At an event in Stellenbosch on Friday, the new 2022 black-and-gold cover design and a refreshed corporate logo for the Platter’s by Diner’s Club 2022 South African Wine Guide was presented, the three Award-winning wineries announced, and the Wines of the Year Awards in 28 categories were presented.
This 42nd edition of the Wine Guide features more than 900 wine producers, merchants, and brands, including 36 new ones, more than 8000 locally produced wines, as well as brandies, husk spirits, and sherry-style wines.
For the first time in eight years the Platter’s Awards were not presented by its Publisher JP Rossouw, who left the publication earlier this year.
It had been rumoured that Chefs Richard Carstens and Reuben Riffel were starting a joint venture after Chef Richard left Tokara Restaurant, after eight years in its kitchen, at the end of September. Despite requesting both chefs for information about the new partnership since then, the collaboration of the two chefs in the restaurant consultancy RiffelCarstens was only formally announced this week. 
The 34th Cape Winemakers Guild Auction achieved a record R10,6 million in sales on Saturday, held at the Spier Conference Centre, with wines of the wine industry greats sold and bid for by top wine collectors, including a mix of hospitality and private buyers. 
I was invited to attend the Cape Winemakers Guild Auction Showcase at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Thursday evening, tasting some of the superb wines of the 44 members of the Guild, representing the best of the best of our country’s winemakers. The Auction Showcase is in preparation of the Cape Winemakers Guild Auction, which takes place at Spier on Saturday 29 September. It was impossible to taste all 44 winemakers’ wines, so I have reported on those wines I tasted and the winemakers I spoke to. Talk of the Showcase was the resignation of three senior members of the Guild.