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How do you get into the Cape Winemakers Guild, and what’s expected once you’re there? Guild chairperson JD Pretorius joins David Clarke and Christian Eedes on The Cold Soak to talk membership, auction wines and the decisions behind the selection process. They discuss what makes a Guild bottling different, why certain wines return year after year and how tasting panels balance quality with different styles. There’s also a closer look at the Protégé Programme: working alongside Guild members, making your own wine and finding your next role in the industry. Recorded before the auction weekend, with plenty to get into beyond the prices. https://www.exanimo.co.za/wineclub/

This episode is brought to you by Ex Animo Wine Club (https://www.exanimo.co.za/wineclub/) In this Cape Winemakers Guild Auction Special, Christian Eedes joins David Clarke to unpack one of the most closely watched events on the South African wine calendar. We explore the Cape Winemakers Guild’s origins, its transformation from an industry knowledge-sharing forum into a powerful auction brand, and the tension between experimentation, exclusivity and commercial success. Christian also considers how the auction lineup has evolved, why certain varieties and styles continue to dominate, and whether its limited-release wines always justify their premium prices. Then it is on to the wines themselves: the surprises, the standout newcomers and Christian’s highest-scoring selections from the 2026 lineup. The conversation also looks beyond the auction to the Guild’s technical tastings, invitation-only membership and Protégé Programme, and asks how effectively the CWG is helping to shape the future of South African wine. Several questions emerge during the conversation, and we’ll be putting them directly to current CWG chairperson JD Pretorius in a forthcoming episode. Coming soon!

In this episode of The Cold Soak, David Clarke and Christian Eedes discuss recent releases from Botanica, Mullineux, De Keur, Thistle & Weed, Zwartwater, Paul Clüver, Tesselaarsdal and Van Niekerk, before turning to some notable moves in the South African wine industry, including Callie Louw’s reconnection to Vondeling and Dirk van Zyl’s appointment at Kanonkop. They get into the increasingly complicated business of scoring wine. With scores continuing to creep upwards, is the 100-point scale starting to lose its meaning? And what happens when a vintage as exciting as 2025 comes along? David and Christian address some of the controversy that followed the previous episode and, as always, share their thoughts on what’s happening in South African wine and what’s worth paying attention to. The Cold Soak is brought to you by the Ex Animo Wine Club.

South African wine has never had more exciting young talent. The challenge is knowing who to keep an eye on. In Episode 4, David Clarke and Christian Eedes unpack the 2026 WineMag iTOO Next Generation Awards, discussing why it's time to retire the "New Wave" label and highlighting the under-35 winemakers shaping the future of the industry. They also reflect on a host of recent releases, including Rall's remarkable 99-point Ava Syrah, Jean Smit's new Electric Mud Grenache, Solo Chardonnay, Rainbow's End and several other wines that have caught their attention over the past month. The conversation also touches on why affordable wines deserve more attention, and how winter has become release season, with Sadie Family Wines, Van Loggerenberg and David & Nadia all releasing in the same week. As always, there are a few disagreements, a couple of diversions, and plenty of recommendations for what to drink next. The Cold Soak is brought to you by the Ex Animo Wine Club. Explore curated quarterly cases at exanimo.co.za/wineclub.

THE COLD SOAK: May 2026 Wine sales are down. New labels keep launching. Nobody seems quite sure what AI is going to do to wine media. And somewhere in the middle of all that, South African wine keeps getting better. This month, David Clarke and Christian Eedes discuss the state of the industry following the Vinpro/FIA Summit, the growing challenge of attracting new drinkers, and whether wine is becoming harder to navigate than it needs to be. They also look at recent releases from Anysbos, Hogan, Leeu Passant, Corney Family Wines, Raats Family Wines, Storm Wines and Glenelly Estate, touching on everything from pricing and ratings to the ever-growing number of wines competing for attention. As always, there are a few disagreements, a few digressions, and plenty of opinions. It's also our longest episode to date. Whether that's because there was more to talk about or because we swapped coffee for wine is left to the listener to decide.

THE COLD SOAK: brought to you by the Ex Animo Wine Club (exanimo.co.za/wineclub/)  Once a month, we sit down to talk about everything that went down in South African wine. New releases, industry gossip, bold moves, questionable decisions—we've got opinions on all of it. Hosted by Ex Animo Wine Co. director, David Clarke, with winemag.co.za editor, Christian Eedes, the podcast brings together two respected voices with a clear-eyed view of what matters and what does not. Each month’s episode cuts through the noise of new vintage releases, incisive analysis of Winemag.co.za reports, and opinionated conversations about the direction of the industry.  At its heart, The Cold Soak is about informed perspective: rigorous without being pretentious, analytical without losing its sense of humour. Clarke and Eedes balance professional critique with a relaxed, conversational rhythm, making it as engaging for industry insiders as it is for curious wine lovers looking to understand what is in their glass.

THE COLD SOAK: brought to you by the Ex Animo Wine Club (exanimo.co.za/wineclub/) Once a month, we sit down to talk about everything that went down in South African wine. New releases, industry gossip, bold moves, questionable decisions—we've got opinions on all of it. Hosted by Ex Animo Wine Co. director, David Clarke, with winemag.co.za editor, Christian Eedes, the podcast brings together two respected voices with a clear-eyed view of what matters and what does not. Each month’s episode cuts through the noise of new vintage releases, incisive analysis of Winemag.co.za reports, and opinionated conversations about the direction of the industry. At its heart, The Cold Soak is about informed perspective: rigorous without being pretentious, analytical without losing its sense of humour. Clarke and Eedes balance professional critique with a relaxed, conversational rhythm, making it as engaging for industry insiders as it is for curious wine lovers looking to understand what is in their glass.

Hello and welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co. Podcast. I’m David Clarke, and today is our annual SONA — our State of the Nation Address — where we take a step back and look at where South African wine really stands right now. I’m joined by Christian Eedes of Winemag.co.za, and together we unpack the bigger picture — how producers are navigating a tougher market, where quality is rising, which regions are finding their voice, and what feels genuinely exciting versus what might be overhyped. It’s a candid look at the momentum, the pressure points, and the opportunities shaping the Cape wine scene at the moment. Before we dive in, a quick mention: if you enjoy discovering great wine without the guesswork, have a look at the Ex Animo Wine Club. We curate a selection of wines we genuinely believe in, delivered to your door, along with proper notes and context so you understand what’s in your glass and why it matters. Members also receive free delivery and 10% off our ticketed events. You can find all the details at exanimo.co.za/wineclub. Right — let’s get into it with Christian:

Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with Winemag.co.za Editor and Wine Reviewer, Christian Eedes. This is the 4th annual Wine SONA (State of the Nation) discussion. In it, David poses questions to Christian about the state of SA wine in 2025, such as: - How do we get more South Africans to drink wine? - Why vineyards are decreasing - Foreign wines: why are they not necessarily better than South African wine? *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*

Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke talks with respected wine farmer, Johan Reyneke speaks about his approach to regenerative wine farming. Johan speaks about how biodynamic methods have helped to grow top quality grapes while also nurturing the land, animals and people at Reyneke. Johan explains “The Reyneke vineyards are herbicide, pesticide and fungicide free. Just like any organic vineyard should be. Instead of spraying weeds with poison, we carefully select and grow companion plants amongst our vines to outcompete the weeds. These companion plants have the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, help break up compacted soil or even harbour a beneficial insect or two.” *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*

Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke talks with ‘Poenie’ Lourens’ from Lourens Family Vineyards. Poenie grew up in Paarl, near Stellenbosch, but doesn’t come from a winemaking family. Poenie’s wines are catching some attention from the reviewers and it is clear that he is a winemaker with real natural talent. Watch the chat about his winemaking journey and the story behind the celebrated ‘Lindi Carien’ blended white wine. *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*

Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke talks with Chris Alheit about his multi-award-winning wines. Chris’ white wines, founded on an unmatched understanding of Chenin Blanc grapes. These wines are elegant, sophisticated and unsurprisingly - multi-award-winning. Chris tells us how he first started to appreciate wine as a young wine steward, and how that curiosity led him to study and master Chenin Blanc in the Western Cape. Wines such as Cartology and Magnetic North are served in the finest restaurants worldwide and critics agree - these wines are precise, focused, concentrated and “quite brilliant”. *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*

Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with the powerhouse couple of South African Cap Classiques: Ann and Pieter Ferreira. The pair have been at the forefront of fine sparkling wine, and their knowledge and understanding of the style is unparalleled. *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*

Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with Ex Animo producers across the Western Cape to check how their harvests are progressing. This podcast was recorded in February 2024.

Welcome to the Ex Animo Wine Co Podcast: a series of interviews and discussions with winemakers and great minds from the world of wine. In this episode, David Clarke chats with Winemag.co.za Editor and Wine Reviewer, Christian Eedes. This is the third annual Wine SONA (State of the Nation) discussion. In it, David poses questions to Christian about the state of SA wine in 2024, such as: What was the most surprising in the world of SA wine in 2023 What is Christian most looking forward to in 2024 What were Christian's 'finds' of 2023 What changed in 2023 Christian's current take on 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages What varieties or regions had a good year in 2023 (and who didn't *A video version of this interview is available on YouTube*