Latest news with #Pinotage
IOL News
a day ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Steenhuisen declares 24 bottles of Pinotage, Fieldbar Cooler, Uganda trip, and renting a Sea Point townhouse
Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen revealed a wide range of high-value gifts and a sponsored African Union trip in his 2025 Parliament declaration. From 12 bottles of wine and four Nguni hides to 24 bottles of various Pinotage wines and a sponsored trip to Uganda, these are just some of the gifts DA leader John Steenhuisen received, according to his latest Member of Parliament (MP) declaration. The details were released on Friday in a report adopted by the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests. The report confirmed, for the first time, all 400 MPs submitted their declarations by the deadline. Steenhuisen disclosed several items but did not reveal the value of any of them.
Tatler Asia
23-07-2025
- Health
- Tatler Asia
Wine, wellness and travel: 7 destinations for a luxurious vinotherapy experience
2. La Rioja, Spain For those who wish to experience Caudalie's vinotherapy treatments in Spain, La Rioja is the place to visit. Known for its centuries-old wine estates, La Rioja has leaned into vinotherapy with notable style. At Hotel Marques de Riscal—a striking Frank Gehry-designed property—Caudalie's full treatment menu is offered alongside panoramic vineyard views. The ingredients are locally sourced, and the spa makes use of grape polyphenols known for boosting collagen and improving skin elasticity. It's one of the few places where architecture, wine and wellness intersect with equal intensity. 3. Tuscany, Italy Above Clusters of Sangiovese grapes ripen under the Tuscan sun—rich in antioxidants, they're the foundation of local vinotherapy rituals. (Photo: Kstudio / Freepik) Vinotherapy in Tuscany feels less clinical and more rustic, though no less effective. At Castello di Casole, a Belmond hotel set on a historic estate, treatments focus on Sangiovese grapes grown on-site. Grape pulp, grapeseed oil and even red wine itself are used in various facials and massages. The spa menu includes antioxidant-rich wraps and exfoliations, drawing from both wine and olive oil traditions. It's a slower, more sensorial take on the vinotherapy trend. 4. Napa Valley, USA California's wine country may be better known for tasting rooms than spa treatments, but Napa has carved out a niche in vinotherapy. Spa Terra at The Meritage Resort, located in an underground cave, offers Cabernet scrubs and grapeseed facials that highlight the region's signature varietals. The treatments are designed to counteract environmental stressors—particularly sun exposure—and offer a more grounded, no-fuss approach to wine-based skincare. 5. Mendoza, Argentina At the foot of the Andes, Mendoza brings a different altitude to vinotherapy. Cavas Wine Lodge offers spa services that use Malbec grapes, which are known for their high concentration of polyphenols. Treatments include warm compresses soaked in wine and detoxifying grapeseed oil massages. The approach is less about opulence and more about results, and the surrounding snow-capped peaks add a scenic layer to the experience. 6. Douro Valley, Portugal Six Senses Douro Valley takes vinotherapy seriously, integrating local grapes into its wellness philosophy. Treatments here focus on regional varietals, and the spa works with products that use crushed skins and seeds to exfoliate and repair. The Douro setting is as much a draw as the treatments, offering forest walks, river views and a quiet atmosphere that complements the restorative nature of vinotherapy. 7. Cape Winelands, South Africa Above Vineyards at Stellenbosch, South Africa. (Photo: Wirestock / Freepik) South Africa's wine regions are joining the vinotherapy conversation, with Stellenbosch leading the charge. At Lanzerac Spa and other nearby retreats, Pinotage grapes—unique to South Africa—are turned into oils and serums used in skin-brightening facials and tension-releasing massages. The treatments often include locally sourced essential oils and botanical infusions, giving them a distinctly regional identity.
SowetanLIVE
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SowetanLIVE
Recipes for a happy life
Professional chefs, like Reuben Riffel who is on our cover, spend their entire lives figuring out how to coax new - flavours from familiar ingredients. Imagine cooking every single day, often in high-stress environments and with paying guests on the receiving end of your labours: either you innovate or you get bored. Never mind where his ability to cook up a storm comes from, Riffel has been astonishing South African diners for a few decades now, and he's still happy – and at peace – in the kitchen. While he's known for his food, his restaurants, his associations with spices and for having shaken up Mzansi's culinary landscape, in our interview with him he shares his perspective on finding a new outlook on life in his 50th year. Riffel doesn't get bored because he is constantly reimagining - flavours, textures and recipes. He is also figuring out how to do more with less, to simplify, and to share his love of food with others. It helps that he is constantly searching for ways to fill his cup, add to his knowledge base and continue growing and learning, no matter how much experience and knowledge he already has. In this issue, we not only get a measure of Riffel's calm, measured approach to life in the fast lane, but we also take a look at ways of filling your leisure time productively, including some fresh ideas about how to transform your outdoors spaces into green oases by planting up a storm (page 16). In our travel section (page 6), we set sail, not only on the seven seas, but also on that most vaunted of waterways, the Nile. We also look at a few ways cruising is evolving as some ships get larger and others turn to niche destinations for adventure seekers. We're cognisant, too, of anxieties around wealth and the value of money in uncertain times. In our reader-friendly nance section (page 10), we focus on offshore investing as an opportunity to spread those nest eggs around a bit. We also take a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at estate living (page 14), specifically the outlandish promises of estate agents and their advertisers, to discover what's worth investigating before laying down a deposit. Red wine is on the rise, again, and on page 19 we look at why in this year of a major Pinotage anniversary, such compelling experiments in blending are adding depth to the local wine industry. And, finally, on page 20 we have a few tips about how to dip into the fun, but sometimes tense world of art auctions, without freaking out and dropping cash on work nobody actually wants. Happy reading – and remember to try to keep trying out new recipes and to never stop experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients. Editor. Keith Bain
TimesLIVE
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Recipes for a happy life
Professional chefs, like Reuben Riffel who is on our cover, spend their entire lives guring out how to coax new flavours from familiar ingredients. Imagine cooking every single day, often in high-stress environments and with paying guests on the receiving end of your labours: either you innovate or you get bored. Never mind where his ability to cook up a storm comes from, Riffel has been astonishing South African diners for a few decades now, and he's still happy – and at peace – in the kitchen. While he's known for his food, his restaurants, his associations with spices and for having shaken up Mzansi's culinary landscape, in our interview with him he shares his perspective on finding a new outlook on life in his 50th year. Riffel doesn't get bored because he is constantly reimagining flavours, textures and recipes. He is also guring out how to do more with less, to simplify, and to share his love of food with others. It helps that he is constantly searching for ways to fill his cup, add to his knowledge base and continue growing and learning, no matter how much experience and knowledge he already has. In this issue, we not only get a measure of Riffel's calm, measured approach to life in the fast lane, but we also take a look at ways of lling your leisure time productively, including some fresh ideas about how to transform your outdoors spaces into green oases by planting up a storm (page 16). In our travel section (page 6), we set sail, not only on the seven seas, but also on that most vaunted of waterways, the Nile. We also look at a few ways cruising is evolving as some ships get larger and others turn to niche destinations for adventure seekers. We're cognisant, too, of anxieties around wealth and the value of money in uncertain times. In our reader-friendly nance section (page 10), we focus on offshore investing as an opportunity to spread those nest eggs around a bit. We also take a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at estate living (page 14), specically the outlandish promises of estate agents and their advertisers, to discover what's worth investigating before laying down a deposit. Red wine is on the rise, again, and on page 19 we look at why in this year of a major Pinotage anniversary, such compelling experiments in blending are adding depth to the local wine industry. And, finally, on page 20 we have a few tips about how to dip into the fun, but sometimes tense world of art auctions, without freaking out and dropping cash on work nobody actually wants. Happy reading – and remember to try to keep trying out new recipes and to never stop experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients.
Calgary Herald
21-06-2025
- General
- Calgary Herald
Last: South African wine industry coming of age despite 1600s' origins
Article content South Africa and its wines are classified as new world, but considering the history of their industry, which dates to the 17th century, it's the oldest of the new, if that makes sense. Things really began with the arrival of the French Huguenots in the late 1600s, fleeing religious persecution in France, and their arrival ushered in a new tier of winemaking skills. Things progressed swimmingly thanks to newfound knowledge coupled with ideal terroirs, only to have the ugliness of apartheid crush their burgeoning export markets. Article content Article content It takes a long time to recover from atrocities; a lesson the world seems doomed to repeat. Apartheid ended in 1994, but it took roughly a decade before their wines began to resurface in export markets. I've visited South Africa and explored its wine regions, and the key regions that include Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Constantia are among the most picturesque on the planet. Article content Article content Article content South Africa's claim to fame is Pinotage, a red grape variety created by Abraham Izak Perold, a professor of viticulture at Stellenbosch University. He decided to cross two French varietals, pinot noir and cinsault, although nobody is quite sure why. It's kind of like crossing a dog with a cat – amusing, sure – but the result can be an animal with conflicting ideologies. While some wineries championed it as a local specialty, others felt obligated to grow it in the shadow of Bordeaux varietals, most notably cabernet sauvignon, which can be exceptional. Article content Article content I should note there are some very good examples of pinotage, although the better examples tend to be north of $30, but it's worth splurging on one of those. They can grow pretty much anything in South Africa, but for white wines, they have adopted chenin blanc as the wine they hang their hats on. The grape is native to France's Loire Valley, where it makes racy, mineral-driven wines that can age for decades in the right hands. The South African versions tend to be a little rounder and not quite as steely, but that's not a bad thing. The diversity of terroir in South Africa allows them to produce excellent examples of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, syrah and cabernet sauvignon. If you're looking for a substitute for your favourite Napa Valley cabernet – and many are – South Africa is a good option, particularly the ones from the Stellenbosch region.
