Pinotage at AWS 2012 Conference

Just a month to go and I’m preparing my Pinotage presentation for the 2012 National Conference of the American Wine Society in Portland, Oregon on 9 November.

I’ve only a short time for the seminar and I want to use it to give the facts and demolish some myths. 

But the really important thing is to let people taste good Pinotage for themselves. There’s no point in just telling people how it tastes because that’s not going to change any pre-conceptions: the evidence will be in their glasses.

I am grateful to the following  South Africa, California and Virginia wineries for generously supplying wines for event.

• Beyerskloof   ‘Diesel’ 2009
• Fairview 2010
• Fort Ross ‘Estate’ 2007 (California)
• Loma Prieta ‘Amorosa Vineyard’ 2010 (California)
• Lovingston ‘Gilberts Vineyard’ 2011 (Virginia)
• Silkbush  ‘Lions Drift’ 2009
• Simonsig 2009
• Simonsig ‘Redhill’ 2009

Shortly after booking opened I heard from AWS there were 66 Update - Latest figures show 77 people booked for the seminar at that time but maximum capacity is 90.

There is an amazing breadth of wines to taste and I doubt such a line up has ever happened before

If you can, I hope to see you there.

(this post updated on 19 Oct 2012)

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20% off All My Books

Until 5 October there is an additional 20% off all my books at Lulu.com. Use the Coupon Code PLUMA in uppercase at checkout. 

As  the hardback edition of A I Perolds A Treatise on Viticulture is discountedby 20%, this additional 20% discount brings the price of this 712 page book down to £22.40 and the paperback version to £18, both much cheaper than Amazon.

Also discounted are PINOTAGE: Behind the Legends of South Africa's Own Wine and A Year in Paarl with A I Perold - Vine and Wine Experiments 1916

So that's your Christmas presents sorted :)

£65 Pinotage is 'too perfect'

Bruce Jack of Flagstone Wines has made a new Pinotage exclusively for Direct Wines who operate various wine clubs in the UK, USA, Australia and Hong Kong.

The single vineyard 2010 Pinotage is called ‘Time Manner Place’; there are just 1,500 bottles and it will be priced at £65. (870 ZAR/105 USD)

Jack told The Drinks Business “My aim is to make the best wine in the world from Pinotage. This won’t be a wine we produce every year, only in years we deem good enough.”

The grapes are grown by Anton Roos, (pictured above)  at Silkbush Vineyards in the Breede River, from where Flagstone’s ‘The Writers Block’ Pinotage is also sourced.

This wine is, I understand, basically a barrel selection from Writers Block.

 UK journalist and Pinotage sceptic Jamie Goode tasted a sample and said (in part)

Wild, herby, meaty notes lurk in the background. This isn’t just about sweet fruit: there’s also a strongly savoury, mineral dimension here. A serious effort, but it will need considerable time to come round. 92-94/100.

 

It is one of a series of good Pinotages he’s recently tasted that has caused him to rethink the variety of which he writes “I’m now changing my mind about”.

 

But South African journalist Christian Eedes thought

It’s an extremely compelling vision of what Pinotage can be but I wonder if it isn’t a little too perfect.

We’ve come a long way in a short time for a Pinotage to be criticised for being ‘too perfect’.

Can't wait to taste it - though, according to Jamie, perhaps I should.

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Pinotages Pioneer Ethical Seal

Pinotages from Durbanville Hills, Robertson Winery and Tukulu will be among the first to bear a new seal guaranteeing the wine was produced ethically.

 The seal is awarded to individual wines, rather than the winery. Wines of South Africa CEO, Su Birch, explains “As compliance has to be fully traceable across the entire production chain, every wine submitted has to be individually audited.”

The wines are

Durbanville Hills ‘Rhinofields’ Pinotage 2011

Robertson Winery Pinotage 2011

Tukulu Pinotage 2010

 

“They are the trailblazers who are setting an important precedent for the industry in its efforts to fast-track the implementation of fair labour practices on wine farms and in cellars” says Su Birch.

The new ethical seal testifies that producers have adhered to the WIETA code which is based on the International Labour Conventions’ Ethical Trading Initiative and South African labour legislation. This code prohibits the use of child labour, and ensures that employment is freely chosen with all employees working within a healthy and safe environment.  The code also states that workers should have the right to freedom of association, a living wage and to be protected from unfair discrimination. Worker housing and tenure security rights should also be respected.  

 

 

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Decanter's Top Red Varietal is Pinotage

Last night Decanter magazine announced the International Trophy Winners of the Decanter World Wine Awards competition.

Trophy for Red Single Varietal over £10 was awarded to Bellingham 'The Bernard Series', Bush Vine Pinotage 2010.

The judges comments were:

Pepper, fynbos aromas with a violet and cocoa whiff. Pure dark cherry and plum with good ripeness, slightly herby and meaty on a concentrated inky character. Gorgeous wine - keeps on giving .

The Wine of Origin is Coastal as the grapes came from two vineyards, one in Bottelary, Stellenbosch  and the other in Darling, Swartland.

“In many ways, these two distinct vineyards offer glimpses into the parentage of Pinotage, with the grapes from Darling showing almost Cinsaut biased characters whilst the Bottelary vineyards have a Pinot Noir edge,” says winemaker Niël Groenwald. “The soils are predominantly weathered granite and Malmesbury shale, with the youngest vines being 20 years old. This combination in relation to the two climates afforded low yields, excellent concentration and amazing character in the 2010 vintage.” 

Congratulations to Niël and his team and all at Bellingham. 

It is great to see Pinotage win against the best red wines of the world!

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Pinotage Top 10 Winners - 2012

Announced yesterday at Webersburg Wine Estate are this years winners of the Pinotage Association ABSA Top 10 Competition

•  Altydgedacht 2011
•  Diemersdal 2011 
•  Durbanville Hills 'Rhinofields' 2011
•  Painted Wolf  'Guillermo' 2009
•  Rijks 2008
•  Simonsig 'Redhill' 2010
•  Spier '21 Gables' 2010
•  Swartland 'Bush Vines' 2010
•  Wellington Wines 'La Cave' 2010
•  Windmeul 'Reserve' 2011

Nice to see some first time winners in among the repeat winners and regulars.   

Congratulations to them all.


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Kanonkop in China

Here's a nice video interview with Kanonkop owner Johann Krige while he's visiting a stockist in Hong Kong.

See  here

Johann has said in the past that Pinotage is popular there because it pairs so well with the local food.

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Loma Prieta Finds Gold

In times gone past they headed to California to dig for gold. Now it’s their wines that are finding gold. Loma Prieta winery’s gold rush is led by its Pinotage. The medal count for the 2010 Pinotage so far this year is eleven Golds, and it also won Best of Class Red Vinifera Varietal for the second year running at the Indy International Wine Competition.

 

Pinotage grapes growing in the Estate vineyard

 

The winning 2010 Pinotage, as with their previous vintages, comes from the Amorosa Vineyard in Lodi, but owner Paul Kemp’s future plans include releasing four separate single vineyard Pinotages. This year he is bottling his first Estate wine from his own vineyard, as well as from the Amorosa Vineyard in Lodi, and  he’s also made wines from grapes grown in Karma Vineyard, Lodi and Sierra Ridge, Amador County.

 

My notes on the Loma Prieta 2010 Pinotage Amorosa Vineyard noted blueberry and cherry flavours, there’s a good fruit acidity which makes the wine very moreish, some tannins and, after the bottle has been open some time I started to notice an underlying soft coffee accent developing. It’s a delightful wine now and I think it will only get better.


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POT in Jo'Burg

Diemersfontein's popular Pinotage on Tap comes to Jo'burg on 15 September. Details here


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More Pinotage planted in Virginia

New winery Grace Vineyards, located in White Hall, Virginia, has just planted an acre of Pinotage. It previously operated as Mount Juliet Vineyards producing grapes for other wineries from its 53 acres. Now under new owner John Grace, Grace Vineyards is opening in April 2013 and will be producing its own wines. .

Pinotage Top 10 - The 20 Finalists

The Top 10 are due to be announced at the end of this month.

They'll be chosen from the following finalists..

Altydgedacht Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Beaumont Pinotage 2010 (Bot River)
Delheim Pinotage 2011 (Stellenbosch)
Diemersdal Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Durbanville Hills Rhinofields Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Fairview Pinotage 2011 (Coastal Region)
KWV Cathedral Cellar Pinotage 2009 (Western Cape)
Mount Vernon Three Peaks Pinotage 2011 (Paarl Simonsberg)
Painted Wolf Guillermo Pinotage 2009 (Swartland)
Painted Wolf The Den Pinotage 2010 (Coastal Region)
Riebeek Cellars Reserve Pinotage 2011 (Swartland)
Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2008 (Tulbagh)
Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2008 (Tulbagh)
Simonsig Red Hill Pinotage 2010 (Stellenbosch)
Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2010 (Stellenbosch)
Springfontein Jonathan’s Ridge Pinotage 2009 (Walker Bay)
Swartland Winery Bush Vine Pinotage 2010 (Swartland)
Tukulu Pinotage 2009 (Darling)
Wellington Wines La Cave Pinotage 2010 (Wellington)
Windmeul Reserve Pinotage 2011 (Paarl)

 

Interesting selection of newcomers and old reliables. Mount Vernon is a name new to me. According to Platter they're a small producer with just 1,000 cases and their Pinotage has 'coffee notes' which is a flavour the Top 10 judges have previously steered clear of.

 

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Pinotage in Ohio

There’s Pinotage in Ohio, but currently only as an ongoing trial started in 2008 by Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Centre who are trying to find suitable wine grape varieties that can survive and thrive in Ohio’s climate.

This a partly driven because there are now not enough Ohio grown grapes to meet demand from new wineries in the state.

Professor Imed Dami told the Pinotage Club that they’re

“still early in having a complete picture about how Pinotage performs in Ohio.

I like its growth habit and it seems to carry a heavy crop load. Bud injury from winter was not bad for a vinifera. However, it is notorious for crown gall. So its success would depend on winter survival and obtaining crown-gall free stocks. This variety has potential.”

Professor Dami, who is a state viticulture specialist with OSU Extension, added 

“we're also evaluating the effect of region (terroir) to see whether it is more suitable in southern Ohio.”

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Queensland, Oz has Pinotage

 Ravenscroft Wines is owned by Mark Ravenscroft who currently has about 450 Pinotage vines on a 0.7 acre plot. Marks says  

“Progress on the Pinotage front has been a bit slow as I have had hail the last two Octobers. So limited quantities made - only getting about 800 kg and about 600-700 bottles. The wine at the moment shows Pinot characters, although with a bit more spice – a bit like Tempranillo.

I am the only one growing it in Queensland and did so for the uniqueness and my heritage, of course.”

Mark comes from South Africa and studied winemaking at Elsenberg in Stellenbosch where he qualified in 1988. After travelling the world’s wine regions he spent a couple of years as winemaker at Onverwacht Wine Estate in the Western Cape. He emigrated to Australia in 1992 where he worked as winemaker at several estates before buying his own property in 2004. 

Mark planted his first Pinotage in 2007 with an initial Pinotage vintage in 2009. 

Marks says

“The wine has been made in the press using a commercial yeast- using it as a roto fermenter - no special tricks. As soon as I progress to a ton I will start cold soaking etc.

I still think the style at the moment is not finalised. My Pinotage retails for $35 and sells well through my cellardoor.”

 
See also http://www.pinotage.org/2011/12/australia-joins-pinotage-family.html

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Pinotage found in Europe!

There’s Pinotage in Europe! It is at Venthône, near the town of Sierre. It’s grown and made by Simon Favre, owner of Cave d’Anchettes in the Valais wine region.

Simon’s father-in-law had brought Pinotage back from a trip to South Africa and intrigued, Simon planted fifteen vines in 1982 and has been multiplying them every since. They are planted over several of Simon’s vineyards located at different altitudes.

Alex Rychlewski was given a bottle of the 2007 Pinotage some time ago when he visited the region. Alex, an American living and working on Bordeaux for more than thirty years, said

I suspected that the wine would gain nothing from further ageing. The color certainly implied as much. It was diffuse with a brown rim. The nose was sweet and very Pinot-like and the wine was smooth, sweet once again (not literally!), and on the short side. A fun wine to enjoy with a grilled slice of lamb on a Wednesday afternoon.

This is the first and only confirmed sighting of Pinotage in the old world, but if its been growing in Switzerland for thirty years unknown to us I wonder if there are there other plantings to find.

Many thanks to Alex Rychlewski for his tasting note and label photo.

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