Each month in our ‘Spotlight On…’ series, we explore a new city and its wine culture, diving into the drinking trends, where to go for great wines, and any unique products or services linked to the region. Keeping our finger on the pulse when it comes to the wider world of wine is critical when helping us to identify areas of opportunity for our clients, aiding our eventing arm ‘Wrapped’, and for our online product offering on Uncorked. Whether curious about the habits and happenings of a city, or looking for wine-centric areas to visit, our ‘Spotlight On…’ series is for you.
Even though Johannesburg is located about 900km from South Africa’s wine growing regions, what it lacks for in vines it certainly makes up for in bars. In fact, the wine culture there has grown so considerably in the past decade, that a couple of years back Star Wine List eventually launched their Wine Guide for the city, highlighting the growing scene. As far as their tastes go, there is a noticeable, and perhaps slightly predictable preoccupation with South African wines, and many of the bars and restaurants are using their presence to establish and showcase smaller producers from the country, especially those using low-intervention wine making, and classic grapes from the area, like Pinotage and Chenin Blanc.
OVERALL TRENDS
- Focus on small-batch, local, South African producers.
- An appreciation for low-intervention winemaking, and single-varietal wines.
- Pan-Asian food is quite popular there, especially with wine-oriented establishments.
- Plenty of Champagne and sparkling wines.
WOMEN OF WINE
ACID FOOD & WINE BAR
Leading the charge in Johannesburg’s focus on small-batch, minimalist, organic wine producers are Acid Food & Wine Bar, founded and run by sommelier Jemma Styer and chef Jes Devoton, who pride themselves on bringing quality, light-heartedness, and ultimately joy to the masses. Much of their wine-list focuses on female-led wineries from the country, something especially important considering the male dominance in South African wine production, as well as the bar and restaurant industry as a whole. Their wine list is rapidly changing, and fresh, given the small quantities produced by their partners, and they even offer every wine by-the-glass in order to foster as much curiosity and freedom as they can when exploring South Africa’s undeniably exciting wine-making.
Their food menu is equally enticing, and utilises Devoton’s Thai heritage to bring in a strong Southeast-Asian influence to their use of local ingredients, and many years of self-taught experience, creating what she herself calls ‘global food’.
They have, unfortunately, temporarily closed their doors whilst they restructure and prepare for the next stage of their evolution — so if you are in the area, keep your eyes peeled for their next steps.
BAR HOPPING
Ethos
Location: Oxford Parks, Corner Eastwood & Parks Blvd, Rosebank.
Vibe: Grandiose, Mediterranean, educational.
Known for: Highly informative wine-list detailing regions, grapes, techniques, etc.
Tang
Location: 120, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton.
Vibe: Opulent, stylish, refined.
Known for: Seamlessly fusing Asian cuisine with South African wine.
Proud Mary
Location: The Bank, 26 Cradock Ave, Rosebank.
Vibe: Modern, Art-Deco, trendy.
Known for: Dedicated wine bar, a fine wine library stock, focus on low-intervention wines.
Embarc
Location: Hyde Park Corner Shopping Centre Jan Smuts & 6th Rd, Hyde Park.
Vibe: Modern, laid-back, elegant.
Known for: Extensive single-varietal wine list, focusing on local producers and South African grapes.
EXPRESSION WINES AFRICA
‘Wine Tastes Better When You Understand It’
In 2018, Tawanda Marume, now the South Africa ambassador for Star Wine List and 2020’s Sommelier of the Year in Zimbabwe, moved to Johannesburg to start Expression Wines Africa (EWA), an organisation established with the goal of supporting growth for the South African wine market, be that through teaming up with small, boutique producers, assisting bars and restaurants with their wine lists and training, providing educational resources and events, or simply spreading the word. They live by the motto ‘Wine tastes better when you understand it’, and everything they do is tailored around this. They believe in supporting wines which do not rely on brand-recognition to succeed, but rather are always on the hunt for lesser-known, more exciting, and most importantly delicious wines. Not only is he operating across South Africa, but intends to inject the vibrancy of their wine culture into his homeland of Zimbabwe, which he considers seriously neglected.
Sharing Marume’s passion and excitement for South African wines, we really enjoy looking at their red wines, seeing as they are very much known for their whites, and Paserene Union 2019 is a great example of the complexity they can achieve, with a rich tannin structure, plenty of dark ripe fruit, and undertones of smoke, charcoal, wood, and a pleasant bitter floral finish.
