Which of the plethora of new wineries spreading across the Cape winelands will make a lasting impression confuses even those of us who like to consider ourselves at the – um – coalface. If numbers are one issue, sorting the wheat from the chaff is another. This is not an easy or straightforward task. It is dangerous to immediately hail a winery that wins a notable accolade; it can so easily turn out to be a one hit wonder and subsequently disappear into the anonymous throng. (Of course, the reverse can also apply.) Consistency has to be proven before acknowledgement of a rising star is announced.

That said, it does happen on occasion that gut feeling, after only a brief acquaintance, tells me ‘this winery is going places.’

For winelovers keen to seek out wines beyond the usual range of favourites, the following, most of which fit into one or other of the above categories, are worth keeping an eye on.

Including Eagles’ Nest, Delaire Graff, Haskell, Newton Johnson, Reyneke, Shannon, The Foundry and The Winery of Good Hope in such a list might appear to merely confirm established reputations; after all, most of them have been around for several years, all have cracked Platter five star ratings and some top awards on competitions. But such accolades mean little without a sound plan being in place back on the farm.

This is what each of the above properties share; they are certainly not one hit wonders. Eagles’ Nest, for instance, has made its name with its Syrah – a two-time Platter five star awardee and Best Shiraz and Best Red wine on Show on the Trophy Wine Show. Yet their Viognier and the new Verreaux (basically the re-named Merlot with splashes of cab and cab franc) bear witness to their seriousness of intent as a whole. Much of this, as at all fine properties, has been driven from the vineyards, especially since

Constantia specialist, Kobus Jordaan, has come on board. Questions have been asked about the longer spread of bright green curving around the contours close to Constantia Nek (as in the photo). This, or rather these are lines of netting protecting the otherwise exposed vines from the south easter. Last time I visited, many of the vines were straggly little things; they are now proper, bearing vines. With so many aspects and altitudes, Eagles’ Nest vineyards are labour intensive. In the cellar, Stuart Botha still with the guiding hand of Martin Meinert, mirrors the attention Jordaan pays to the vineyards.

Botha’s friend, Morné Vrey (pictured) is, coincidentally, also winemaker at an eagles’ nest, or rather erie, the translation of Delaire. Vrey, as modest and focused as they come, took over the winemaking mantle after the 2009 harvest, though he had arrived on the farm in 2007 after extensive international experience. His wines, like himself, are unshowy (making for quite a contrast to their lavish surroundings! pictured are the new guest lodges with young vineyards in the foreground) and even those with alcohols around 14% retain elegance and finesse. Last week I tasted some wines due for release over the next year with Vrey. None will disappoint but most impressive are a new barrel-fermented chenin blanc 2010 from Swartland old vines; a satisfying contrast of rich breadth with taut freshness; Botmaskop 2009, which blends the Bordeaux quintet with a splash of shiraz; though cab headed, it’s the fragrant, fine cab franc that brings this classic wine alive; not one to be missed. Finally this Calitzdorp boy is challenging his Karoo Port producers all the way. For some unknown reason his Cape Vintage 2008 failed to get the Platter nod; the embryonic 2010 promises to be just as good, despite or perhaps because of it’s unconventional vinification – three weeks from picking to fortification and actual eight to nine days fermentation!

Like the above duo, I’ve written positively about Shannon (the Downes’ Elgin grapes vinified by Gordon and Nadia Newton Johnson), Newton Johnson itself, Reyneke, Chris Williams’ The Foundry and The Winery of Good Hope before; the last is a good deal larger than the others but lacks nothing in its focus for that; the well-defined ranges, from both style and price points of view, confirm confidence in its future. It’s invidious to single out wines from any of the above; they are all good or excellent and consistent.

If Rianie Strydom’s Haskell wines are less familiar – I do note well-defined personality as well as class - I’ve long recognised her serious intent, well backed up by owner, Preston Haskell and his business partner, Grant Dodd. There will be no wobbles here!

Wines from smaller producers are often difficult to find; the best and first port of call should be their, hopefully, up-to-date websites.

Almenkerk, Arra, Badenhorst, Crystallum, De Morgenzon, Julien Schaal, Lovane, Metzer, Mullineux, Sijnn, Springfontein and Trizanne Signature Wines: all these more or less fit into my gut feel category. There is some solid evidence for Badenhorst, Mullineux, De Morgenzon, Lovane and Springfontein: Adi Badenhorst and Chris and Andrea Mullineux have proved themselves at other wineries, while Carl van der Merwe – ex-Quoin Rock – has taken over winemaking duties at De Morgenzon; Lovane (reds) and lonely Springfontein (chenin and pinotage) near Stanford, have much impressed over my three-year stint of tasting the wines for Platter.

Almenkerk, owned by the van Almenkerk family, is based in Elgin. I’ve tasted their wines once, last year at an Elgin group event. The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is complex, minerally and dry (I see their Platter taster, Cathy van Zyl, agrees); a sample of the 2010 chardonnay showed well-judged oak and elegance. Arra Vineyards, on the Paarl/Stellenbosch boundary, has Hazendal’s Ronell Wiid consulting to cellarmaster, Dee Wentzel. The eponymous Arra Vineyards range is up with the best, the 2005 cabernet in particular. If these maiden wines continue in the same vein and the Unreserved second label offers better value, this winery will soon be on the map.

With the Finlayson name behind it (in this case Peter F’s son, Peter-Allan), that’s as good a start as one could want. I don’t know his Crystallum wines as much as I’d like to; my acquaintance with them has been in blind tastings, where they’ve impressed, so I see a bright future for this label, which naturally focuses on the Burgundian duo.

Julien Schaal, from Alsace, where he makes wine as well as in Elgin (he’s now based at Paul Cluver) under his own label, brings an oft-noted European touch to his elegant chardonnay and Syrah.

Wade Metzer, one-time assistant to Jean Vincent Ridon, now flies solo with two syrahs(Syrah and Vitamin B Syrah), made in hundreds rather than thousands of cases and informed by the Rhône rather than Australia. Both demonstrate not all SA shirazes need be over the top.

Sijnn might be a new name, David Trafford is decidedly not. This is his new operation at the mouth of the Breede River. Probably the first in SA to use the Portuguese grape, trincadeira, I’d like to imagine its inclusion in the Sijnn red (shiraz, mourvèdre and touriga the other partners) adds to the wine’s freshness and distinction. Undoubtedly exciting things to come from this new area..

The first and only wine I’ve tried under Trizanne Barnard’s own label (she was at Anwilka before), an accomplished and polished Elim-sourced sauvignon-sem blend, captures its cool climate origin with the breadth that hallmarks this area’s best. A shiraz is also planned.

A final gut feel inclusion is KWV (yes, really). It is such early days in this giant’s new image and approach; there’s much to be done with Laborie, the Cathedral Cellars, Reserve and Lifestyle ranges, but the Mentors line up gives clear evidence of the direction being followed, with considerable success too.

Enough for now, but the twinkling doesn’t end here.