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Learn more about my new book telling all about Pinotage and read sample pages at
A Year in Paarl
A I Perold's
A Treatise
on Viticulture
A I Perold (1880-1941) was South Africa's first Professor of Viticulture and Oenology. He dedicated himself to improving the quality of grapes for wine, brandy and the table. He studied wine and brandy production in Europe, imported more than 60 varieties to the Cape and bred new ones. Perold said this book “is intended to serve both the student and the practical grape-grower. There are in it technical passages that will appeal more to the student, e.g. the chapters dealing with the biology of the vine, its external and internal morphology, the theory of grafting. My remarks on the practice of viticulture, such as those dealing with the propagation, manuring and pruning of the vine, the production of table grapes for export, will, it is hoped, assist the practical grape-grower as well as the student.” This is a newly typeset reprint, not a photocopy. Text on the 712 pages have been aligned to match the original pagination so any external references to pages in the Treatise will be valid in this edition
Available in paperback and hardback editions. 712 pages
with
A I Perold
Dr Perolds report on his Paarl experiments 1915 - 1916 reprinted with glossary, introduction and brief biography. Fascinating historical document on viticulture for wine and table grapes, wine and brandy making.
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteI understand the Den is a mix of pinotage and shiraz. I see a lot of pinotages seem to be going away from the funky, rubber/tar taste of your traditional pinotage--which I love--much as the Den above. If I could ask your opinion, what do you think are the best "traditional (rubber/tar) pinotages" available?
Thanks,
-Dave
Hi Dave
ReplyDeleteThe entire ‘rubber’ issue is a mystery. It can and does affect any variety grown/made anywhere and some people are very sensitive to it while others don’t notice it.
South African reds got severley criticised for this taste a few years ago – and because few had tasted Pinotage from elsewhere it got attached by some as a descriptor of the variety.
It seems to be a winery problem – although the scientific panel researching the issue haven’t made their final report yet – maybe an extreme form of Brettanomyces.
However modern winemaking methods and a thorough cleaning of wineries seems to have reduced its appearance, and I am glad.
I don’t think any winemaker wants their wines to taste like rubber and I don’t know of any like that on sale now.
The most traditionally made Pinotage that I know of are those from Jacobsdal. Owner/winemaker Cornelis Dumas grows unirrigated bush vines, makes the wines in the same old cellar his grandfather built and slowly ferments using only wild yeasts.
For a detailed look at the ‘rubber’ issue, and a chapter following Cornelis making Pinotage his old-fashioned ways, see my book PINOTAGE.
Cheers
Peter