The Pinotage Club has been on the web for 20 years, since December 1997.
As the original site said:
The beginnings of The
Pinotage Club date back to early 1997 when the subject of conversation of a
group of business travellers working in Cape Town turned to wine. The group
felt that the South African wine industry was not capitalising on its one
unique asset – Pinotage -- that Pinotage was underrated in its own home, that
diversity of wines was to be encouraged and that Pinotage needed a ‘fan club’.
And so The Pinotage Club came into being. Our first
website carried information known about Pinotage and attempted to list every
Pinotage wine available, with label pictures and reviews.
In retrospect it was an unfortunate choice of a
name since, as later became clear, in the United States wine ‘clubs’ are
commercial organisations selling wines by subscription.
Because many people did not use the web and those
that did mostly used dial-up services with very little bandwidth, a regular
newsletter with extracts from the website was emailed out to all who requested
it. This newsletter was often printed
out to be circulated through wineries and pinned to notice boards. People still
tell me that they miss it.
 |
| Cover of November 2008 Newsletter |
After three years of being a lone voice promoting Pinotage on the web, the
producers Pinotage Association launched an impressive web site at
www.pinotage.co.za. The increasing wealth of detailed information on that
professionally run site, the increasing number of wine brands and the
increasing overhead of maintaining the Pinotage Club’s GeoCities web-site (which was hand coded using HTML on Notepad) led
to the migration in 2006 to this blog format. Here news items of interest to
Pinotage lovers could be quickly published.
Our fourth newsletter, in 1998, quoted wine-writer Tom Stevenson who “felt all
the fuss about Pinotage was a waste of time” and that “if it were a worthwhile
grape it would be grown in abundance around the world but it still remains an
exclusively South African wine.”
We agreed it is a valid observation that, for the
variety to be considered successful, it must surely be adopted by other
countries.
We soon found that Stevenson was wrong in saying it was exclusive to
South Africa since Pinotage wine was
being made in New Zealand where it had been grown since the 1960s. And
Zimbabwe’s two wineries both made Pinotage. Further spread of the variety had
been halted by international sanctions against South Africa during apartheid
years, although some cuttings had managed to travel in visitors’ suitcases.
The Pinotage Club has since researched and visited Pinotage vineyards around
the world. We broke news of Pinotage in several US states, two Canadian
provinces, Australia, Brazil, Cyprus,
Germany and Israel,
In 2001 at the first International Pinotage tasting, which was held in the Cape, local winemakers who tasted ‘blind’ were stunned when Babich
Winemaker’s Reserve 1999 Pinotage from New Zealand was revealed as the
favourite.
I conducted another International Pinotage tasting
in 2014 in Toronto for the South African Wine Society of 13 Pinotages from five
countries plus three US states.
And if Pinotage no longer “remains an exclusively South African wine,” what of
South African Pinotage?
There is no doubt that there is better Pinotage now
being made in the Cape. Much of the thanks for this must go to The Pinotage
Association for its research into factors affecting growing and vinifying
Pinotage. Now there are a generation of wine drinkers for whom Pinotage is just
another variety, without any of the negative connections felt by many older
drinkers.
It is interesting to see how versatile Pinotage is; pink Pinotages assuaged the
recent increase in popularity for rosé wines. Co-fermentation with Viognier was pioneered by Fairview, Laborie Estate
brought out dessert Pinotage fortified with Pinotage brandy, Sylvanvale
released an Amarone style wine made from grape bunches dried on the vine,
Graham Beck made the first Methode Champenoise red Pinotage and Simonsig had
great success with their Methode Champenoise pink Pinotage. California’s Loma
Prieta launched the world’s first Blanc de Noir white sparkling Pinotage in
2016. Diemersfontein created a cult with their coffee and chocolate Pinotage
and Stormhoek and Froze created pinks meant to be served over ice. And an ice-wine, made from Pinotage grapes frozen on the vine, was made by Canadian winery Stoneboat.
Year after year more wineries compete in the annual Pinotage Top 10 Competition
with Kanonkop Estate currently holding the record for the most wins, with
twelve, and several wineries are snapping at its heels.
We started the Pinotage Club as it seemed possible that the variety could
vanish. Now the future seems bright.
In the 2006 Platter Guide said Pinotage was planted
in 2.7% of South African vineyards. The 2017 Guide shows its share as 7.47%. And
there are now Pinotage vineyards in countries around the world that didn’t have
any in 1997.
Here’s to the next 10 years.
 |
| Peter May at the2017 Launch of Le Vin de Prancois |
Cheers!!
Peter F May
The Pinotage Club
Highlights from the past 20 years
1997
– Pinotage Club formed, website goes live December.
- First Pinotage Top 10 Competition held; there were 34 entries.
1998
– Pinotage
Club described as ‘Passionate about Pinotage’ by the South African newspaper
The Dispatch.
- First California Pinotage confirmed and bottle obtained. Pinotage confirmed
in New Zealand
1999
– First sparkling
red Pinotage made by Graham Beck.
- Newsletter publishes several Pinotage recipes, including Warwick Estates
Pinotage Ice-Cream.
2000
– Severe
fires in the Cape hit several vineyards.
- Warwick releases Three Cape Ladies Cape Blend an “intrinsic Cape statement of
a trio of varietals which together express the Capeness of South African red
wine”.
- New Zealand doubles Pinotage production.
2001
– Pinotage
confirmed in Brazil and Virginia.
- International Pinotage blind tasting held in the Cape with four SA wines and
6 from New Zealand, California, Brazil and Zimbabwe. NZ wins.
- Pinotage tasting in Toronto presented by Pinotage Club’s Peter May
- Pinotage Association launch website
2002
– Pinotage Club presents five Pinotage tastings in
London and Glasgow - 2000 & 2001 Pinotage Top 10, Kanonkop vertical,
International Pinotage and ‘Back to Back’ - Pinotages from cousins Michael
(Backsberg) Back & Charles (Fairview/Spice Route) Back.
2003
– More
Pinotage tastings in Cape Town (with WineCellar) and London.
- Pinotage planted in India.
- Pinotage Club guest hosts a Pinotage 101 at www.wldg.com.
- Descriptions for Pinotage Aroma wheel requested.
- Wilderer’s Distillery makes Pinotage Grappa.
- Pinotage discovered in New York State.
- Pinotage Club trains staff at London’s Vinopolis wine experience with a
tasting of different Pinotage styles.
2004
– Pinotage
Club held Pinotage Top 10 from 2002 tasting in London.
- Bellevue Estate held a 50th birthday party for their Pinotage vineyards.
Pinotage planted in Ontario.
- Barkan Winery invites critics to a tasting where they unveil Israel’s first
Pinotage.
- Delheim co-operate with a Canadian winemaker to make a pink Pinotage.
- SA WINE magazine drops its annual Pinotage Champion competition.
- Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2001, containing 40% Pinotage, wins International
Trophy for the Best Red Blend in the 2004 International Wine and Spirit
Competition (IWSC).
- Peter May made honorary member of Pinotage Association and judges at the
Pinotage Top 10 Competition
- Pinotage aroma wheel released, designed by Dr Johann Marais for the Pinotage
Association.
2005
- ‘California
Wine and Food Magazine’ reports local Pinotage is “clearly superior” after
tasting 12 California Pinotages from 10 wineries along with 7 from South Africa
and 3 from New Zealand.
- Peter May judges at Pinotage Top 10
2006
– Stables
release the first South African Pinotage from outside the Cape ; it comes from
the new KwaZulu-Natal Wine of Origin region.
- Pinotage Club moves website to a blog format. First entry shows Pinotage Club’s
Peter May harvesting Ontario’s first Pinotage vintage.
2007
–
Beyerskloof produce a million bottles of their standard Pinotage, open new
restaurant and wine tasting cellar, and toast it with their new sparkling pink
Pinotage.
-Three Virginia wineries release their first Pinotage varietals
- Meerendal take advantage of change in Wine Of Origin system to register a
single vineyard block Pinotage- ‘The Heritage Block’ - planted in 1955
- WineLibraryTV.com’s Gary Vaynerchuck raves about Kanonkop Pinotage
- Pinotage confirmed in Cyprus
2008
- Warwick plants another 6 hectares in “the world’s
most advanced Pinotage vineyard.”
- Guy Webber makes a ‘South African-ism’ at
Stellenzich – Pinotage co-fermented with 13% Chenin Blanc.”
- Beyers Truter first to have two wins in Pinotage
Top 10, for Reserve 2006 and Diesel 2006
- International Wine & Spirit Competition awards Pinotage Trophy to Tesco Finest
‘Beyers Truter’ Pinotage 2006.
- UK’s Wine Society introduces own-label Pinotage
made by Bon Cap Organic
- François Naudé launches his own wine, Le Vin de
Françoise, with 2007 vintage, sold in one night by auction.
- Melrose Vineyards release Oregon’s first varietal
Pinotage, with their 2006 vintage
 |
| Cover of PINOTAGE book |
2009
- 350th
anniversary of the first Cape wine: and 50th anniversary of the vintage of the
first commercial Pinotage varietal wine, grown and made by PK Morkel of Bellevue and
marketed by Stellenbosch Farmer's Winery under their Lanzerac brand name.
- Peter May presents eight Pinotages to 60 members
of Brentwood Wine Appreciation Society, in Brentwood, Essex, near London on a
theme of ‘firsts’.
- Kaapzicht Estate Steytler Pinotage 2006 wins both
South African Red Single Varietal over £10 Trophy and the International Trophy
for Red Single Varietal over £10 at the Decanter Wine Awards
- Peter May’s book PINOTAGE: Behind the Legends of South Africa's Own Wine is published
-Stoneboat Vineyards 2007 Pinotage wins Lieutenant
Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines
- Wine Spectator’s James Laube tastes California’s
J Vineyards Pinotage 2007 and says “It’s
a wonderful wine. If you like Pinot but have never experienced a Pinotage, you
owe it to yourself to try one.”
- Kanonkop announce their Kadette Rosé Pinotage
2010
- Kanonkops release their first barrel selection
Black Label Pinotage . Only 1,000 bottles of the maiden 2006 vintage are
available, at a record 1,000 Rand per bottle.
- Cougar Vineyards release first Pinotage grown and
made in California’s Temecula Valley, south of Los Angeles.
- North
America’s first rosé Pinotage is released by Canada’s The View Winery in
Okanagan Valley, BC
- Barkan Winery in Israel holds a vertical tasting
of Pinotage from 2001to 2008
- California’s Loma Prieta Winery launch a Pinotage wine club, the first in North
America to focus solely on Pinotage, members receive regular Pinotage deliveries.
- Kindle eBook version of Peter F May’s book PINOTAGE:
Behind the
Legends of South Africa's Own Wine released
on Amazon.
2011
- First Vintage for The Perold Vineyard, planted in
October 2008
- Visit to
Bosman Family Vineyard and their Lelienfontein vine nursery
- In Carte
Blanche, Jeffrey Deaver’s James Bond novel, Bond chooses Warwick’s ‘Three Cape
Ladies’ Cape Blend for a seduction
- Neal Martin says of a ’61 Pinotage “it
completely blew me away. It was as exciting as any extremely expensive wine
I’ve had because it completely changed my perception and opened my mind.”
- Tasting withPaul Kemp, owner of Loma Prieta
Winery in California, America’s largest Pinotage producer.
- Visiting Fort Ross Vineyards, Russian River,
California.
- Presenting Pinotage tasting to the annual National
Conference of the American Wine Society in Portland, Oregon
2013
- Pinotage is approved for
wine production in France by L’Institut
Français de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV).
- Pinotage Association members visit Loma Prieta
winery in California.
- Oz Clarke states “Pinotage is needed and it is
something to have pride in.”
- Kanonkop launch varietal red Kadette Pinotage
with the 2012 vintage.
- World’s
first Pinotage Icewine is made
by Canada’s Stoneboat Vineyards.
- Launch of Beeslaar Pinotage by Abrie
Beeslaar, winemaker Kanonkop Estate with 4700 bottles of a single vineyard 2012
Pinotage.
2014
- Beyers Truter produces Pinotage infused
beer.
- Wosa host London tasting of Pinotages,
including 1966 Lanzerac.
- Pinotage is
produced in Michigan, USA by 3 North Vines estate.
- Peter May presents International Pinotage
tasting in Toronto with wine from 5 countries and 3 US states.
- Dorst & Bietighöfer produce Germany’s
first Pinotage
- First International Pinotage Day on 11
October 2014
- KWV produce no-sulphite-added Earth’s
Essence Pinotage by fermenting with Rooibois and Honeybush woods.
-Capacity audience for Peter May’s Pinotage tasting at American Wine Society National Conference in
Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina.
- Loma Prieta ‘Bodo’s Blend’ Pinotage wins Best Red
wine at American Wine Society awards.
- Visit New Zealand’s Ake Ake winery to see new
Pinotage vineyard being planted
- New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay winery Te Awa pull up
Pinotage vineyard after 13 vintages
2015
- Figures show 16% increase in the amount of
Pinotage crushed in California, now 400% more than crushed in 1997.
-Kanonkop wins three Trophies at IWSC, Pinotage,
South African Winery and Winemaker of Year.
2016
- Angola’s first Pinotage is harvested at Quinta
Crescent estate.
- California’s Loma Prieta winery produces world’s
first 100% white sparkling wine from black Pinotage grapes.
- Jerome Winery has Arizona’s first Pinotage
vineyard.
- South
Africa’s Pinotage plantings increased by 13.41% over decade ended 31
December 2015.
- Three
Ships 15 Year Old Pinotage Cask Finish, matured in un-rinsed Pinotage casks, a world
first, is released.
- Beyers
Truter presents Pinotage masterclass at La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux.
- Visit to Oak Mountain winery in Temecula
Valley, California and their new Pinotage vineyard.
2017
- Decanter
Magazine elects Kanonkop Estate Pinotage
1995 to its Hall of Fame.
- Pinotage vinegar is producd by Supreme
Vinegar LLC in Pennsylvania.
- At the launch of 2015 vintage of François Naudé's Vin de
François
- Kanonkop installs robots to punch down cap
on Kadette wines
- Peter May presents Prestige Pinotage tastings
in City of London, Ealing and Toronto
- South African Post Office releases wine stanps; one pictures the first varietal Pinotage.
- Visiting Ontario’s Del-Gatto Estate.
- Bellevue release single vineyard Pinotage
from their 1953 vineyard.
Kanonkop’s winemaker Abrie Beeslaar wins an
unprecedented third Winemaker of Year award at IWSC, and Kanonkop again win South
African Wine Producer of the year and Black Label 2013 wines Pinotage Trophy.
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