Kanonkop in China

Here's a nice video interview with Kanonkop owner Johann Krige while he's visiting a stockist in Hong Kong.

See  here

Johann has said in the past that Pinotage is popular there because it pairs so well with the local food.

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Loma Prieta Finds Gold

In times gone past they headed to California to dig for gold. Now it’s their wines that are finding gold. Loma Prieta winery’s gold rush is led by its Pinotage. The medal count for the 2010 Pinotage so far this year is eleven Golds, and it also won Best of Class Red Vinifera Varietal for the second year running at the Indy International Wine Competition.

 

Pinotage grapes growing in the Estate vineyard

 

The winning 2010 Pinotage, as with their previous vintages, comes from the Amorosa Vineyard in Lodi, but owner Paul Kemp’s future plans include releasing four separate single vineyard Pinotages. This year he is bottling his first Estate wine from his own vineyard, as well as from the Amorosa Vineyard in Lodi, and  he’s also made wines from grapes grown in Karma Vineyard, Lodi and Sierra Ridge, Amador County.

 

My notes on the Loma Prieta 2010 Pinotage Amorosa Vineyard noted blueberry and cherry flavours, there’s a good fruit acidity which makes the wine very moreish, some tannins and, after the bottle has been open some time I started to notice an underlying soft coffee accent developing. It’s a delightful wine now and I think it will only get better.


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POT in Jo'Burg

Diemersfontein's popular Pinotage on Tap comes to Jo'burg on 15 September. Details here


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More Pinotage planted in Virginia

New winery Grace Vineyards, located in White Hall, Virginia, has just planted an acre of Pinotage. It previously operated as Mount Juliet Vineyards producing grapes for other wineries from its 53 acres. Now under new owner John Grace, Grace Vineyards is opening in April 2013 and will be producing its own wines. .

Pinotage Top 10 - The 20 Finalists

The Top 10 are due to be announced at the end of this month.

They'll be chosen from the following finalists..

Altydgedacht Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Beaumont Pinotage 2010 (Bot River)
Delheim Pinotage 2011 (Stellenbosch)
Diemersdal Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Durbanville Hills Rhinofields Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Fairview Pinotage 2011 (Coastal Region)
KWV Cathedral Cellar Pinotage 2009 (Western Cape)
Mount Vernon Three Peaks Pinotage 2011 (Paarl Simonsberg)
Painted Wolf Guillermo Pinotage 2009 (Swartland)
Painted Wolf The Den Pinotage 2010 (Coastal Region)
Riebeek Cellars Reserve Pinotage 2011 (Swartland)
Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2008 (Tulbagh)
Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2008 (Tulbagh)
Simonsig Red Hill Pinotage 2010 (Stellenbosch)
Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2010 (Stellenbosch)
Springfontein Jonathan’s Ridge Pinotage 2009 (Walker Bay)
Swartland Winery Bush Vine Pinotage 2010 (Swartland)
Tukulu Pinotage 2009 (Darling)
Wellington Wines La Cave Pinotage 2010 (Wellington)
Windmeul Reserve Pinotage 2011 (Paarl)

 

Interesting selection of newcomers and old reliables. Mount Vernon is a name new to me. According to Platter they're a small producer with just 1,000 cases and their Pinotage has 'coffee notes' which is a flavour the Top 10 judges have previously steered clear of.

 

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