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David Clarke

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Ex Animo Wine Co.Co Host· podcast

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podcast2026-03-26· Ex Animo Wine Co.
THE COLD SOAK | March 2026
THE COLD SOAK: brought to you by the Ex Animo Wine Club (exanimo.co.za/wineclub/) Once a month, we sit down to talk about everything that went down in South African wine. New releases, industry gossip, bold moves, questionable decisions—we've got opinions on all of it. Hosted by Ex Animo Wine Co. director, David Clarke, with winemag.co.za editor, Christian Eedes, the podcast brings together two respected voices with a clear-eyed view of what matters and what does not. Each month’s episode cuts through the noise of new vintage releases, incisive analysis of Winemag.co.za reports, and opinionated conversations about the direction of the industry. At its heart, The Cold Soak is about informed perspective: rigorous without being pretentious, analytical without losing its sense of humour. Clarke and Eedes balance professional critique with a relaxed, conversational rhythm, making it as engaging for industry insiders as it is for curious wine lovers looking to understand what is in their gla
podcast2026-02-12· Ex Animo Wine Co.
PODCAST: Wine SONA 2026
Hello and welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co. Podcast. I’m David Clarke, and today is our annual SONA — our State of the Nation Address — where we take a step back and look at where South African wine really stands right now. I’m joined by Christian Eedes of Winemag.co.za, and together we unpack the bigger picture — how producers are navigating a tougher market, where quality is rising, which regions are finding their voice, and what feels genuinely exciting versus what might be overhyped. It’s a candid look at the momentum, the pressure points, and the opportunities shaping the Cape wine scene at the moment. Before we dive in, a quick mention: if you enjoy discovering great wine without the guesswork, have a look at the Ex Animo Wine Club. We curate a selection of wines we genuinely believe in, delivered to your door, along with proper notes and context so you understand what’s in your glass and why it matters. Members also receive free delivery and 10% off our ticketed events. You can f
podcast2025-02-05· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Wine SONA 2025 | The state of the wine industry in South Africa
Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with Winemag.co.za Editor and Wine Reviewer, Christian Eedes. This is the 4th annual Wine SONA (State of the Nation) discussion. In it, David poses questions to Christian about the state of SA wine in 2025, such as: - How do we get more South Africans to drink wine? - Why vineyards are decreasing - Foreign wines: why are they not necessarily better than South African wine? *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*
podcast2024-06-28· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Johan Reyneke of Reyneke Wines talks with David Clarke | South Africa
Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke talks with respected wine farmer, Johan Reyneke speaks about his approach to regenerative wine farming. Johan speaks about how biodynamic methods have helped to grow top quality grapes while also nurturing the land, animals and people at Reyneke. Johan explains “The Reyneke vineyards are herbicide, pesticide and fungicide free. Just like any organic vineyard should be. Instead of spraying weeds with poison, we carefully select and grow companion plants amongst our vines to outcompete the weeds. These companion plants have the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, help break up compacted soil or even harbour a beneficial insect or two.” *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*
podcast2024-06-21· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Franco ‘Poenie’ Lourens of Lourens Family Wines talks with David Clarke | South Africa
Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke talks with ‘Poenie’ Lourens’ from Lourens Family Vineyards. Poenie grew up in Paarl, near Stellenbosch, but doesn’t come from a winemaking family. Poenie’s wines are catching some attention from the reviewers and it is clear that he is a winemaker with real natural talent. Watch the chat about his winemaking journey and the story behind the celebrated ‘Lindi Carien’ blended white wine. *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*
podcast2024-06-14· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Chris Alheit of Alheit Vineyards talks with David Clarke | Chenin Blanc | South Africa
Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke talks with Chris Alheit about his multi-award-winning wines. Chris’ white wines, founded on an unmatched understanding of Chenin Blanc grapes. These wines are elegant, sophisticated and unsurprisingly - multi-award-winning. Chris tells us how he first started to appreciate wine as a young wine steward, and how that curiosity led him to study and master Chenin Blanc in the Western Cape. Wines such as Cartology and Magnetic North are served in the finest restaurants worldwide and critics agree - these wines are precise, focused, concentrated and “quite brilliant”. *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*
podcast2024-04-02· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Ann & Pieter Ferreira | Winemaker interview | Cap Classique of South Africa
Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with the powerhouse couple of South African Cap Classiques: Ann and Pieter Ferreira. The pair have been at the forefront of fine sparkling wine, and their knowledge and understanding of the style is unparalleled. *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*
podcast2024-03-07· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Harvest Report 2024 | South Africa | Winemaker interviews
Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with Ex Animo producers across the Western Cape to check how their harvests are progressing. This podcast was recorded in February 2024.
podcast2024-02-07· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Wine Sona 2024 | The state of wine in South Africa | Annual Discussion
Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with Winemag.co.za Editor and Wine Reviewer, Christian Eedes. This is the third annual Wine SONA (State of the Nation) discussion. In it, David poses questions to Christian about the state of SA wine in 2024, such as: What was the most surprising in the world of SA wine in 2023 What is Christian most looking forward to in 2024 What were Christian's 'finds' of 2023 What changed in 2023 Christian's current take on 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages What varieties or regions had a good year in 2023 (and who didn't *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*
podcast2024-01-17· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Pinot Noir winemakers talk with David Clarke | Hemel-en-Aarde Valley | South Africa
*A video version of this interview is available on YouTube* Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke brings together four winemakers from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley who specialise in Pinot Noir. The microclimate of the valley makes this one of the finest sites in South Africa to grow Pinot Noir - producing globally recognised wines of excellence. David and the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde crew chat about what makes the valley unique, why Pinot Noir does so well here and how the oceans and soils play such an important role. A fascinating deep-dive into Pinot Noir in a South African context, as told by the people who have worked these vines for decades. David speaks with: Craig Wessels of Restless River Johannes Storm of Storm Wines Nadia Newton Johnson of Hearth Wines Gordon Newton Johnson of Newton-Johnson Family Wines More information on the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley c
podcast2024-01-03· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Craig Hawkins of TESTALONGA Wine talks with David Clarke | Swartland | South Africa
*A video version of this interview is available on YouTube* Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke talks with Craig Hawkins of the groundbreaking natural wine label TESTALONGA. Loved for his relaxed approach to wine making, Craig is one of THE names in natural wine in South Africa, if not in the New World. Craig talks about his journey into winemaking, discovering natural wines for the first time, how he experimented with different methods and what he’s learnt along the way. Craig and David taste the full range of TESTALONGA wines (spoiler: it’s a lot!). This is a rare look at a hard-to-find collection of wines, tasted and described by the winemaker himself.
podcast2023-02-09· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Harvest 2023 Update
Tickets to Wine SONA 2023: https://www.exanimo.co.za/product/wine-sona-2023-with-christian-eedes-one-ticket/ Today on the podcast we have updates from the winemakers we work with about harvest 2023. Early signs look really great for '23 as a vintage. John Seccombe was clearly having a bad day - Was great to hear Koen in his element after all the drama he had late last year. Some Pinot Blanc being harvested for the first time is exciting for one of the producers. And some haven't even started yet! :) Cheers, David from Ex Animo.
podcast2023-01-18· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Hogan Cabernet Franc and Divergent with Jocelyn Wilson
Jocelyn presenting her Cabernet Franc and Divergent wines at a lunch in Banghoek Valley, Stellenbosch in January 2023. Vintage 2021s available soon at exanimo.co.za
podcast2022-02-21· Ex Animo Wine Co.
South African Harvest 2022 Update
A quick update on the 2022 harvest in South Africa from 11 winemakers. John Seccombe, Thorne & Daughters Mick Craven, Craven Jocelyn Wilson, Hogan Niels Verburg, Luddite Koen Roose, Spioenkop Tyrrel Myburgh, Joostenberg Ann Ferreira, Pieter Ferreira Bernhard Bredell, Scions of Sinai Craig Hawkins, TESTALONGA Jessica Saurwein, Saurwein Craig Wessels, Restless River
podcast2022-02-11· Ex Animo Wine Co.
SONA Wine 2022 - Christian Eedes, winemag.co.za
Today on the podcast we have Christian Eedes of winemag.co.za – a wine website that was born out of a magazine published in South Africa from 1993 to 2011. Their tagline is “Everything to do with South African Fine Wine”. He is, to my mind, one of the most important voices in South African wine criticism. This week saw the annual State of the Nation Address (or SONA for short) by President Ramaphosa, and I wanted to get Christian’s opinions of the state of South African fine wine. Christian is certainly one of the most knowledgeable and widely-tasted people in South African wine over the last 3 decades. He brings a context and a perspective that can only be gained over many years of submersion in an industry. We last did one of these chats in February 2020 – just as the COVID pandemic was starting to develop – Link: https://www.exanimo.co.za/podcast/#1599999555612-1917a56b-e69c Thank you for listening. If you want to follow Christian – his website is winemag.co.za and he tweets at @Chr
podcast2022-01-07· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Jocelyn Wilson of HOGAN WINES
Today on the podcast we have Jocelyn Wilson winemaker and owner of Hogan Wines, based in the Banhoek area of Stellenbosch. I chatted to Jos a couple of months ago, ahead of the release of her new vintages later this month. But the conversation – and it really is a conversation rather than an interview – isn’t really about the new wines. I really wanted to get Jossie’s story on record – she is one of the producers in South Africa that has been termed “The New Wave”. Her journey to this point is an interesting story and I wanted to explore that with her in a long format conversation. If you are interested to dive deeper into the Hogan Wines do not despair, we spend the second half of the podcast chatting fairly comprehensively about the wines she produces. We also touch on a range of other topics as we went through. Little caveat here – we distribute Hogan Wines in South Africa – but this just means that we love Jos, and all that she does! Proper legend she is. Thank you for listening –
podcast2021-10-26· Ex Animo Wine Co.
James Downes, Shannon Vineyards
Today on the podcast we have James Downes, farmer, viticulturist and part owner with his brother Stuart, of Dunman Way Farm, home of Shannon Vineyards in Elgin. In short, James is a total weapon. His knowledge of the terroir of his farm, and of Elgin in general is extremely engaging and informative. Combine this with an inquisitive mind, a sharp intellect, a thirst for learning and desire to be better at what he does tomorrow than he is today, and the result is one of the most formidable people in the wine industry in South Africa. As you will hear, James’ natural conversational style tends to focus on ideas and questioning – this resulted in the chat touching on a wide range of subjects. You can’t help but be taken along with his enthusiasm and expertise. Please enjoy my conversation with the informative, engaging and humble, James Downes….
podcast2021-07-01· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Peter-Allan Finlayson, Crystallum & Gabriëlskloof
Today on the podcast we have Peter-Allan Finlayson, winemaker and co-owner of the very successful Crystallum label, and now winemaker of his father-in-law’s Gabriëlskloof wines – both based in Bot River. I first met Peter-Allan, or as most people know him, Fin, when he was pouring his wine at the same small booth as Chris and Suzaan Alheit at Cape Wine 2012. He was the first “young gun” winemaker from South Africa that I had come across that was specialising in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Most others were using Chenin Blanc and Syrah. One of the main purposes of this podcast is to produce a document of record, and not to talk about a single release too much, it is worth noting that this conversation took place in July 2020, almost exactly one year ago. Fin had just released his 2019 Crystallum wines, so that is the vintage we reference mostly throughout this episode. As you will hear, Fin and I are quite good friends, so we didn’t always keep it strictly professional throughout this con
podcast2020-08-29· Ex Animo Wine Co.
David Clarke from Ex Animo Wine Co. via The Vincast
Today on the podcast, we have a bit of a change – instead of me talking to a guest, this time I was in the guest’s seat of The Vincast podcast based in Melbourne, hosted by The Intrepid Wino – a.k.a. James Scarcebrook, and is all about wine, wine culture and wine people. Each episode he chats with someone from a different field in the wine industry, to gain some insight into their experiences, philosophies, practices and personality as it relates to wine and what they do. Sound familiar? James had asked me on previously, but we had never managed to make our diaries match up while I had been in Melbourne on my (until now) annual trips. Very glad we finally managed to make it happen. We talk about my journey in wine that started with a glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc while working for the Victorian government in the late nighties, and we race through the next twenty plus years to how I ended up in Cape Town today. A few listeners have been asking for an episode on my story, so I am
podcast2020-08-05· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Duncan Savage, Savage Wines
Today on the podcast we have Duncan Savage – owner and winemaker of Savage Wines. He made his name through the first decade or so of the 2000s as the winemaker of Cape Point Vineyards. Duncan’s production facility (originally set up by Tim Martin) is in the industrial Cape Town suburb of Salt River – I interviewed him there, in the now vacant warehouse above his winery. Note: there is an echo and some street noise, but not too much. Duncan is one of the “good guys” of the industry, very jovial and easy going. I don’t think there are many people with anything negative to say about him, other than his wines sell out too quickly. As you will hear, Duncan has been making wines almost 20 years, and has built one of the stronger brands of the South African “new wave” – I wanted to talk to Duncan about this journey and about his new 2019 wines about to be released. It is a long one, as Duncan is a great story-teller and has some very well thought out insights into wine making, marketing and l
podcast2020-07-27· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Johan Malan - Simonsig
Today on the podcast we have Johan Malan, Director of Wine at the historic Simonsig Estate in Stellenbosch. As you will hear in this episode, Johan is very easy to talk to, humble, and has a rather infections giggle. While he is justifiably proud of what Simonsig has achieved over the years, he is very far from resting on his laurels – as exhibited by The Grapesmith wines we reference. Simonsig is one of the grand old names in Stellenbosch whose reputation was set in motion by Johan’s father, Frans. An incredibly important person in the development of Stellenbosch as a premium wine area, the Estate system, and wine tourism in South Africa. I asked Johan on the podcast because both Cathy van Zyl MW and Michael Fridjhon on previous podcasts referenced Simonsig’s (and especially Frans’) work in setting up the Stellenbosch Wine Route, the first of its kind in South Africa, and helped pave the way for quality-minded producers that has eventually led to the fine wine revolution the country h
podcast2020-07-21· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Kurt Moore, CEO SALBA
Today on the podcast we have Kurt Moore, CEO of SALBA – the South African Liquor Brand owners Association. According to their website, their sole objective is to represent their members, who are manufacturers and distributors of liquor products in the liquor industry of South Africa, on issues of common interest. Their members include an extensive list of heavy-hitting liquor industry stalwarts: DGB, Meridian, Vinimark, Distell, Pernod Ricard, Diageo, Stellenbosch Vineyards, KWV, Origin, Spier - - - the list goes on. When I contacted Kurt and asked him to be on the podcast, he needed very little convincing. We quickly arranged a date and time (there was only a very short window of time in which to conduct this interview) and I sent him a list of questions that would be asked. These questions were primarily concerned with SALBA’s current and future responses to the government’s current regulations around the sale and movement of liquor. The narrative in all previous communications I had
podcast2020-07-20· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Higgo Jacobs
Today on the podcast we have Higgo Jacobs. Higgo has been a key figure in the South African wine industry for a decade. A certified sommelier, he was part of the founding board of the South African Sommelier Association (SASA). He was also the Chairperson for SASA for 4 years, standing down in early 2019. Higgo no longer works as a sommelier and has been a consultant for hire to the industry for a decade. In that time he has done work for various restaurants, WOSA (the export lobby group of the South African wine industry), the Nederburg Auction, numerous international publications and journalists, he also is one of South Africa’s representative palates at the Decanter World Wine Awards. If you’ve ever been to South Africa on official wine business, you’ve probably met Higgo. Most recently he has been instrumental (along with Roland Peens of Wine Cellar) in trying to create a formal secondary market for wine in South Africa. They have been working with auction house Strauss & Co, who s
podcast2020-07-15· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Prohibition 2.0
A (very) quick update with regards to South Africa entering into prohibition 2.0. More soon...
podcast2020-05-20· Ex Animo Wine Co.
50 Years of South African Wine with Michael Fridjhon
Today on the podcast we have Michael Fridjhon. With his wine career now entering its sixth decade, Michael is one of the true doyens of the South African wine industry. His current interests are the Reciprocal Wine Company, an importer and retailer of fine wines; WineX, the biggest wine show in South Africa; the Old Mutual Trophy, one of the key wine competitions in South Africa; he writes on wine for numerous publications around the globe and has been the international voice of South African wine for a generation. Listening to Michael’s experiences during the last 50 or so years was very beneficial for me. He references some key moments in South African history: the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 where police shot dead 60 protesters, injuring many more; the Rivonia Trial of 1963-64 which resulted in the life sentences of Nelson Mandala and others who were convicted of sabotage; and then President P. W. Botha’s Rubicon speech of 1985 which doubled down on the Governments Apartheid polici
podcast2020-04-30· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Andrés Rosberg, President Association de la Sommelliere Internationale
Today on the podcast we have Andrés Rosberg, President of the Association Sommelliere Internationale (ASI). The ASI runs many activities, the most notable being the Best Sommelier of the World contest – and all of the associated regional competitions. Andrés is from Argentina and a such is the first President of the ASI to come from the southern hemisphere. I first met Andrés in 2019 while he was on a trip to South Africa by the ASI Technical Committee to plan that year’s best sommelier of the world competition. Andrés and I chat on many subjects including a little bit of his history in the wine industry, his time with the Argentinian Sommelier Association, his time so far in the ASI, his experiences in South Africa last year, the parallels he sees between Argentinian and South African wine industries and many other topics. From my point of view, as President, he has modernised the ASI somewhat, broadened their horizons and as a result the ASI is much less-Eurocentric, which is a great
podcast2020-04-29· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Maho Tamai, Société Raffiné
Today on the podcast we have Maho Tamai of Société Raffiné, a Japanese-based wine importer, specialising in South Africa. Maho is based in Cape Town as Raffiné’s local representative and acts as a producer liaison. Japan has quickly become an important market for South African wine over the last few years and this is what I wanted to talk to him about. We discuss how the business first entered into South African wine and how they grew to having 33 agencies in the space of a few years. Maho is an active member of the wine community here in Cape Town, a proper gentleman and deeply committed to South African wine. We are lucky to have him here. I give you Maho-san…
podcast2020-04-28· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Cathy van Zyl MW
Today on the podcast we have Master of Wine, Cathy van Zyl. Cathy is the Associate Editor Platter’s Wine Guide, the most comprehensive wine guide on South African wine, which is produced annually. We originally planned to have her husband Philip on this episode also, who is the Editor of Platter’s, but he was feeling ill. I will have him on at a later date. Cathy is an energetic cheerleader for the South African wine industry, and is fiercely independent in her opinions and actions. You don’t become a Master of Wine without a high level of nuanced knowledge of the world of wine and this is what I wanted to talk to her about – where she sees South Africa sitting in the world of wine, and where we can improve. Cathy and I are good friends, so this episode is perhaps a little more casual than some of the others on this podcast. I think this has helped our discussion in tackling some of the topics we talk about, but I’ll leave that up to you, dear listener, to decide. Cathy is an open-mind
podcast2020-04-27· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Marc Kent, Boekenhoutskloof
Today on the podcast we have Marc Kent, the Managing Partner and Technical Director of Boekenhoutskloof in Franschhoek. Boekenhoutskloof is one of the huge success stories of the new South Africa – it not only has the Boekenhoutskloof range, it also has Wolftrap, Porcupine Ridge, Porseleinberg and there is a new project in the Hemel-en-Aarde. I would think that virtually everyone interested in South African wine would have had at least some contact with one of these brands in the last 20 years. Marc is a fascinating guy, an original thinker, deeply influenced by the late Tim Rands (of Vinimark), and few people know, was one of the original instigators of the Swartland Revolution. By his own admission, Marc is much more interested in the business of wine than farming and making it. This was mainly what I wanted to speak to him about: how Boekenhoutskloof got started, how he got involved, and how he expanded the business to where it is today. We also touch on other subjects like fine win
podcast2020-04-24· Ex Animo Wine Co.
Dom Nocerino, Vinifera Imports
Today on the podcast we have Dom Nocerino of Vinifera Imports, based in New York. A bit of a change of pace for the podcast today. Dom isn't professionally involved with South African wine, but he has been involved with wine his whole life as his family has been importing Italian wine into the US since the 1970s. As you will hear Dom is an articulate, knowledgeable wine lover – and can also grow a mean moustache – check out our Instagram feed for a photo of Dom holding a bottle of Cartology and sporting an excellent soup strainer. We chat about selling wine to trade, the importance (or not) of journalist points, what has been happening in Italian wine over the last 5-10 years including the issue of climate change (there is some super interesting info on Italian wine in this podcast if that is your thing), Dom's experiences in South Africa including a hilarious story about our mutual friend Peter-Allan Finlayson and more. A bit of fun for a Friday. :) I give you Dom Nocerino…

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Recent

THE COLD SOAK | March 2026

PODCAST: Wine SONA 2026

Wine SONA 2025 | The state of the wine industry in South Africa

Johan Reyneke of Reyneke Wines talks with David Clarke | South Africa

Franco ‘Poenie’ Lourens of Lourens Family Wines talks with David Clarke | South Africa

Chris Alheit of Alheit Vineyards talks with David Clarke | Chenin Blanc | South Africa

Ann & Pieter Ferreira | Winemaker interview | Cap Classique of South Africa

Harvest Report 2024 | South Africa | Winemaker interviews

Wine Sona 2024 | The state of wine in South Africa | Annual Discussion

Pinot Noir winemakers talk with David Clarke | Hemel-en-Aarde Valley | South Africa

Craig Hawkins of TESTALONGA Wine talks with David Clarke | Swartland | South Africa

Harvest 2023 Update

Hogan Cabernet Franc and Divergent with Jocelyn Wilson

South African Harvest 2022 Update

SONA Wine 2022 - Christian Eedes, winemag.co.za

Jocelyn Wilson of HOGAN WINES

James Downes, Shannon Vineyards

Peter-Allan Finlayson, Crystallum & Gabriëlskloof

David Clarke from Ex Animo Wine Co. via The Vincast

Duncan Savage, Savage Wines

Johan Malan - Simonsig

Kurt Moore, CEO SALBA

Higgo Jacobs

Prohibition 2.0

50 Years of South African Wine with Michael Fridjhon

Andrés Rosberg, President Association de la Sommelliere Internationale

Maho Tamai, Société Raffiné

Cathy van Zyl MW

Marc Kent, Boekenhoutskloof

Dom Nocerino, Vinifera Imports