La Capra Chenin Blanc 2009
Is there anybody in South African wine to touch Charles Back of Fairview, Spice Route and Goats do Roam when it comes to marketing? His latest initiative is the launch of La Capra, a range of...
View ArticleSpice Route Malabar 2002
Visit the website for Swartland winery Spice Route, and records for flagship red blend Malabar only go back as far as 2003. In fact, 2002 was the maiden vintage and if you want to know anything about...
View ArticleNewton Johnson Syrah Mourvèdre 2007
A tasting of six Shiraz-led red blends on behalf of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. The line-up was compiled at random, the minimum requirement being that all included should have impressed at...
View ArticleThe Great Pork Belly Party – the reds
On Saturday one of those semi-regular gatherings of friends were the meal is pre-determined and those attending must bring suitable wine. To eat, slow roasted pork belly; to drink, an extraordinarily...
View ArticleFairview Pinotage 1979
Yesterday an information session with Charles Back of Fairview, Goats do Roam, La Capra and Spice Route. “Wine on its own is not a strong enough draw card to appeal to the average tourist,” he says and...
View ArticleSpice Route Chakalaka 2009 vs. 2010
Chakalaka from Spice Route in the Swartland is an intriguing proposition being a multifarious red blend, typically including some less familiar varieties. Over the weekend, the 2009 alongside the...
View ArticleSpice Route Chenin Blanc 2012
I’m not sure where you’re going to get Spice Route Chenin Blanc 2012 because it’s sold out from the winery and we made short work of the last two bottles available at Chapmans Peak Hotel over lunch...
View ArticleSpice Route Grenache 2012
Further evidence how “on trend” Grenache is comes with the release of the maiden vintage 2012 (R90 a bottle) from Spice Route owned by the ever canny Charles Back. The wine comes from Swartland...
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Spice Route Chenin Blanc 2014
With Ken Forrester The FMC 2012 selling for R350 a bottle from the tasting room and DeMorgenzon Reserve Chenin Blanc 2013 chasing hard at R197.50 a bottle, it’s tempting to conclude that local Chenin...
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Swartland red blends re-assessed
Earlier this year, I rated the Malabar 2012, the Rhône-style red blend from Charles Back’s Swarland operation Spice Route, 90 on the 100-point quality scale (see here). Once the score was published,...
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Spice Route Chenin Blanc 2016
There are stacks and stacks of damn tasty, cheap as chips Chenin Blanc from the Swartland, whether it be from the large-scale Riebeek Cellars or a medium-sized operation Babylon’s Peak so how to add a...
View ArticleFairview’s Charles Back survives attack
Charles Back of Fairview and Spice Route last night endured a brutal farm attack on his farm in Paarl. He was beaten up with a crow bar, receiving severe cuts and broken bones requiring...
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