The Vinimark Podcast

Tim Atkin has just completed his 12th South African Wine Report, including notes on more than 2200 wines. 

Jono sat down with Tim to mine out some of the most important themes in the report, including his discovery of exciting new winemakers and positive winemaking trends. Conversely, Tim also shares a few notes where he feels that South African wine could do better. 

In this episode, Jono chats to the supremely eloquent Elleunorah Allsopp, the Senior Researcher at Nietvoorbij Research Farm.

Elleunorah shares the fascinating history of how the vine parasite Phylloxera conquered the world, and why no one is safe just yet…!

In this episode of the Vinimark Podcast, we explore the future of grape farming in the South African Winelands and discuss how vignerons can adapt to the challenges posed by climate change and drought. Our guest, viticulturist Jaco Engelbrecht, founder of Visual Viticulture and consultant to esteemed producers like Eben Sadie and Weltevreden, offers insights on strategies for future-proofing the wine industry. Jaco is also a key member of The Horsemen Wines team, a winemaking project that focuses on cultivating grape varietals that are better suited for the "apocalyptic times" brought on by climate change.

Following on from a successful CapeWine 2022, we met up with Wines of South Africa CEO, Siobhan Thompson, to unpack the strategy behind its theme of “Sustainability 360”. Siobhan also shares some of her thoughts on the challenges facing South African wine on a global scale and gives her insight on the areas in which South African wine can grow and shine. 

Just moments before the historic Tim Atkin 95+ point wine tasting in Cape Town, Jono got to sit down with Tim Atkin to discuss a full decade of Tim’s South African Wine Reports. 

This podcast includes Tim's highlights of the year, and what excites him for the future of South African wine. Points discussed in this episode include the state of South African wine in global markets, the future of Syrah in the country, and the need for vignerons to begin future-proofing against climate change. 

In July 2022, Vinimark gathered a panel of some of South Africa's pioneering black wine marketers, distributors and retailers to discuss the expectations and needs of black wine drinkers versus what wine marketers and retailers are actually delivering. The conversation highlighted significant challenges, but also clear opportunities for producers who are willing to take the time to build consumer trust the old-fashioned way.

And so it is that Vinimark is following up that earlier conversation by chatting to Thapelo Mokoena to try and answer those questions.

Thapelo is the co-owner of the Nero wine brand, which is a joint venture between Bosman Family Vineyards (South Africa's largest Fairtrade producer) and Bakoena Brands - Thapelo's own stable of food and hospitality businesses. Thapelo is not only a wine brand owner, but also a restaurateur, film actor, and TV producer.

In the run-up to Cape Wine 2022, and its theme of Sustainability 360, we spoke to author Jamie Goode about the concept of Regenerative Viticulture. We were keen to know how to measure sustainability, how carbon content affects soil health, and whether improved soil health might adversely affect wine quality. 

Jamie came back with some interesting answers and also gave us a sneak peak into some of the hot topics covered in his upcoming book, "The New Viticulture", which offers a far more in-depth and technically detailed framework for the future of viticulture in a fast-changing planet.