We love the variety. Like its mother, Pinot Noir, only a few examples of Pinotage can be life-changing for the drinker. But when exceptional, the wine will stay with you forever, because when made correctly, it is one of the most delicious, complex wines imaginable.
Pinotage, the grape, has received completely unjustifiable bad press. On average one can taste just as many disappointing Pinot Noirs while visiting Burgundy, but no one blames the grape. You’ll sooner be told the reason a wine is bad, is because the grower’s wife had an affair with the neighbour, than there is any fault with Pinot Noir, the grape.
Yet, when encountering a bad Pinotage, the grape is always blamed. Why is this? Is it because Pinotage is a South African creation, and most of the critics are European-obsessed? Who knows... What we do know is that Pinotage can be beautiful, but like Pinot Noir, this isn’t easy to achieve.
And when it is disappointing, first blame everything else, but don’t blame the grape. If you do, you should also dismiss Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Monastrell, Grenache and all the thousands of other varieties that also produce disappointing to average wines, but when elevated through winecraft to something magnificent, can change the way you see the world.Read Bruce's full item here http://flagstonewines.com/blog/flagstone-time-manner-place-pinotage-reserve-the-process
... if the question is whether Pinotage can age (as Old World wines are supposed to do), the answer is very clearly yes it can. These particular older vintages have evolved into quite fascinating creatures — interesting enough to make a fan of old Burgundies stop and think. Another eye-opening experience.
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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.
