We shop online, we make friends online, we even plan our holidays based on information we find on the Internet. Why not also make informed decisions about the wine we drink? Luckily for us the folks at the South African Supérieur Wine Rating Index (SASWRI) have come up with an objective digital wine grading system.

Ninety wine cellars are already taking part, and membership numbers just keep on growing.The web-based index enables wine-lovers to make informed decisions about world-class South African wines.

Creator Izak Smit, co-author of The Essential Guide to SA Wines (Cheviot Publishing), considers vintage quality and consistency over a period of at least three consecutive years, as well as local and international award achievements, to give buyers an accurate overview of the particular wine. “Consistent results in various competitions over different vintage periods provide a far better reflection of the real quality of a wine,” explains Smit. “Credit is thus being given to a ‘basket’ of achievements instead of a single, unverifiable achievement that does not necessarily denote a wine of excellence.”

The rating index is available at an annual subscription rate. For more information, contact Izak Smit at info@sawineindex.com or visit www.sawineindex.com.