Blog & News

Amorim Cap Classique Challenge: 20 Years of Selecting Best SA Bubblies

Year 2021 is proving to be a major celebratory one for Cap Classique, the South African sector of bottle-fermented sparkling wines. Not only does this year see the 50th anniversary of the birth of Cap Classique being celebrated, but the category’s leading competition, the Amorim...

Traces of Untold Stories – Creative Spirits meet in Cape Town at ‘Cork and Cacau’ Art Exhibition  

The historical relationship between Portugal and South Africa started in the late 15th century with the “Portuguese Age of Discovery”. Then, the Portuguese explored Southern African coasts, nominally claiming them as their own. Here in Cape Town, some centuries later, we had a contemporary collaboration...

Legendary South African Wine Recorked by Amorim Sold for Record Price

A rare bottle of 37,5cl of Grand Constance 1821 stopped the auctioneer’s gavel at a phenomenal price of R420 000 (€25 000) at this year’s Cape Fine and Rare Wine Auction. Under supervision of French wine expert Jean Vincent Ridon, this 200-year-old wine treasure was one of the three...

Amorim Floors Stellenbosch’s Sustainability Institute with Cork Tiles

 Natural, sustainable cork-tile flooring donated by Amorim Cork has been laid-out in two of the classrooms at the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch, Stellenbosch. Founded in 1999, the Institute is an international living and learning centre teaching, exploring and applying ways of being that are restorative. Its focus on children is centred within the Lynedoch Children’s House, Lynedoch Primary Schools and Lynedoch Youth programmes.

Reefer: Putting a Best Foot Forward with Amorim Cork

The fashion of cork footwear has come a long way from the chunky platform cork soles worn by willowy women in the 1960s and 1970s. Thanks to designers such as Reefer, a young, dynamic and unique South African shoe brand, cork’s diverse ability to inspire footwear that is both functional and fashionable has seen this venerable Portuguese product putting its best foot forward.

Amorim Remembers Allan Mullins

The recent death of Allan Mullins leaves a hole in the wine world that is not going to be filled. For Amorim, Allan was an especial source of inspiration and endearing colleague due to his love for and knowledge of Cap Classique, a South African...

A testimonial from M. Jean Marie Aurand, the Chairman of the Académie Amorim and honorary Managing Director of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). I see the cork stopper as much more than a mere stopper. When it is pulled from the bottle, it releases the full aromas of the wine, to which it has also contributed. It is an indispensable pre-requisite for a good tasting experience. It has proved its worth over time and is an incomparable symbol of quality. Is there anything better than the cork stopper to add value to a bottle of wine? Is there anything that better conveys the profound emotion of a winetasting event?

Plettenberg Bay Newcomers take Best Producer Award at Amorim Cap Classique Challenge

In a ground-breaking announcement, Newstead MCC Blanc de Blancs 2015 not only took a Double Gold Medal and the Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs, but was also named the Top Scoring Cap Classique at this year’s Amorim Challenge. This is the 19th consecutive year the...

Re-corking Mythical GS Cabernet 1966 to find a World of Wonder

Getting to see how cork has allowed great wine to develop and age is one of the most satisfying and rewarding moments for a leading closure partner to fine wine. These days one needs deep pockets or some very good friends to obtain old wines with which to experience this reward. Fortunately, our recorking programme has allowed my senses into the inner-circle of fine old wines and be hands-on when dealing with these vinous treasures.

Cathy Marston on Judging Amorim Cap Classique Challenge

The winners of this year’s Amorim Cap Classique Challenge are to be announced on 30 September. Well-known wine writer and educator Cathy Marston, who has been judging this competition since 2013, gives her impressions of this year’s entries as well as Cap Classique in general.

• Having been exposed to Cap Classique for two decades, are we seeing (a) a level of improvement in general quality and (b) any excitement, innovation in styles.

Absolutely, we’re seeing more quality. I think our top MCC makers are up there with the best, partly helped by the fact that they are able to travel overseas and pick up new ideas and make new contacts around the world. There is still quite a lot of things we don’t 100% understand about MCC (look at all the trials Graham Beck and Colmant are doing) so it’s very important for bubbly winemakers to have an open mind and to have a good network of fellow bubbly winemakers so they can help each other out. In terms of styles, I think the rise of the extra brut style is good, but people need to learn to balance that with fruit and lees if it’s going to be successful.