Pinotage in the Papers

"Give the Cape’s indigenous workhorse Pinotage some tender loving care in a vineyard and winery and even at this price level you can be rewarded with a fat, ripe, spicy, inky mouthful," says Jane MacQuitty in the Sunday Times. She's reviewing Tesco's own label 2008 South African Pinotage from Swartland Winery at an attractive £3.63.

Jane MacQuitty upset many South Africans earlier this year when she damned their top red wines, so well done Swartland for finding favour with her at the lowest price level.

Daniel Rogov, writing in Israel's Haaretz newspaper about the latest releases from Barkan Winery, finds their 2006 Pinotage Reserve "Dark but somehow not glistening garnet toward purple in color, showing near-sweet tannins and berry, plum and currant fruits. In the background constant notes of earthy minerals and tobacco. On the finish fruits rise along with both the flavor and aroma of cloves. Drink now-2010. NIS 69. Score 87".

In the Jerusalem Post, Ofer Zemach says of the same wine "Much like the Pinot Noir, the Pinotage is a wine that really benefits from some breathing time. It takes its time in the glass to tease you with its aromas before revealing its full bouquet. The grapes for this wine came from a vineyard in Tel Tzaif in the Judean foothills. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels, the wine has excellent structure with firm tannins and good acidity."

Finally, this piece from Melissa Priestley writing in Edmonton News got my attention:
"You may have also wondered at the multitudes of other grapes bearing “Pinot” in their name. Could there be a connection, you ponder? Indeed, this phenomenon is more than a coincidence — Pinot Noir is prone to genetic mutation. Darwin would have loved this grape, as it has been spawning bastard children for millennia — Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, and many others all trace their ancestry to that bitch of Burgundy. Even Pinotage, South Africa’s signature variety, calls Pinot Noir mom (daddy being Italy’s Cinsault — must have been quite the party)."

Indeed :)

Truter's Finest Pinotage is a steal

"Four wines that I consider steals are ....... the rich, perfumed, blackberry and liquorice-like 2005 Tesco Finest Beyers Truter Pinotage, Stellenbosch (£7.99)

These wines are nothing like as famous as Dom Pérignon, Ernie Els or Biondi-Santi. Nor would they claim to be as ambitious. But in their own understated way, they represent something that is far more to my taste: good, honest winemaking at a fair price."

Tim Atkin in The Observer Magazine 22/07/07 - full article here

(Tim's other three wine steals are Sainsbury's Manzanilla Pale Dry Sherry, 2003 Umberto Fiore Barbaresco & 2006 Anakena Single Vineyard Viognier, Rapel Valley. )

Pinotage really delivers!

"Anyone who is unconvinced as to the merits of Pinotage should get stuck into this. Rich, characterful fruit with a fine tannic structure, this well-priced Pinotage really delivers. Spicy, fruity, and very moreish, it makes you wonder why you ever doubted he variety in the first place. Absolutely no bubblegum notes - guaranteed."

2005 Tesco Finest Beyers Truter Pinotage - as reviewed in Harpers, the UK trade weekly on 22/6)

See also here

Pinotage to the Rescue

Pinotage not only takes a major part in turning around the recent decline in South African wine sales in the UK, but also plays a vital role in rescuing a marriage.

Exports of Pinotage wines from South Africa to the UK are up by 46% in the period January -April 2007 compared with the same period last year. South Africa wine exports overall increased by 8%, reversing a previous decline. While the major SA brand in the UK (Kumala) still suffers falling sales, the second (Namaqua) and third (First Cape) largest brands are doing well, with First Cape - who market a varietal Pinotage - seeing a 114% increase in sales. And no doubt the recent promotions on Stormhoek and Beyerskloof have also helped. (Information from Harpers )

Meanwhile an anonymous blogger is having problems with her husband who she is "beginning to suspect may be on the verge of a mid-life crisis. "

She writes "Our finances preclude the purchase of that typical symbol of mid-life crisis - a ‘male meno-Porsche’ so instead he has bought a pair of in-line skates.

To be fair, as well as being an all round Boy Scout, H has always been a good skater – a sort of Ray Mears on wheels. He used to rollerblade to work when he was young and carefree, and was therefore a frequent recipient of abuse from motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

However this weekend, he returned from a skating trip with more of a glow than usual. Apparently, a car full of teenage girls had beeped their car horn and waved at him as he skated along. All fairly innocent, you might think, but no - he has been down at the gym this morning, clearly convinced that his body is now a temple at which young women will come and worship. Bless!

More worryingly, he has declared his intention to abstain from drinking wine. Surely such self-delusion has its limits? Clearly some action needs to be taken to avoid irreparable damage to our marriage. Therefore, in an attempt to lure him once again with my oenophile charms, I have uncorked a Tesco Finest Beyers Truter Pinotage (£7.99). I am certain that the spicy blackberry flavour will convince him of the error of his ways. How could he fail to realise that a lithe limbed lovely offering him a swig of her alcopop cannot compare with the delights of drinking decent red wine? Even if it does mean sharing it with a woman whose teeth are gradually turning blue."

Stormhoek Pinotage is getting Fresher

Stormhoek are leading the field with a 'best before' date on their bottles. Many people think wine has to age years before it is at its best, but that is a fallacy. The overwhelming majority of wines are at their best on release. And Stormhoek's "Freshness Indicator" shows the time period when the wine will be most enjoyable, or -- as us wine geeks call it -- the "drinking window."

I was intrigued to compare the dates on the 2005 Pinotage back label (pictured above left) with that from the 2006 vintage (pictured below right).

It is recommended to drink the 2005 before January 2008, thus the drinker has two complete years ( 2006 and 2007) plus the few months after the wine was released in 2005, to enjoy the wine.

But the 2006 vintage should be enjoyed by June 2008. That is 7 whole months less than the lifespan of the 2005. Puzzling......

Another thing that puzzles me about the Stormhoek label is that there is no indication where the wine was bottled. One assumes that Stormhoek bottled it at their winery in South Africa, but it doesn't say so. There are increasing numbers of wines being shipped in bulk for local bottling. It saves costs by not shipping glass bottles, but I try not to buy such wines because I just don't trust them.

If you want to check the bottles for yourself, and you live in Britain, then nip along to Tesco's with your camera phone, take a snap of yourself holding a bottle of Stormhoek and email it to them, and they'll send you a £5 voucher. Stormhoek are currently discounted at Tesco's (and Waitrose). See www.stormhoek.com for details

"Sensational South Africa" - Tesco

"It's a country where the magnificent scenery is matched by terrific wines", states Tesco in its March Wine Club Magazine.
And which wine is dominating the cover but Beyers Truter's Pinotage. It has a cracking classy label that would grace any table. It's in Tesco's 'Finest' range, and -- since they already stock Beyerskloof standard Pinotage -- I guess this is a relabelled Beyerskloof Reserve. It is priced at £7.99, two pounds more than the standard Beyerskloof.

Graham Nash writes in the magazine "Some would say that a country that first planted vines in the 1650s, and whose wines were favourites of Napoleon and Jane Austen, hardly qualifies as ‘New World’. However, it’s only in the post-apartheid era that South Africa has again begun to make an impression on our palates. As in sports such as rugby and cricket, it’s taken a while to make an impact, but the wines since then have improved beyond recognition.

"Many of the grapes grown are familiar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were the first to become popular, but the fashionable grapes at the moment are Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc. The style of both – as with many South African wines – sits at a very attractive halfway house between the exuberant fruitiness of the New World and the elegance of the Old. There is also some very good Pinot Noir being made, especially in the country’s cooler areas. But the country does have two points of difference, in the shape of Pinotage and Chenin Blanc.

"Pinotage produces wines with lively flavours of wild berry fruit, occasionally spiced up with hints of banana and toasted marshmallows. You’ll find full and light-bodied reds, and surprisingly good rosés, ranging from good value wines to some that are amongst the finest in the country.

W"hatever food you’re planning, you won’t have trouble finding a South African wine to match it. The local cuisine sees the influence of several cultures – European, Indian, African and Indonesian – combined to extremely tasty effect, and the refined yet flavourful wines are excellent accompaniments. And of course there’s the braai, South Africa’s super-sized version of a barbecue. Forget formal dining. Simply charge your glass with Pinotage, gaze up at the starlit sky and enjoy."

I want that classy black label Beyers Truter Pinotage, but sadly it hasn't yet appeared in my local Tesco stores.

Pink for Valentines Day

That day is almost upon us, and as I look out at the heavy snowfall covering everything with white and merging into the freezing fog in the near distance so that it seems I am in a white cocoon my thoughts turn to a warming mouthfilling red Pinotage.

But if you're looking for pink, Pinotage makes a most attractive wine . Award winning Pinotage makers Stormhoek have put a special Big Love cartoon label on their pink Pinotage, and are currently touring UK branches of Tesco promoting it. It is also available in Pick'n'Pay branches in South Africa

Wine Diva Caroline Lowings has chosen Spier Discover Pinotage Rose as her Valentines Pick of the Week; she finds it "a delicious profusion of candy, strawberry and lingering berries."

The last Pinotage Rose I had was Sperling and Sperling Pinotage Rose, made at Delheim Estate by Canadian winemaker Ann Sperling of Malivoire Wines in Ontario together with Victor Sperling of Delheim. It had a delightful rosy colour, natural Pinotage sweetness makes this dry wine very approachable drunk on its own as an aperitif. It is available in Ontario LCBO stores.

Back home, this is my Muller Thurgau vine.....

but I'm smiling because, if they've cleared the runways of snow, I'll be flying to Cape Town tomorrow, and I have a lunch booking at Delheim Estate for Monday where I might just order a bottle of their Pinotage Rose. Because it is going to be hot there!!