tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356100302012-01-29T15:30:55.751ZThe Pinotage Club is a fan club for wines made from the Pinotage variety.                  www.pinotage.org  Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.comBlogger5421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-66820213292409320702012-01-29T15:18:00.003Z2012-01-29T15:30:55.758Z

Bordeaux uses the term ‘petite chateaux’ to describe the many modest small wineries making good wine at reasonable prices.There’s not really a term for similar in the Cape and Ken Forrester has taken Petit Pinotage as the brand for one of his wines. So I don’t know a collective noun to describe them but I’ve been impressed recently with wines from labels I’ve not encountered before.First up is

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Joe Roberts at 1 Wine Dude puts out a call to 'Stop hating on pinotage already'. His 'plea against the undeserved hate' asks readers 'what bargain-basement version of any variety doesn’t have its fair share of sh*tty-tasting bottlings?'.He goes on to enjoy a 2008 Kanonkop Pinotage that overachieves because it 'deftly captures the entire BBQ picnic in a single bottle; toast, smoked meats, red

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A spiffy new Guide to South African Pinotage was published on Friday by the producer’s Pinotage Association. The event took place in Wellington at Diemersfontein Winery, the home of the original coffee’n’chocolate style Pinotage. The main part of the 156 page full colour pocket sized Guide is a listing of wineries producing Pinotage and Pinotage blends with descriptions of their wines and wine

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Wines of the MonthDiemersfontein Pinotage 2009Sultry, Heady & Tantalizingly Delicious! (Wellington, South Africa.)/$18-$22This hallmark expression of Pinotage is characterized by not-so-subtle hints of roasted coffee and dark chocolate…and it has earned so much praise and achieved so much popularity that a number of cognoscenti attribute this highly distinctive version of Pinotage from David

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At the 6th Terravino Mediterranean International Wine and Spirit Challenge held in Israel last month, the Grand Champion Trophy for the Best Israeli Wine in Competition was won by Barkan Winery’s Superieur Pinotage 2007. That wine also won the Best Kosher Israeli Wine, and Barkan’s winemaker Irit Boxer-Shank won the Best Israeli Winemaker award.Ms Boxer-Shank told the Jerusalem Report “I knew

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Christmas was an opportunity to open some special bottles.Loma Prieta 2009 – Been keeping this for a few months (see http://www.pinotage.org/2011/08/paul-kemp-of-californias-loma-prieta.html ). This is a beautiful wine with soft dense fruit flavours, especially damsons. Just about perfect. I found this more immediately appealing than the 2008 and excellent drinking. Been garlanded in Platinum,

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Say hello and welcome to Topper’s Mountain ‘Wild Ferment’ Pinotage Viognier 2009, the first varietal Pinotage grown and made in Australia.Owner Mark Kirby told me:Topper’s Mountain is in northern NSW in a region known as the New England Tablelands which was recently granted a wine GI “New England Australia”. Being so close to the equator in viticultural terms at 29degS, the cool climate we

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South African Wine News site wine.co.za is calling on every South African living abroad to share a drop of sunshine with a local on 16 December.We would love every South African out there to open up a bottle of South African wine, and show your mates just how good our wine is - taste some sunshine, sunshine!We have chosen the 16th December as it is a very special day for us South Africans, and

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The Pinotage Association’s Abraham Perold Trophy for Pinotage, was won by Spier Wines for Savanha Naledi 2009 Pinotage.Andrew Milne, Chief Executive Officer of Spier was presented the Abraham Perold Trophy by Peter May, honorary Member of the Pinotage Association, in the presence of HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the IWSC President pictured left at the IWSC awards ceremony in London’s 600

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Spier won the South African Producer of the Year Trophy it was announced on Wednesday evening 16 NovemberAndrew Milne, Chief Executive Officer of Spier received the Dave Hughes South African Producer of the Year Trophy from Dave Hughes in the presence of HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg in front of 500 members of the international wine and spirits industry at the IWSC awards ceremony in London’s

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This evening I am in the splendour of London’s 800 year old Guildhall at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) awards ceremony. I am representing The Pinotage Association to present the Abraham Perold Trophy for Pinotage sponsored by the Pinotage Association to Spier Wines for their Savanha Naledi Pinotage 2009. Spier, whose winemaker Frans Smit is pictured left, are on a roll.

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More than 120 members of The Wine Society in the UK attended a tasting of a selection of South African wines featured in their latest shipment and voted on their favourite.Steve Farrow from the Society's Cellar Showroom reports that "the clear winner was, unexpectedly, the most expensive of the offerings on show: the deliciously ripe and full Chamonix Greywacke Pinotage, 2007 from Franschhoek (

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The View is a fifth generation farm set in fruit orchard country south of the town of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The winery name comes from the amazing view of Lake Okanagan from the highest part on the farm where the tasting room was planned to be built. But that is on hold and tastings take place at the winery and office in an old apple packing facility next to the roadside.Here I met

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Earlier this month I met Randall Peceur (pictured above) at Cape Wine Europe. I’d first encountered Randall some years ago in Bellevue Estate winery when he was working in their tasting room pouring wine for visitors. Now he is the managing director of Sizanani Wines, the empowerment company set up by Bellevue and now 100% owned by the workers at Bellevue.Randall told me “The main focus of the

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Lake Breeze wine farm occupies a commanding position above Lake Okanagan, on a strip of ancient shoreline known as the Naramata Bench. There are around 25 wineries along this strip of land between mountain and the lake. Lake Breeze is the only one to describe itself as a 'wine farm', a common term in South Africa, where the first owners had lived for 25 years. Lake Breeze was the first winery

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Diemersfontein invented the coffee accented Pinotage category eleven years ago. Their wine has been described as a cult and has a sell out annual festival, Pinotage on Tap, in its honour. A dozen other wineries have followed their lead by making coffee Pinotages. The latest vintage available in Europe, 2010, now says COFFEE PINOTAGE on its front label. But that is not all that has changed. In a

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Cape Wine Europe 2011 opens its doors tomorrow, 11 October, to the public from 18:00-21:00 in Earls Court’s Brompton HallMore than 200 wines will be available for tasting, with competitions and biltong and South African Macadamia nuts sampling.The producers Pinotage Association stand will be showing the following wines:Altydgedacht Pinotage 2010 Beyerskloof Pinotage Reserve 2008

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Lanny Martiniuk invited me to meet him at his winery. We’d corresponded about Pinotage while I was writing my book and at last I was able to visit his vineyard where he grows eight acres of Pinotage and taste his wines.Stoneboat Vineyards and winery are on the eastern bank of the Okanagan River which connects the 85 mile long glacial Okanagan lake with Osoyoos lake, part of linked series of

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Just posted on the blogHi Peter,We are a Belgian couple who have lived for 9 months in South Africa near Cape Town. During this period we fell in love with the Pinotage wines and we tried to taste as much of Pinotage wines and visited many of the estates. I Bought your book "Pinotage ..." in South Africa and found it very interesting. Today we are in New Zealand for a couple of months and I

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Hillside Estate, on the eastern shore of Lake Okanagan just north of Penticton, is one of five wineries in Canada making Pinotage. But no more. After three successful years the 2009 vintage, bottled in October 2010, is sadly the last.The winery make a wide range of wines and have decided to concentrate on varieties they grow themselves. I learned that Hillside doesn't grow Pinotage but obtain the

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Pinotage, which is the national red grape of South Africa, is one of the best kept secrets in the wine world, as it almost always works beautifully with hard cheeses, such as Gouda, cheddar, and Gruyére. It is often quite inexpensive, but the lower-priced versions can be inconsistent, often throwing an unpleasant taste of burnt rubber on the finish. Yet when paired with almost any hard cheese, it

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Beyerskloof Reserve 2008 Stellenbosch - Anri and Beyers TruterDiemersdal Reserve 2010 Durbanville -Thys Louw with Marí van der MerweFairview Primo 2009 Coastal Region -Anthony de JagerKanonkop Estate 2006 Simonsberg / Stellenbosch - Abrie BeeslaarKWV The Mentor’s 2009 Stellenbosch - Johan FourieLaibach 2010 Stellenbosch - Francois van ZylRijk’s Private Cellar 2007 Tulbagh - Pierre WahlSchalk

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Veteran winemaker and accomplished Pinotage producer Neil Ellis takes us through his 2009 Vineyard Selection Pinotage, msourced from a single vineyard in the Jonkershoek Valley. Video made by and courtesy of the good people at WineFilms South Africa

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Paul Kemp, owner of Loma Prieta Winery in California, joined me for dinner earlier this month as he paused in London on his journey home from South Africa to San Francisco. Paul has become enthused with Pinotage and believes he is now the largest Pinotage producer in the America’s, having bought in all the grapes he could find to add to his own increasing plantings. While he was in the

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1. Altydgedacht 20102. Lyngrove Platinum 20093. Beyerskloof Reserve 20084. Diemersdal Reserve 20105. Fairview Primo 20096. Kanonkop 20067. Kanonkop 20098. KWV The Mentor’s 20099. KWV Cathedral Cellar 200910. Laibach 201011. L’Avenir 200912. Rijk’s 200713. Schalk Burger & Sons Meerkat 200914. Simonsig Redhill 200815. Spier Naledi 200916. Spier 21 Gables 200917. Spier Private Collection 200818.

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Pinotage will be poured during the three days of the New Forest & Hampshire County Show 26 - 28 July, 2011, held at the New Forest Show Ground near Brockenhurst.UK importers Cape Wine Cellars in association with The Pinotage Association will be showing 11 wines – one rose, four ‘coffee’ style, three ‘easy drinking’ and three barrel matured Pinotages.Cape Wine Cellars are also selling Pinotage

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Judging for the 2011 Top 10 Competition has been taking place this week. Neil Pendock is judging again and he blogs "In several years judging the ABSA competition, these 2009 wines are the best I’ve ever tasted."He was less impressed with the previous days wines from 2006, 7, 8, 10 and 11 vintages.The judges are photographed in what looks like an attic and there is no sign of the sophisticated

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It is always a pleasure to meet the tireless and irrepressible Yngvild Steytler and taste her impressive Pinotages.

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-38533409190656892182011-06-20T15:05:00.003+01:002011-06-20T15:10:32.139+01:00

Gary Vaynerchuck likes Pinotage. In his latest video tasting he opens 2009 Diemersdal Pinotage and 2007 Chamonix Greywacke Pinotage, rating them 88+ and 89+ points.Some interesting comments and individualistic tasting descriptors! See Gary here.

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PINOTAGE: Behind the Legends of South Africa's Own Wine is now available from Apple's iBookstore as an iBook for the iPad and iPhone.This joins the Kindle version and traditional original paperback in making the book available on a wide range of platforms.Apple - http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pinotage/id442165834​Kindle* at Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GXB3TOKindle* at Amazon.co.uk

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Escapades is another label new to me. A partnership from Greece have bought a small farm in the Bottelary Hills and constructed a winery to make 70,000 bottles of four premium Estate grown varietal wines.I met Stelios Samaras at the London International Wine Fair who told me that the Escapade winery had been set up by winemakers Evangelos Gerovassiliou and Vassilis Tsaktsarlis with marketeer

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I think Kanonkop's Kadette 2009 Cape Blend is the best vintage they have ever made, and I have bought cases of it for my wine tasting and home consumption. I first tasted it at the winery in January and said very impressive ... this vintage is a step up, being much more serious. There’s less upfront obvious fruit and a classic linearity. In today's Telegraph Victoria Moore picks it as one of her

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Vino Con Brio winery in Lodi is closing on 5 June and the property has been sold on the retirement of the owners, Mike and Renae Matson.Vino Con Brio has the largest Pinotage plantings in America. They make their own Pinotage, which I have tasted and its a good clean fruit forward modern wine, and they sell grapes to a number of other wineries who want to make Pinotage. This follows the sudden

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Carte Blanche, the new James Bond novel written by Jeffrey Deaver, has James Bond choosing Warwick’s ‘Three Cape Ladies’ Cape Blend to accompanyhis seduction of Felicity Willing.“ ...vintage Three Cape Ladies, a red blend from Muldersvlei in the Cape. Bond knew its reputation. He took out the cork and poured. They sat on the sofa and sipped. “Wonderful” he said.”Three Cape Ladies is a delicious

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Some interesting comments about Pinotage from Neal Martin who was one of the international judges at this year’s Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. Neal Martin is a Bordeaux expert and one of Robert Parker’s team. This was his first visit to South Africa.When asked about Pinotage Neal said“South Africans love Pinotage like English love fish and chips and we know that fish and chips is never going to be

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Koopmanskloof is a winery new to me. Anriënka (call me Anna) Vlok told me it is in the Bottellary Hills where the soil type is a shale known as Koffieklip which proved to be a convenient name for their new coffee toned Pinotage.Anna shows us a piece of Koffieklip as she tells us about the Koopmanskloof Koffeeklip 2010 Pinotage.I thought the coffee tones were very muted in this tank sample and I

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I noticed a new wine with an oak coloured label on Rijk's stand at this year’s London International Wine Fair: Rijk’s Touch of Oak Pinotage.Winemaker Pierre Wahl was happy to tell us about this addition to Rijks range of Pinotage wines.If found the wine pleasantly fruit forward with the oak well hidden and was surprised when Pierre said it had spent 14 months in oak, but old barrels. That’s how

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Hit of this years London International Wine Fair, which ended yesterday, was the new Wines of South Africa (WoSA) stand.In a major break from previous years wines were available in a welcoming self-serve format. Instead of individual winery stands each with a pourer behind the counter, visitors were invited to ‘help themselves’ from a large number of themed circular pods. Playing on WoSA’s long

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My good friend Sue Courtney in New Zealand is "on the pinotage bandwagon once again and the reason why is because it makes terrific wine. Proof is in two recent Wines of the Week – Kidnapper Cliffs Hawkes Bay Pinotage 2009 two weeks ago, and this week Karikari Estate Northland Pinotage 2008.Don't like Pinotage? Wonder what I'm on about. Well, have you ever tasted Pinotage? Or if so, when did you

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Seems every month a new coffee ’n’ chocolate Pinotage is added to the pack. When supermarkets get their own label version then you know it is entering the mainstream.Mochatage is Marks & Spencer’s take on the category and the front label leaves no room for doubt about its taste and how that is achieved.And it’s pretty good, not overpowering although distinctly coffee-ish, but there’s also some

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The Bernard Series is named after Bellingham’s original winemaker Bernard Podlashuk who was one of the innovating pioneers of South African wine.Dense purple colour, looking much younger than its 2005 vintage, In the mouth this is a ripe voluptuous black cherry flavoured wine, yet restrained like a Ruben’s beauty in an Agent Provocateur basque, full of promise but keeping some back. Afterwards I

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I tasted some superb wines while in the Cape but the most memorable was Bosman Family Vineyards Pinotage 2009. Bosman is the winemaking arm of the long established Lelienfontein vine nursery owned by eight generation Jannie Bosman. Their impressive property has terrific views over vineyards to surrounding mountains. Fields contain the bright green growth of new vines sticking out the ground

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The Perold Vineyard which was planted in October 2008 is now bearing its first crop due for harvest in the next week or two. The crop will be small owing to the youth of the 1,000 Pinotage vines but it is hoped that one barrel of wine will be produced. I received news of the vineyard planting as I was finalising my book and it made an appropriate Epilogue because one of the books themes was the

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-1425224178896696782011-02-03T15:30:00.004Z2011-02-03T15:50:39.087Z

Freedom Hill is located south of Paarl on the R301 towards Franschhoek. I wanted to visit because I’d come across their name on the wrapper of Francois Naude’s 2009 Vin de Francois as supplying a barrel to that blend. Francois is a winemaker I greatly admire and he truly understands Pinotage and as he is making Pinotage for Freedom Hill then I really wanted to taste it. Freedom Hill is on a hill

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-32936044883799930302011-02-02T08:50:00.003Z2011-02-02T09:05:32.113Z

Loma Prieta Winery, a boutique winery in California's Santa Cruz Mountains mountains email to share the news that their Loma Prieta 'Amorosa Vineyard' 2009 Pinotage, has won a Gold medal at the US International Winemaker Challenge competition.Loma Prieta are sourcing fruit from Vino Con Brio's Amorosa Vineyard in Lodi while their own Pinotage plantings growto maturity.Congrats to all!

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-53723349464890450322011-01-31T05:24:00.000Z2011-01-31T05:24:00.313Z

To Warwick Estate on the R44 north of Stellenbosch towards Paarl. This time last year they had builders constructing a new tasting facility and now it is complete. From the noise, dust and bulldozers then I had expected wholesale destruction and rebuilding, but that has not happened. The old historic barrel cellar has been most sympathetically modified to include a delicatessen and much expanded

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-8825473317106624582011-01-30T05:18:00.001Z2011-01-30T05:18:00.580Z

Scotland’s Perthshire Advertiser is recommending readers to drink Pinotage at New Year celebrations to avoid getting a hangover.“Each vineyard has its own method of fermenting their harvest, with producers introducing sulphates to the wine mix as a preservative. But sometimes levels can be too high, causing the dreaded hangover.“Welgegund Pinotage from South Africa as an example of a wine that

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-13768568534265494442011-01-28T08:56:00.007Z2011-07-18T13:43:44.824+01:00

The winelist at Gordons Bay Spur is not overlong but they seem to have upped the choice. Usually I take grateful advantage of their no-cost corkage policy and take in bottles I have acquired in the wine-lands but Wednesday night we were late back from the SA Wine & Food Bloggers meeting in Cape Town where I sat next to Sarah Graham of ‘ A Foodie Lives Here’. Sarah tells me she has a contract with

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-49703335915526044112011-01-24T05:42:00.002Z2011-01-28T08:56:26.214Z

Friday afternoon an hour before closing and Kanonkop’s normally sedate tasting room is busy. All seating is occupied and groups of people are standing swirling glasses, discussing wine and ticking order sheets. Counter staff are hard pushed to fill tasting glasses, answer questions and take orders on a till that is playing up.“It has been like this all day,” says Anita Heyns who has run Kanonkop’

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-90513180410263322562011-01-23T06:27:00.000Z2011-01-23T06:27:00.491Z

Anthony Rose in The Independent (UK) recommends Pinotage with game birds such as partridge, in particular "the 2007 Signatures of Doolhof, Pinotage, Doolhof Estate, Wellington,£14.50, Berry Bros & Rudd (0800 280 2440), is in a different league from common or garden Cape pinotage, with a richness of plum and strawberry fruit concentration and a stylish vanilla oak veneer, a revelation for anyone

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-7711959975353159052011-01-21T12:08:00.002Z2011-01-21T12:13:49.897Z

The latest Ashbourne Red is now available for sale at 400 Rand a bottle from the farm. 2007 is the fourth release of Anthony Hamilton Russell's iconic and rare homage to Pinotage. Anthony says: "It was always our aim to create something entirely new, based on a “redefined” expression of South Africa’s fascinating grape Pinotage. We wanted to create a benchmark that didn’t attempt to replicate

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-56188923932237417122011-01-12T11:49:00.003Z2011-01-12T11:53:39.610Z

"Pinotage is taking off," says sommelier Brian Murphy."Now that the vines are older this wine [Koopmanskloof 'One World' 2008 organic,biodynamic and Fair Trade certified Pinotage] is getting better and stronger. When it's cold outside you want something stronger in a wine. Pinotage is great with barbecue or anything grilled. It would also be great with chili."From article by Beverly Firme

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-34913880447095909852011-01-05T15:38:00.001Z2011-01-05T15:41:47.947Z

Interesting article by industry expert Michael Fridjhon in the latest WINE magazine which starts "The turnaround on Pinotage – from reviled to revered – has been remarkably swift."Fridjhon goes on to say that while Pinotage is a difficult grape from which to make wine "This is a little like blaming a fast car for handling badly. Brilliantly designed vehicles create the illusion that the driver

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-25067303352381046322011-01-02T15:37:00.001Z2011-01-02T15:38:57.704Z

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-78104161240963220282010-12-24T16:40:00.003Z2010-12-24T16:55:27.819Z

My book PINOTAGE: Behind the Legends of South Africa's Own Wine is now availabe as a Amazon Kindle eBook. Click the icons below and you could be reading it in a minute.USA and rest of world except UKUK

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-28831548164616696612010-12-13T14:55:00.003Z2010-12-13T15:00:41.664Z

Decanter magazine commissioned Christian Eedes some months ago to write an article on Pinotage. Eedes has never been a great proponent of the variety and during his time as deputy editor of South Africa’s WINE magazine it dropped its annual Pinotage Champion trophy in favour of Shiraz. Back then Eedes wrote “more than a few examples of this wine [Shiraz] are recognised as unquestionably great

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-34952241935267127912010-12-02T17:30:00.004Z2010-12-02T17:37:26.475Z

Irit Boxer-Shank is the youngest winemaker in Israel and one of only five women employed in Barkan Winery’s cellar. Dale Robertson , who interviewed her for the Houston Chronicle says, “at the moment, she's most passionate about Pinotage, a grape she believes has a superb future in the Israeli terroir.”New Zealand’s Wanguini Chronicle says Kidnapper Cliffs Hawke's Bay Pinotage 2009, is “

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-18432047568241940192010-11-28T16:45:00.003Z2010-11-28T17:01:07.650Z

My chums at The Wine Cellar in Cape Town have just held a tasting of old wines sourced from a private collector. Among them were threee Pinotages: - Zonnebloem Pinotage 1974 - Simonsig Pinotage 1974 - Lanzarac Pinotage 1966I couldn't be there (coz, amongst other reasons, I was in Tampa, Florida) but fellow bloggers The Cru Master and Harry Reginald Haddon were. The Cru at thecru.co.za has an

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-24062154939628593912010-11-17T11:44:00.005Z2010-11-17T12:21:50.772Z

The annual announcement of wines awarded Five Stars by the Platter tasting team has just been made.Out of more than 6,000 wines from 800 producers and brands tasted and rated for the Platter's South African Wines 2011 guide, just 58 have achieved 5 Star rating.The only Pinotage is Beyerskloof 'Diesel' 2008.Diesel is a premium label, named after owner Beyers Truter's dearly loved dog, that was

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-83663346104661455692010-11-15T08:15:00.000Z2010-11-15T08:15:00.240Z

Alex Milner is the Brit half (with Stefan Gerber) of an exciting -- and very attractively designed -- winemaking team with a new label Boer and Brit.I enjoyed his Pinotage which is blended with 15% Petite Verdot. This wine is under their second label Suiker Boisse which means “Sugarbush, I want you so”. (I'm not so keen about that design though.)The wine is tremendous, and so are their other reds

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-19369949838120583582010-11-08T07:52:00.000Z2010-11-08T07:52:00.395Z

Mike Ratcliffe talks about Warwick's Old Vine Pinotage in China, how it matches with spicy Chinese food and the benefits of chilling.Mike is MD of Warwick Estate

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-15819963450999287232010-11-04T06:42:00.001Z2010-11-04T06:42:00.519Z

It was good to renew acquaintence with Norma Ratcliffe owner of, and first winemaker at, Warwick Estate. MD son Mike usually travels the world on his own promoting Warwick but Norma joined him on this trip. They had just returned from a couple of weeks in China where they got involved in matching Chinese cuisine with Warwick wines. Norma said the Chinese were very enthusiastic about the wine with

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-36457800271081325202010-10-31T12:39:00.003Z2010-10-31T12:53:33.528Z

Zakkie is spending more and more time on the road spreading the word about Riebeek Cellars. I have been drinking his wines for many years and their quality wines are excellent for a bargain price.I tasted two delicious Chenin Blanc, one wooded , one not. I preferred the unwooded 2010 which has a lively racy acidity while the wooded version, Reserve 2009 was creamier with more body.The rose

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-86059046705487759632010-09-26T12:42:00.003+01:002010-09-26T12:55:10.085+01:00

An interesting response by Ezanne Gouws, Ernst & Co marketing manager, to Neil Pendock's question about marketing SAf wine in the USAI get the "what makes your wine industry unique?" question a lot, and Pinotage is right up there with boerewors, Nelson Mandela and World Cup Rugby champions. That's why Argentinian malbec does so well in America, because it is an Argentinian calling card. My

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-30482896920624301332010-09-23T06:38:00.001+01:002010-09-23T06:38:00.419+01:00

At a wine fair in Renton, Virginia, last week I met Susan Prokop and Jim Turpin (pictured) who own Democracy Vineyards in Lovingston. They started in April 2009 with the aim of having 12 acres of their farm planted to vines.So far they haven’t planted Pinotage but Jim told me they were thinking of doing so in their upper field vineyard. In the meantime, while waiting for their vines to mature,

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-78470220423410251102010-09-21T12:36:00.004+01:002010-09-21T12:50:03.270+01:00

Welbedacht’s confidence in their Wellington terroir was confirmed when their very first Estate labelled wine -- 2008 Welbedacht Estate Pinotage – won in the 2010 Top 10 Pinotage competition. Owner Schalk Burger said “it is our first wine under our new Estate label, launched this month, that has achieved an accolade and all kudos go to our wonderful terroir and our cellar master Jacques Wentzel.”

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-85550539850675655512010-09-16T13:11:00.001+01:002010-09-16T13:13:57.721+01:00

Kidnapper Cliffs, a new super premium wine label, has been launched by two New Zealand wineries located on the North Island; Te Awa in Hawkes Bay and Dry River in Martinborough.The Kidnapper Cliffs brand name refers to Cape Kidnappers at the southern end of Hawkes Bay which gained its name after a crewman was captured by Maoris during Captain Cook's maiden voyage to New Zealand in October of 1769

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-47238240645651512262010-09-14T17:19:00.003+01:002010-09-14T17:48:42.491+01:00

The Top Ten Pinotages 2010 are, in alphabetical order:Altydgedacht Pinotage 2009 (Durbanville)Anura Reserve Pinotage 2008 (Paarl)Fairvew Pinotage 2009 (Coastal)Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2008 (Worcester vineyards)Kaapzicht Steytler Pinotage 2007 (Stellenbosch)Lyngrove Platinum Pinotage 2008 (Stellenbosch)Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2006 (Tulbagh)Welbedacht Estate Pinotage 2008 (Wellington)Die

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-32596878319579769962010-09-02T14:40:00.004+01:002010-09-02T14:50:56.232+01:00

Six years old and it's just perfect. Starting to lose some of its bright colour and beginning to brown. Beautiful smooth dusky damson fruit flavours with a long lingering finish. Like a good claret but with lots of sweet fruit. 'La Cave' is Wamakersvallei's premium label and they really have nailed making consistently fine classic Pinotage.It is named after La Cave, the winery's arched brick

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-13551192471768144582010-08-29T05:01:00.000+01:002010-08-29T05:01:01.353+01:00

Laura Ness at The Salinas Californian asks "Have you tried pinotage yet? This attention-getting cross of pinot and cinsault was created for South Africa: it takes pinot to a new level. Pinotage puts a gun to your head and holds you hostage. It's as relentless as a 13-year-old bent on a tattoo in a questionable location.There is nothing subtle or delicate about this wine. It is the big sister of

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-56403233823658204132010-08-26T18:23:00.003+01:002010-08-28T17:01:45.811+01:00

Canadian wine lovers suffering under the dead hand of government monopoly supply look forward to the regular updates to the ‘Vintages’ list of limited supply wines.The latest release features Lammershoek Pinotage 07 (though I recall Lammershoek have been available for some years) and Barista 09.Here are what the local bloggers had to say about the Lammershoek Pinotage 07:Billy Munnelly at

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-22868890317614833912010-08-15T15:05:00.004+01:002010-08-15T15:24:30.208+01:00

Interesting article by Gerald D Boyd highlighting similarities between Pinotage and Petite Sirah over atbubblesonwine.wordpress.com.Gerald Boyd writes:"I was thinking about 'six degrees of separation' ....... my muse whispered, “Why not a relationship between Petite Sirah and Pinotage?” On the surface the idea sounded implausible, but these two seemingly different grapes do share some things, and

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-85040359438110155692010-08-07T11:55:00.003+01:002010-08-07T12:11:46.762+01:00

'Come visit Loma Prieta Winery on August 7-8, and fall in love with Pinotage!' says the invite. Loma Prieta Winery in Los Gatos, California, (pictured above) are celebrating the release this weekend of the second bottling of their award-winning 2008 Pinotage from the Amorosa Vineyard in Lodi. The first bottling of the 2008 Pinotage quickly sold out.Visitors will be able to enjoy light appetizers

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-27763010389560026842010-07-27T15:00:00.000+01:002010-07-27T15:00:04.107+01:00

Diemersfontein is doubly chuffed: their 'Carpe Diem' Pinotage 2008 (labelled 'Reserve' in the USA) has been awarded the National Award for best Pinotage in the 2010 SA Terroir Wine Awards and while celebrating that win they received notification that the standard 'coffee and chocolate' Diemersfontein Pinotage 2009 has scored 91 points in USA's influential Wine Enthusiast magazine.Owner David

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-89541736970571137492010-07-26T00:11:00.005+01:002010-07-26T00:20:36.223+01:00

Loma Prieta Winery in California have started a Pinotage wine club, the first in North America to focus solely on Pinotage. Wine clubs allows members to buy wines at a discount and to receive regular deliveries of wines including special limited releases not generally available.Owner Paul Kemp says "This year we will receive fruit from three different vineyards and next year will also receive

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-68431074583977006772010-07-21T14:58:00.003+01:002010-07-21T15:09:16.976+01:00

Rogov writes from Israel:This afternoon (Monday, 19 July 2010), I attended the unveiling of the 2007 Pinotage in Barkan's top-of-the-line Superieur series. The unveiling was also the raison d'etre of each of the Superieur and Reserve Pinotage wines released since Barkan was the first winery in the country to introduce this varietal wine in 2001.Vertical tastings are always appreciated as they add

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-24304435452133127842010-07-12T07:00:00.001+01:002010-07-12T07:00:05.318+01:00

I’ve had a couple of mystery Pinotages recently. The first is the attractively named Klippenkop 2008. That is on the new winelist of my favourite local Indian restaurant. For the past decade their menu hasn’t changed which meant that inflation made eating there become increasingly inexpensive. The wine list, inherited en-bloc from an even older one was dotted with basic generic names like Chablis

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-27545905206619443892010-07-09T07:00:00.001+01:002010-07-09T22:58:27.461+01:00

Seems only yesterday that Jeremy Borg launched his new Painted Wolf wine range and now a second label has joined the portfolio.The Den Pinotage 2009 is immediately attractive with a bright luscious spicyness, good body and length. Clean modern winemaking at its best delivering a wine with character and interest which is just delicious. It's enjoyable drinking now.Painted Wolf 'The Den'Pinotage

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-86121142367802761272010-07-05T06:00:00.001+01:002010-07-05T11:07:16.724+01:00

It’s the tenth anniversary of the style of Pinotage that kicked off a huge trend and, to celebrate the launch of the 2010 Diemersfontein Pinotage, the originator of the ‘coffee’n’chocolate’ wine is extending the annual Pinotage on Tap celebration to three locations in addition its home on Diemersfontein EstateKZN MidlandsDate: 11 September 2010Venue: Piggly Wiggly Farm, Lions RiverBand: Lonesome

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The Swedish alcohol monopoly Systembolaget has published its plans for 2011. “We will continue to renew our selection of Pinotage wines from South Africa,” they say and are tendering for a minimum of 260,000 bottles of “modern style “Coffee Pinotage”.“We are looking for a full-bodied and tasty wine with substantial tones of roasted coffee, chocolate, spices and dark cherries. The wine should

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-18925984309662470462010-07-04T07:42:00.000+01:002010-07-04T07:42:00.291+01:00

Juleta Hirner at Longevity magazine has an appetising recipe for Pinotage Pears which she says "is a gorgeous winter dessert that will impress your friends and warm their tummies too". It is winter in South Africa now, but I reckon this'll make a cracking summer dessert too -- chilled and served with vanilla ice-cream.The recipe is here

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-40984516105766381182010-07-02T05:00:00.000+01:002010-07-02T05:00:01.771+01:00

There's a Pinotage comeback, reckons industry guru Michael Fridjhon at Grape.co.za"Half of Beyerskloof's 2007 vintage was exported," he says "suggesting a real rather than a cosmetic international demand. More importantly, it's a sign that once the sometimes aggressive tannins of pinotage are properly managed, there's an international market for its earthy flavours and smoky aromatic notes."

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-2711870322028167682010-07-01T15:56:00.003+01:002010-07-01T16:06:47.228+01:00

Barista Pinotage has come to the USA, imported by the Indigo Wine Group, of Venice, Florida and being distributed throughout the country.Barista, as the name implies, is a coffee accented wine maded by Bertus Fourie who pioneered the style a decade ago.The coffee flavours come purely from the wine: real coffee is no more used in its production than there is cats' pee in Sauvignon Blanc. The

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The View Winery has released America's first rosé Pinotage together with its third red Pinotage. The rosé is produced by the saignée method in which juice is drawn off during fermentiion thus leaving a greater ratio of grape skins to juice and resulting in a deeper more intense red wine. The removed pale pink juice is used to make a rose.Sarah Willard, for BC Local News, tasted the wines and

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-26115973653477030702010-06-22T14:39:00.009+01:002010-07-01T16:08:54.900+01:00

(click on video to see it full size on YouTube - also on The View Website)The View Winery’s Red Shoe Pinotage 2008 (left) is featured in this clever and funny film starring Winery President Jennifer Molgat and the Okanagen Valley's winery team.Do watch right to the end.

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-48291007596956490912010-06-15T11:37:00.005+01:002010-06-15T12:00:22.006+01:00

In April I posted about WINE magazine's upcoming Pinotage tastings to be hosted by a "leading Pinotage winemaker". I couldn't attend so I am indebted to Dusan Jelic who went to the 10 June event at Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town which was hosted by L'Avenir winemaker Tinus Els.Dusan says"The first time I tried Pinotage some seventeen years ago in Johannesburg I was lost. Completely overwhelmed

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-6955687864022446072010-06-07T05:48:00.000+01:002010-06-07T05:48:00.275+01:00

Chateau St Hilarion Pinotage 2009, Cyprus (unfinished vat sample)It is not fair to review this wine since it’s an unfinished sample of a work in progress that international consultant Keith Grainger syphoned from a tank and put into a bottle just before he returned to the UK some weeks ago ... but it is so promising I just have to share.Good bright colour cherry red colour and vanilla strongly on

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-82238432299927427582010-06-04T10:41:00.004+01:002010-07-01T16:09:58.431+01:00

Tinus Els, cellar master and winemaker at L'Avenir in Stellenbosch, tells us about the making of his soft elegant 2007 Grand Vin Pinotage and how it will age

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-56521531396088146462010-06-01T17:37:00.002+01:002010-06-01T17:46:26.141+01:00

For all the years I have known Kanonkop their range has been limited to four wines, all red. Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Paul Sauer Bordeaux blend and Kadette Cape Blend. This year has seen two new wines join the team, Kadette Pink Pinotage and the seriously expensive Black Label Pinotage with its hologram logo on thefront and individual bottle number on the back.Thanks to the generosity of

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-57879772774458139822010-05-25T05:10:00.002+01:002010-07-01T16:10:53.709+01:00

Pieter Malan is one of three brothers who own and run Simonsig winery and vineyards in Stellenbosch. Pieter's task is marketing and he constantly travels the world, having just returned from China where they wanted to buy his entire Pinotage production. I caught him resting his feet at the rear of the stand after another busy day at the London International Wine Fair. An accident on his motor

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-28861470428235653632010-05-21T14:56:00.005+01:002010-07-01T16:11:31.823+01:00

Mark Lindhorst slaved as an accountant until he had enough to buy a farm in Paarl where he re-planted vineyards and added .6ha of Pinotage from which is made around 4,000 bottles "with love and devotion because we are Proudly South African."Mark was in London for the annual wine trade fair where I asked him to tell us about his silver medal winning 2006 Pinotage.

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-63221668310637011042010-05-17T05:19:00.000+01:002010-05-17T05:19:00.570+01:00

If you make Pinotage then enter now for the 2010 Top 10 Competition sponsored bt ABSA and organised by the Pinotage Association. Deadline for entries is 15 July 2010 and winners will be announced on 9 September 2010.While Pinotage is made in many styles this competition is restricted to dry red Pinotages and international entries are welcome. In previous years wineries in California and New

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-86408629365175871982010-05-13T05:42:00.000+01:002010-05-13T12:16:35.085+01:00

Pinotage is the mother lode of a modern day California gold rush for Loma Prieta Winery with their first Pinotage release.So far this year the Loma Prieta 2008 'Amorosa Vineyard' Pinotage has won Double Gold at the Florida State Fair International Wine Competition, and Gold at the Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival in South Carolina, plus Gold at the prestigious San Francisico Chronicle Wine

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-87318358938634478362010-05-10T05:16:00.000+01:002010-05-10T05:16:00.232+01:00

The Daily Telegraph / English cricket team third wine tasting was was hosted by Johann Rupert at his L'Ormarins Estate in Franschhoek. After the formal tasting Graham Boynton reports thatJohann Rupert pulled out two very old wines – a 1982 Rustenberg cabernet sauvignon and a 1974 Meerendal pinotage – which we drank after the formal tasting. Both were lovely, complex aged wines but it was the

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-22897884306189673892010-05-08T18:30:00.003+01:002010-05-08T18:36:01.047+01:00

Some interesting comments about Pinotage from the judges of this years Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. Simon Tam said he was asked what he was looking for with Pinotage he replied "'I've no bloody idea' and I still don't. I do know one thing and that is that Pinotage is capable of producing in many different personalities some really sublime wines and those are some delicious memories I will take

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-12900134283482780302010-05-05T05:33:00.000+01:002010-05-05T05:33:00.204+01:00

Chris Stenberg's favourite fish recipe is halibut with a red pepper puree and bread crumb crust. But what to drink with it?He saysI didn’t feel like going the obvious road of Pinot Gris or Chardonnay with halibut. It’s tougher and more rewarding to find a red that goes with the delicate halibut. In this case I chose the Stoneboat Pinotage Solo 2007 served slightly chilled (20 minutes in the

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-39244950342197874412010-04-24T07:05:00.002+01:002010-04-24T11:00:03.444+01:00

Diemersfontein -- famous for creating the original coffee'n'chocolate 'Peoples Pinotage -- are hosting a fundraising concert on London on Wednesday 26th May at St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London W1.All proceeds from the concert go to a support programme for exceptional young artists and singers and Wellington Preparatory School.Headlining the concert is soprano Pretty Yende now attending the

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-4113694547015350872010-04-23T06:37:00.005+01:002010-04-23T12:22:24.707+01:00

Middelvlei Estate have released a free run Pinotage.The 2008 vintage wine is made from juice released before the grapes were pressed. The weight of grapes in hoppers squashes out some juice before the press is operated. This juice is considered the purist and best with fewer tannins but there is never very much of it.Middelvlei Free Run Pinotage 2008 is priced at 84.50R.source: www.wine.co.za

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-46087628041398408592010-04-22T16:29:00.003+01:002010-04-22T16:36:53.462+01:00

In June WINE magazine will be holding seated Pinotage tastings in Johannesburg and Cape Town of top scoring wines from their Pinotage category tasting presented by a "leading Pinotage winemaker".Cost is 150R, full details are here.Dates and locations areJohannesburgDate: 3 June 2010Time: 18:30Venue: Crowne Plaza The Rosebank, RosebankCape TownDate: 10 June 2010Time: 18:30Venue: Mount Nelson Hotel

Peter F May for The Pinotage Clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09879434167757517648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35610030.post-67124582896477411382010-04-20T07:00:00.000+01:002010-04-20T07:00:01.900+01:00

Kristin Hanson, a native Californian, is a Napa Valley resident, attorney, writer, artist, and self-described “casual connoisseur” of California wine and food. This year she discovered Pinotage from California's oldest vineyard, Steltzner. Kristin writes in her Casual Connoisseur blog :Steltzner Vineyards (“Steltzner”), located in the Stag’s Leap District in Napa Valley, is known for producing an

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