Marriedtwowine

Marriedtwowine Two souls in love with wine and one another. Two opinions, two personalities.

Watch this space for some heated and fun filled discussions about the wines opened under one roof by two wine professionals.

05/06/2026

Why This Wine This Winter #4

If you're looking for something a little more raw and untamed this winter, Radford Dale Black Rock 2020 is well worth exploring.

Not a blend in the traditional sense, the wine is created through the co-fermentation of Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache and Mourvèdre, allowing the varieties to evolve together from the beginning, blurring the edges between the individual varieties, resulting in a wine that speaks more of place.

Despite its grip and savoury intensity, the wine sits at only 12.5% alcohol. Aromatically, it leans towards resinous herbs like pine needle and Mediterranean scrub - alongside dark berries and a distinctly savoury edge.

Perfect drinking now.
Samarie Smith

05/06/2026

Why This Wine This Winter #3 A Moveable Feast.

Originally coined by Ernest Hemingway, the phrase refers to an experience so memorable that it travels with you long after the moment has passed.

In many ways, that's exactly what this wine sets out to achieve.

Moveable Feast is Bruce Jack's tribute to The Drift Estate in the Overberg Highlands - a wine that could only be made from this small corner of the universe, they say. Rather than focusing on a single variety, it paints a portrait of place through a blend of Syrah, Tannat, Malbec, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Barbera and Tinta Barocca.

Each variety contributes its own colour to the canvas, a reminder of why red blends can be so exciting, bringing together different aromas, flavours, textures and personalities in pursuit of something greater than the sum of its parts.
Bruce Jack Wines was recently recognised as one of the World's Most Admired Wine Brands for 2026 - the sixth time the brand has received this accolade.

Enjoy the tasting.
Samarie Smith

03/06/2026

Why This Wine This Winter #2

Wine humbles you.
Sometimes you nail it tasting blind. Sometimes you don't. And perhaps that's the point.
The real art lies not in identifying the variety, but in learning how to experience what is in the glass.
Is it balanced?
Does it linger?
Is there purity of fruit?
Complexity? How do fruit, savoury notes, freshness and texture come together to create a complete wine?

In this case, a cool-climate terroir accentuates many of the characteristics shared by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a Merlot that is less opulent and more structured, with graphite-like mineral notes, freshness and tension.

A useful way to think about it is this: warm-climate Merlot often announces itself through its generosity. Cool-climate Merlot can disguise itself through its restraint. The clue usually lies in the tannin texture. Even when a cool-climate Merlot appears Cabernet-like, its tannins are finer, rounder and less angular, while the mid-palate tends to be more supple.

For more than two decades, Almenkerk Wine Estate has been crafting wines in Elgin, where altitude, ocean influence and patience shape wines with a distinct sense of place.

Whether we guessed correctly or not, one thing was certain: the quality spoke for itself.

Enjoy the tasting, and perhaps stock up on a few bottles for the colder months ahead.

01/06/2026

We chose a sunny winter's day to film the first wines in our Winter Wine Series, starting with Francis Wines Pinot Noir 2023 – a wine perfectly suited to this in-between season.

Grown on the cool slopes of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, it balances freshness, fruit purity and texture with effortless poise.

Behind the label is Burton Francis, a former professional rugby player whose journey took him from Paarl to Burgundy and back again. Today, through Francis Wines and the Francis Academy, he is investing in the next generation of South Africans through wine, sport and education.
red-berry fruit, savoury structure,
Awarded 92 points by Tim Atkin, this small-production Pinot Noir opens with spice and earthy notes wrapped around red cherry, rhubarb and plum, with hints of liquorice adding depth. The palate is supple and layered, carried by red berry fruit, savoury structure and a lingering, understated complexity.

With only 938 bottles produced, it reflects a commitment to thoughtful vineyard selection, careful winemaking and patience.

Perhaps the perfect bottle to open before winter fully settles in.

Samarie Smith

01/06/2026

Welcome to 1 June 2026 and the first teaser of our Why This Wine This Winter series.

These videos aren't created to judge wines. They're about helping consumers discover something new, revisit old favourites, and perhaps find a few hidden gems along the way.

Alongside our thoughts on each wine, we'll occasionally share food pairing ideas, serving suggestions and simple tips to help you get the most from every bottle.

Everything is filmed in a single take, with one taster tasting blind, because we believe wine should be authentic, approachable and fun.

Join us on this winter journey as we explore some of the gems coming out of the Cape Winelands.

Samarie Smith Jacoline Frank Maryna Barendse Corne Smith

As we all migrate indoors for winter - towards those fireplaces, comfort food and bottles that somehow disappear faaar t...
26/05/2026

As we all migrate indoors for winter - towards those fireplaces, comfort food and bottles that somehow disappear faaar too quickly - MarriedTwoWine brings you a series of short on-camera wine reviews to help you discover wines worth opening this season.

The Winter Wine Series runs from 1 June to 31 August 2026, hosted by DipWSET wine writer Samarie Smith-Meletiou and Sommelier Georgio Meletiou.

So yes - in true fashion of how this platform started - expect honest opinions, spontaneous reactions, winter wine and food suggestions and… the occasional disagreement, because one taster will always taste blind.

Launching Monday, 1 June.

16/05/2026

Sea for yourself!

A Sauvignon Blanc and seafood extravaganza created from foraged kelp and beautiful seafood, with gorgeous wines poured by the Durbanville Wine Valley producers themselves. Well done chefs! A fine demonstration of how simple ingredients can be elevated into a magical experience of multidimensional Sauvignon Blancs.

16/05/2026

What a special invitation from to meet at for a glass of bubbly before departing to Melkbosstrand where we learned to forage the coastline. We returned to where we mingled with the local Sauvignon Blanc producers before experiencing these incredible ingredients come to life on a plate, alongside an array of the valley’s signature white variety!

WineTwoWhiskers | #3Bruce Jack Flag of Truce Pinotage 2022Crowned Best Pinotage at The Drinks Business Global Masters a...
13/05/2026

WineTwoWhiskers | #3

Bruce Jack Flag of Truce Pinotage 2022

Crowned Best Pinotage at The Drinks Business Global Masters and among the ABSA Top 10 Pinotages of 2025, this W.O Breedekloof Pinotage is a thing of beauty.
Like a Bengal cat.
Both suave and confident, sharing an untamed, rebellious nature.
This wine is Pinotage refined - sleek, expressive and unique, so a Bengal with its rosetted coat is a purrrfect comparison.

The wine offers a generous bouquet of plum and mulberry with opulent cherry perfume. Savoury notes weave through the fruit, while resolved, nippy tannins lend a sculpted quality, taming the richness. Intense yes, but also agile and composed - a delicious, prowling presence.

WineTwoWhiskers #2Orpheus & The Raven Old Bush Vines Chenin Blanc 2025 has just been released, and if this wine were a ...
09/05/2026

WineTwoWhiskers #2

Orpheus & The Raven Old Bush Vines Chenin Blanc 2025 has just been released, and if this wine were a cat, it would be a blue-eyed Siamese cat for sure.
The same blue as the wax closure sealing the bottle.

Fine-boned and poised, slightly aloof at first. This breed carries a perpetual alertness, precision in the sleek way it moves, with an underlying tension beneath its elegance - much like the wine itself, where luminous acidity and citrus-driven energy give it a focused, smart and lively personality.

Siamese cats don’t demand attention, yet people who love them are instinctively drawn to them.

Both wine and cat possess a sleek architecture: refined, expressive and exquisitely balanced.
Beneath the Siamese’s cooler exterior lies something sassy, strikingly beautiful and deeply affectionate, forming loyal attachments to those committed to them - much like a wine that will become a go-to again and again.

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