De Meye Estate 2000, $198

(on special for $159 for SMP readers)

I tried this while eating a juicy chunk of duck. It was a happy meeting; the wine and fowl went well together. Although Boer farmers have been growing grapes on this Stellenbosch estate since the 1660s, this is a new label. Before 1998 the owners used to sell their fruit; now they make their own wine. Good for them because this is nice stuff. Well-known winemaker Marcus Milner produces 12,000 cases yearly from 65 hectares of fruit. It's satisfyingly full-bodied, spicy with ample berry fruit, nicely softened by time spent in fresh oak. Cellarmasters (tel: 2791 6332)

Neil Ellis 2000, $198

First, the good news. There are a record 500 winemakers in South Africa producing 4,000 wines, compared with only 125 about 25 years ago. Now the bad news: for inexplicable reasons Hong Kong seems to be getting fewer labels from the Cape. A decade ago, the city seemed almost swamped with sprightly whites and powerful reds. Now, these seem to have dried up like a spring on the veldt. We are still getting this little beauty from skilled winemaker Neil Ellis. He's a canny businessman who sources grapes from prime vineyards (these come from Jonkershoek Valley in Stellenbosch) then makes distinguished wines at fair prices. This is a joy to drink, youthful but rounded with plenty of fruit balanced by touches of oak. There are lovely shades of minty smoke on the palate, which were enhanced when I drank it while dining on barbecued lamb chops. Jebsen (tel: 2926 2240)