First Shiraz from BC Wines

Brandvlei BC Wines Shiraz 2009, ZAR20 at cellardoor

BC Wines Shiraz 2009 is the first Shiraz released by Brandvlei Cellar under its good-value label, BC Wines. Described as smooth, with ripe fruit aromas and soft spicy flavours, this dry red is said to be a good accompaniment for grilled meat and vegetables, beef stew and meat lover’s pizza.

New vintage of Steenberg Vineyards' signature wine released

Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011, ZAR95 at cellardoor

Steenberg has released the latest version of its signature wine, Sauvignon Blanc 2011, made up of a series of ‘building blocks’ from different sites on the farm, harvested at different levels of ripeness. Winemaker JD Pretorius says it is compatible with many lighter summer dishes, and offers excellent longevity due to its naturally high acidity.

New vintage of pioneering Unwooded Chardonnay

Mont Rochelle Unwooded Chardonnay 2010, ZAR55 at cellardoor

Mont Rochelle is one of the earliest producers of an Unwooded Chardonnay in South Africa, and the 2010 vintage is the latest release of this successful, tried-and-tested wine style. Mont Rochelle's Country Kitchen serves it with spaghetti, shrimps and baby marrow sauce - a match, they say, made in heaven.

New addition to Truter boutique wines family

Truter Family Wines Agaat John David, ZAR51.30

Named for a beloved grandfather, small-scale producers Truter Family Wines' first red-wine release under their Agaat ("Agate") label honours a family man with a big hart and a quirky personality. Their white blend Agaat Christina debuts with 4 stars in our current 2012 guide.

Arniston Bay's good-value The Coast now available locally

Arniston Bay The Coast Red, White & Rosé (non-vintage), ZAR19.99

In time for summer, Arniston Bay has launched The Coast range of wines for the first time in South Africa. Already popular in the UK market for their good value, the range is available in White, Red and Rosé exclusively at Pick 'n Pay stores in the Western Cape.

New vintage of original and still one of very few varietal Barberas

Altydgedacht Barbera 2010, ZAR95-R100

Altydgedacht Barbera is the original and still one of very few varietal bottlings in South Africa. Cellarmaster and viticulturist Ollo and John Parker say the 2010 vintage, sporting a re-designed label. it is an excellent food wine that will complement tomato-based Mediterranean-style dishes and pastas. Cellaring potential is ±8 years.

Easy drinking yet complex Cabernet Sauvignon from Mont Rochelle

Mont Rochelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, ZAR90

Eight thousand bottles have been produced of the Mont Rochelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, described as easy drinking yet complex, and best enjoyed with a rich red meat dish such as braised oxtail with mustard, Brussels sprouts and pomegranate, a speciality of the estate's Mange Tout Restaurant.

New Syrah marked by extreme conditions and minimal maritime influences

Super Single Vineyards Mount Sutherland Syrah 2009, ZAR260

Characterised by cool growing conditions that allow for the production of elegant wines, the recently demarcated wine Sutherland-Karoo wine district is 1,500m above sea level and 350km inland from the ocean. Mount Sutherland Syrah 2009 is Super Single Vineyards’ first wine from this extreme continental terroir.

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage returns with "spectacular" 2010 vintage

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2010, ZAR1,200

Having skipped the 2009 vintage, Kanonkop Estate’s premium-priced, limited-release Black Label Pinotage returns with the 2010, made exclusively from a small patch of vines planted in 1953. Available only from The Wade Bales Wine Society, The Wine Cellar and Norman Goodfellows.

2010 bubbly "perfectly timed for summer weddings, picnics & parties"

Allée Bleue Méthode Cap Classique Brut Rosé 2010, ZAR98.00 from cellardoor

The 2010 vintage of Allée Bleue's MCC bottle-fermented dry rosé sparkling is made from mainly "Proudly South African" varieties - pinotage and chenin blanc - and aged on the lees for only 10 months, for light, yeasty complexity and fresher, fruitier flavours.

KWV premium red honours pioneer of South African wine industry

KWV Roodeberg Dr Charles Niehaus 2010, ±ZAR199

KWV pays tribute to Dr Charles Niehaus, the father of its venerable (1949) Roodeberg brand and a pioneer of the South African wine industry, with a new premium red blend of 50% shiraz, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot, from selected vineyards in Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Darling.

New shiraz blend from Swartland family cellar Annex Kloof

Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Grenache 2010, ZAR50 ex cellar

Best known for award-winning Malbec, Swartland family winery Annex Kloof has released a new red, Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Grenache 2010, described as an "ideal match for red meat, and able to age for 8 years". A small percentage of the shiraz, which constitutes 85% of the blend, was produced by winemaker Hugo Basson's wife, Miwette.

Summertime hard-wired into Cloof's first ever Sauvignon

Cloof Summertime Sauvignon Blanc 2011, ZAR45

"How you spend your summer days – and nights – is your business," say the team at Cloof Wine Estate, but they recommend their first ever varietal Sauvignon Blanc, catchily named and labelled with matching polka-dot bikini, as "the perfect complement for all forms of easy living".