 1984 for more information.
Onoma Private Cellar
Onoma – a name derived from Ancient Greek – refers to the concept of a good name, being renowned or having good character and reputation.
This ode to the founder, Blaise Yiannakis’s Greek roots is where the name for the Ònoma Private Cellar comes from.
The brand is a family-owned and operated boutique winery nestled at the foot of the Stellenbosch Hills on Felicia Farm.
Sharing the brand’s origin story at a recent event at Arbour Café and Courtyard in Johannesburg, Blaise explained how the Yiannakis family purchased the farm in 1999.
In the years that followed, his father, Com Yiannakis, produced excellent quality grapes which were sold to the larger estates in the area.
With farming in their blood, the farm was intended as a retirement lifestyle project for the family.
Sadly, Com Yiannakis passed away before the family could realise their dream of creating their own private wine label. Years later, Blaise is ready to share selected wines which were maturing in barrels at the time of his father’s passing.
It is these wines that have been earmarked for Ònoma Private Cellar’s hallmark release.
The Citizen tasted the Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah along with a tasting menu curated by Arbour Café and Courtyard.
Despite being new entrants into the market, Ònoma Private Cellar’s offerings have secured a number of accolades in only four short years since their release.
The 2021 Syrah was awarded a Double Gold at the 2022 Michelangelo Wine Awards. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon has a 4.5-star Platter 2022 rating and was awarded Gold in the 2021 Michelangelo Wine Awards. And these are just two of many awards currently under Ònoma Private Cellar’s belt.
As an ex-art and diamond dealer, Blaise Yiannakis’ brief to Ònoma’s winemaker, Matthew van Heerden, was to create classic wines in the Greek winemaking tradition.
“Simply put, we wanted Ònoma Private Cellar wines to be made with no elaborate fuss, allowing the quality of the grapes to shine through. Our winemakers executed this brilliantly. We are very proud that we have not compromised quality in search of profit.”
“Our approach means we are under no pressure to produce wine to cover the operating costs of the farm, therefore we are afforded the luxury of selecting the best vintages from which to produce wine and limit our production.
We are in the process of developing a winery with a bespoke wine-blending offering which we believe will be industry disruptive. We will offer visitors the opportunity to become immersed in the wine-making process and ultimately blend their own unique wine which will be bottled and labelled exclusively for them,” concluded Blaise.
Ònoma Private Cellar wines may be purchased online or at select speciality wine merchants in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
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