Taste Pinotage with Kanonkop's Johann Krige

If you are in South Africa you'll want to know that WINE magazine is organising tastings of top Pinotages on 6 June in Cape Town and 14 June in Johannesburg.

Johann Krige, owner of Kanonkop Estate, will lead the tastings. Tickets are R100 a head. Bookings can be made by emailing smart@rsp.co.za faxing 0866 704 101, or telephoning 0860 100 203.

Wines to be poured are

FOUR AND A HALF STARS
Kanonkop 2004

FOUR STARS
Allée Bleue 2005
Compagnies Wijn 2005
Deetlefs Oak Matured 2005
Groot Constantia 2005
Hidden Valley 2004
Pulpit Rock Brink Family 2005
Simonsig Redhill 2005
Southern Right 2005

THREE AND A HALF STARS
Ashbourne 2005


Location details are

CAPE TOWN
Date: Wednesday, 06 June 2007
Time: 18H30
Venue: Mount Nelson Hotel, Gardens


JOHANNESBURG
Date: Thursday, 14 June 2007
Time: 18H30
Venue: Park Hyatt Hotel, Rosebank

There are some cracking wines to be tasted.

WINE to revive Pinotage Champion Competition?

Back in 2004 South Africa's WINE magazine abruptly "did away" with its annual Pinotage Champion competition on the thinking that "the real opportunity for Pinotage was not as an ultra-premium wine for the connoisseur but as an everyday wine for the people" (quotes from WINE Deputy Editor Christian Eedes)

But are WINE now about to revive the competition?

In the latest issue (May 07), it is noticeable that the magazine twice makes a point of stating that the competition was only 'suspended'.

Editor Fiona McDonald, in an editorial entitled 'All is Forgiven', writes "I am excited by Pinotage nowadays - and I know my colleagues are too. In the past six weeks or so the most exciting wines I have tasted have been Pinotage or Pinotage-based in a variety of styles and from a range of producers. From young fresh and fruity wines, to serious wooded ones, fantastically refreshing Rose and also wonderful MCC sparkling wines which is 80% Pinotage."

And Christian Eedes does an about turn when he writes that "Pinotage may still be South Africa's trump card."

Kanonkop 2004 is given 4.5 stars in the tasting while 8 other Pinotages are awarded 4 stars.

From those of us who kept the faith -- welcome back :)