Schalk Bezuidenhout: Pinotage has a Celebrity fan

Selling your home in London and moving to France to make rosé sounds like a dream - unless you can’t speak French, have never made wine, and don’t have a fortune to invest. Stephen Cronk relives the Mirabeau fairytale…

Backed by big name judges like Oz Clarke and Cathy van Zyl, Investec Trophy Wine Show chair Michael Fridjhon has named this year’s star performers - and joins the show to celebrate the class of 2026.

From the gathering of industry heavyweights that made up the room at WineTalk Joburg, a special edition of the show featuring Nedbank’s Kensi Nobanda and the Alchemy project, plus winemakers Shawn Mathyse from Ken Forrester, and Delheim’s Nongcebo Langa.

As arguably the world’s most famous champagne house, Moët et Chandon carries enormous prestige - which makes Benoît Gouez, the resident chef de cave, one of the most influential people in French wine.

The Barton family occupy a special place in Bordeaux’s wine story, keeping a multi-generational family property firmly amongst the most revered producers in France. As the latest in a long line of family members to have stood watch over two iconic Bordeaux properties, Damien Barton Sartorius has French wine firmly…