Winter is that time of the year where our social lives go into unofficial hibernation and we tend to stay in, develop our home cooking skills and spend our evenings sipping delicious drinks in front of the fireplace, snuggled up under a blanket. During the past decade port-style wines have both managed to evolve in its versatility, such as the De Krans Cape Pink which is used as a cocktail mixer, and expanded on the traditional styles, for example tweaking a Cape Vintage to produce a lovely and unique dessert wine called Espresso.  It is also almost 10 years since the EU agreement that every port-style wine bottled

Although De Krans is synonymous with producing award-winning port-style wines, they have really managed to extend their relationship with Portuguese cultivars beyond their fortified range, resulting in a diverse and unique range of dry, still wines, known as the Terroir range. Appropriately so, since the Calitzdorp terroir is so similar to that of the Douro Valley in Portugal, making it a perfect area to produce quality wines from Portuguese varieties. The first Portuguese grape vines planted in 1973 at De Krans in Calitzdorp, were actually intended to be Shiraz grapes. Only when the first grapes were harvested a few years later, were these vines discovered to be Tinta Barocca,

A Twist of Fate, a blend between Portuguese grape varieties Tinta Barocca and Tinta Amarela, forms part of the De Krans Terroir Range. A Twist of Fate is a lighter style red wine, which is arguably comparable to a Pinot Noir in terms of style and use. The concept behind this wine was to produce a lighter style red wine, which should be served chilled, making this wine perfect for those warmer days. Free run juice is used resulting in delicious strawberry and cherry flavours with a lovely earthiness, hints of spice and a subtle oak character. Retailing for approximately R92 per bottle, A Twist of Fate pairs perfectly

De Krans Wines has expanded its Moscato range with the release of the Muscat Nectar Alcohol-Free Sparkling. This refreshing alcohol-free Muscat Nectar consists of 100% muscat grapes with a slight fizz added when bottled. The Muscat Nectar has lovely tropical fruit flavours with muscat tones and a balanced acidity. Similar to the De Krans White and Red Moscato Perlé, the Muscat Nectar Alcohol- Free Sparkling will no doubt appeal to those preferring a slightly sweeter, fizzy option either on a menu or on the shelf. The Alcohol-Free Sparkling Muscat Nectar retails for approximately R58 per bottle, and is best enjoyed chilled, on its own, or served with fresh summer salads,

As one of South Africa’s leading port producers, De Krans’ commitment to producing a quality product has yet again been acknowledged by the South African Wine & Cellar Classifications, which saw De Krans being recognized as one of the Top 10 Cape Port producers over the past 10 years (2010 – 2019). Two of De Krans’ port-style wines were included on this prestigious, namely the Cape Tawny Limited Release and Cape Vintage Reserve. The Cape Vintage Reserve Port, which stood out as one of the most successful South African wines over a 10-year period, was recognised with a place in the Classification’s Top Wine SA Hall of Fame for 2020. To

Chenin Blanc as a variety arguably still has some way to go in terms of reaching the same level of popularity as Sauvignon Blanc. While the comparison of apples and oranges isn’t fair, it does warm the heart to find a greater selection of quality Chenin Blanc wines both on shelves and on wine lists. With Chenin being so chameleon-like in its style, the most important thing is to find your preferred style of Chenin, and enjoying South Africa’s national white grape variety is all about finding the right fit for you. De Krans Wines in Calitzdorp offers a unique, boutique style Chenin Blanc packed with fresh ripe tropical