The Chronicle
Latest dispatches
11 results across all types
- news
EBEN SADIE : AN ENQUIRING MIND
By Rose Murray Brown MW Published in The Scotsman 6 June 2026 Some people when they achieve fame and glory sit back and enjoy it, whilst others keep constantly questioning what they are doing, changing and improving. I would put Eben Sadie of The Sadie Family Wines, one of the world’s greatest winemakers
- news
FRENCH INFLUENCE ON CAPE SYRAH
By Rose Murray Brown MW Published in The Scotsman 14 March 2026 When Cape winemaker Sam Lambson decided to set up his own winery last year, he did something very unusual. Not only did he locate it in the city as an urban winery, based in an old textile and printing warehouse in Cape
- news
CAPE CHENIN COMES OF AGE
By Rose Murray Brown MW Published in The Scotsman 28 February 2026 One and a half hour’s drive from the nearest vineyard, Sijnn wine estate in the tiny wine ward of Malgas in Overberg is the most remote in the Western Cape. Visiting is a challenge for the best driver on seemingly never-ending,
- news
CLIMATE & NATURE PROGRAMME BENEFITS WINE GROWERS
By Rose Murray Brown MW Published in The Scotsman 21 Feb 2026 When I visited Rustenberg wine estate near Stellenbosch in South Africa last month, my arrival had been preceded by 100 Indian runner ducklings which were just settling into their new home padding around on this historic old Cape farm. “We recently
- news
WINERIES TO WATCH IN 2026
By Rose Murray Brown MW Published in The Scotsman 3 January 2026 My pick of wineries to watch in the coming year from around the world: Romania: VIILE METAMORFOSIS www.viile-metamorfosis.ro Impressive quality at inexpensive prices, this Romanian producer (cellar pictured below) is part owned by the Tuscan Antinori family based in Dealu
- news
GRENACHE AROUND THE WORLD
By Rose Murray Brown MW Published in The Scotsman 26 October 2024 If you like your reds soft, rounded and heartening with flavours of raspberry and spice, try Grenache Noir. It is not as well-known as other red grapes, but it is one of the world’s most planted – and is having a moment
- news
SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATES 365 YEARS OF WINEMAKING
By Rose Murray Brown MW Published in The Scotsman 30 March 2024 On 2 February 1659, the first wine made from grapes grown in South Africa was crafted by the Governor of the Cape, Jan van Riebeeck. He had planted vines four years earlier in the Company’s Garden near Cape Town from cuttings imported
- news
PIONEERING SIJNN WINE ESTATE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY
One of South Africa’s remotest wine farms, Sijnn Estate (pronounced ‘seine’), has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion the winemaker Charla Bosman (nee Haasbroek) visited Edinburgh to host a memorable vertical tasting of wines back to Sijnn’s founding vintage. Slim petite youthful Bosman looks like an unusual custodian of such an
- news
SUMMER RED WINES FOR CHILLING
Lighter red wines can really benefit from a slight chilling to make them even more appetising on a warm summer’s evening. The best grapes to choose to chill down are those with sweet fragrant aromas, soft light tannins and a refreshing twist of acidity such as Gamay, Pinot Noir, Frappato, Cabernet Franc, Zweigelt and
- news
PET NAT – THE HIPPEST DRINK IN THE BAR
With names like Piggy Pop, Cosmonat and Flower Girl and bright psychedelic funky labels, ‘Pet Nats’ might sound and look like frivolous fizzy drinks. They are in fact very interesting deliciously fruity sparkling wines which are currently hugely popular around the world. The name Pet Nat means Petillant Naturel – hence the name given
- news
UNDER £12 WINES
Everyone loves a bargain when times get tough – so I have been searching for wines under £12 across the world to serve this Easter – with some fantastic finds in unusual places such as Amyndeon in northern Greece and Costers del Segre in Spain. SPARKLING WINE Penedes, Spain: CONTEVEDO CAVA ROSADO NV ***STAR