Thirsty Traveler recently held a tasting of Boland Cellars’ RESERVE NO 1 wines at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth. Background on Boland Cellar Boland Celler is based in...
Nederburg Wines – Paarl As you enter the gracious and welcoming gates to Nederburg Wines, you will find a breath-taking blend of the traditional and the contemporary, just like its...
Simonsig Wine Estate – Stellenbosch Situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands in the Western Cape – a short and scenic 45 minute drive from Cape Town, you will...
Saronsberg Wine Estate – Tulbagh Tulbagh is one of those Winelands towns that you wish you had discovered sooner – more so because it is the home of Saronsberg Wine...
Gracing the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain range in Stellenbosch, Haskell Vineyards is home to some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in South Africa. Their focus is to create unique,...
A private wine tasting with Fairview Fairview is one of our country’s most recognized and well-known wine farms and a visit to their innovative tasting room, just outside Paarl, is...
Enjoy the adventure of tasting something new Swartland Winery taught me that adventure and exploration need not only be climbing a high mountain or diving into the deep ocean. One...
There’s a new edition of everyone’s favourite go-to wine from Delheim. Crafted by the Stellenbosch estate for decades, the blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon is much loved for being both...
Tasty cuisine and wine at Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards in the Franschhoek Valley Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards, a proudly South African wine brand based in the famous Franschhoek Valley, is...
Upland Organic Estate, Wellington, Western Cape When you first stumble upon the Upland Organic Wine Estate in Wellington, you will think that you have just arrived in beautiful Tuscany, Italy. This rustic...
A few weeks ago, a box arrived at our office from Aaldering Vineyards & Wines. On opening the box, I realised that Aaldering was not your ordinary wine estate. Everything about...
Stellenbosch is famous for its endless supply of wine farms that produce internationally-acclaimed wines and picturesque high-class accommodation. If you ever travel through Stellenbosch, you will see that the Marianne Wine...
Thirsty Traveler is all about South African gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and more.
We love to travel and we love to sample the wares of the craft brewer, distiller and wine maker.
In the mid 1900’s, governments worldwide almost killed off the art of distilling and brewing. The thousands of micro, boutique or craft distilleries and breweries that had been handed down from father to son were banned and destroyed and large corporations obtained the sole rights to distill mediocre, mass produced, but well-marketed spirits.
Craft gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and other spirits.
Thankfully laws around the world are being liberalised and craftsmen, with their passion for perfection and their desire to explore are producing amazing gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and other spirits.
Winemaking in South Africa had a terrible reputation until the 1980’s when many farmers decided to establish their own brands and produce their own wine. Competition, inspiration and a hard work ensure that today South African wines are some of the best in the world.
For those of you, who enjoy something special and want to pair their spirits, brew or wine with their food, mood and the atmosphere, there are new delightful, well-crafted and very special products appearing on shelves and more importantly, in on-line stores.
At the Thirsty Traveler, we take our food, brews, wine and spirits very seriously and, at times, light-heartedly too. Thus, in the true spirit of investigative journalism, we embarked on some very careful research into South Africa’s wines, brews and spirits.
Tastings
We frequently conduct tastings of gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and other well crafted spirits.
Each Heritage Day we invite micro brewers from around the country to send us their wares for a tasting. We and the brewers have had great success with these tastings in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
We also conduct regular tastings of wines, gins and other spirits.
Read on to find out more about what South Africa has to offer those with discerning taste buds.
My mother was a Cordon Bleu chef and insisted that we eat with a near Victorian array of cutlery and crockery every night. As a young adult, I learned to appreciate the dedication and art of good cooking and as I came of age, I realised how a glass of wine and even more so, good conversation, could make a meal complete.
As a teenager our family took a holiday to the Winelands and I was in awe of the beauty, heritage and sophistication of South Africa’s wine industry. Although not yet 18 I started to collect wines.
Lagers and pilsners where the beer universe for Generation X South Africans. When I traveled through Europe in the ‘90s I was disgusted by warm English beer, revolted by Irish stouts and Belgian sours where the worst thing that my delicate palate had ever encountered.
However, like Copernicus my view has expanded. I have discovered that the beer universe does not rotate around a cold lager. In fact I have since discovered that the beer universe is literally limitless. My Dark Age view on beer progressed into a Renaissance of awaking and then hyper-drived to an unbridled voyage of discovery.
As a student in the ‘90s I thought I was rather chic because I drank J&B rather than Bells and even sampled Campari. It was not until I visited the Oban Distillery in Scotland that I learned about Single Malt Scotch and I entered a whole new world of discovery.
When I first visited the New World I discovered Bourbon and that it too has a proud heritage. On a visit to Cuba I learned that Rum was not just a compliment to Coke, and that, after 12 years of aging, is as sublime as a Scotch.
Today I remain in awe of the craftsman who, with passion, skill and experience, produce such nuanced flavours and aromas in wine, beer and spirts. This website is about my journey of discovery and also of return visits to old favorites.
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© 2021 THIRSTY TRAVELER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED