Why we taste everything we stock

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admin

October 18, 2026

On June 2, 2026

We don't stock anything we haven't tried first. Every bottle, from the cheapest mixer to the top shelf whiskey, gets tasted by our team before it earns a spot on the shelf.

If we wouldn't pour it for a friend, we don't sell it.

How we taste

We taste in small groups and talk about what works with food before any bottle gets listed.

Close-up of an unlabelled wine bottle and glasses on a pale shelf with a corkscrew and cork, side angle, cropped at left

Glass wine decanter with cork stopper on a stack of books, soft blurred window background

Three unlabelled wine bottles standing on a polished concrete floor in front of a whitewashed brick wall in a cellar tas

Two crystal wine glasses, one with white wine and one with red wine, close-up against a soft grey studio background

New stock doesn't go out just because a supplier says it's good. We check balance and smell, and see how a drink holds up a day after opening, since that's closer to how people actually drink at home.

What we check for

Taste, smell, finish, and value all count. If a bottle only impresses on the first sip and falls flat after that, it doesn't make it onto our shelves.

Braai scene with wine bottles and glasses of red wine on a table beside a grill with meat

Thandeka Nkosi – Spirits Buyer

Thandeka has tasted every new whiskey and gin that has come through our door for the past six years. She looks past the story on the label and judges each spirit on how it actually drinks, neat and mixed. If a bottle does not hold up to a second taste a week later, it does not go on the shelf, no matter how well it sold elsewhere.

Bright, colourful modern bar counter with a shelf of spirit bottles, an outdoor wine and cocktail bar

Johan Pretorius – Wine Buyer

Johan tastes every wine before it is listed, usually more than once, since a bottle can show differently a day after opening. He pays close attention to how a wine pairs with the food our customers actually cook, not just how it performs on its own in a quiet tasting room.

Wine and craft beer tasting setup on a pale blue wall-side ledge with tasting glasses and a bottle

Siya Dube – Craft Beer Specialist

Siya keeps an eye on the craft beer side, trying new styles as breweries bring them out. He cares about freshness as much as flavour, since a great beer poured too late loses most of what made it worth stocking. If a batch tastes off, it gets pulled before it reaches a customer.

Two olive armchairs in a stylish tasting lounge with a side table holding whisky bottles and glasses

Werner Botha – Tasting Room Manager

Werner runs our in store tastings and hears directly what customers think, good and bad. That feedback feeds straight back into what we reorder and what we quietly drop. It keeps our tasting honest, since a bottle we love is not much good if nobody wants to buy it again.

"I have learned more about wine from five minutes with the Kelderflask team than I ever did from reading a label. They taste everything themselves, so when they say a bottle is worth it, I believe them. That kind of honesty is rare, and it is why I keep coming back before any dinner party."

"I used to just grab whatever was on special. Now I ask the staff what they would actually drink themselves, because I know they have tasted it. It has changed how I shop completely, and I have not picked a bad bottle since I started asking."

"What I appreciate most is that they will tell you honestly if something is not great, even if it means losing a sale. That kind of straight talk is why I trust their recommendations more than any review I read online before buying."

The Short Version

If there is one thing to take from this, it is that we do not stock anything blind. Every bottle of wine, every whiskey, every craft beer on our shelves has been tasted by someone on our team first, more than once in most cases. It takes more time than simply ordering from a catalogue, but it means that when you ask us for a recommendation, you are getting an honest answer based on what we have actually tried, not just what is on special that week.