It is still relatively early days of wine events and everyone attending the Vinimark trade tasting was delighted to be out and about. And not just your ordinary tasting but in fact all award-winning wines, so not only was the hotel reception glitzy, but all the bottles at the tasting were glimmering with stars and awards! The Hotel Sky in lower Long Street in Cape Town is new to me, and as we arrived we were greeted by a robot – quite a novel idea, but sadly could not decipher my question about the event. Massive over-the-top glitzy chandeliers tower over the entrance... Go big or go home and after the last 2 years of Covid – I can totally empathise with that! South African wines are at an all time high as far as quality is concerned and what a spoil it was to taste through some of South Africa's finest, including Kleine Zalze, Muratie, Spier, Rietvallei, Beyerskloof, Reyneke Wines and plenty more. There were 22 5-star Platter wines, 8 Veritas Double Golds, and 7 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Double Golds to taste. What a treat! It is not often one has the opportunity to taste a R1000+ bottle of wine. So thank you to Beyerskloof for opening their Diesel Pinotage 2019 – just stunning! And best value for me goes to Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Whites; such excellent wines at R163/bottle (delivered to your door from wine.co.za!) This was only the 2nd time that our PYDA intern, Frank Mlondolozi Mketo, had a chance to get to an event since his term started at wine.co.za in Nov 2021, and he was blown away by the wines. Lovely to see his enthusiasm and engagement with all the producers. Thanks to Vinimark for providing a great space with incredible views of the world's most beautiful city, Cape Town, representing some of the best of South African wines.