August 2010 - South Africa - Wines of the Night!

Tara - 1, Wineo's - 0

And we'll being w/ the winner:

1. Tara's '07 Pinotage received 3.83 stars, had low tones of dark fruits - plum & mulberry. $17.99, 14% alcohol
2. Blair's Shiraz received 3.5 stars and was described as full bodied, with hints of dark berry, cinnamon & spice, and tobacco. $10.00, 14% alc
3. Ricki's Herding Cats blend of 80% Chenin blanc/20% Chard was awarded 3.33 stars. Its nose of green apple and figs also came with drinking instructions: "pour and purrr" . . . . $9.00, 13.5%
4. Kirsten's '08 Pinotage from the western cape had a VERY distinctive flavor and received 2.75 stars. This cinsaut(sp?)/pino noir grape blend was vegetal and given a wine term of "foxy" which can include earthy and gamey flavors and is often used to describe american grapes used to make jam. Cherry and other unripe red fruits created hightones. $14.50
5. Katherine's yummy '08 Chenin Blanc racked up 2.33 stars with an acidic mix of banana and grass. $15.00, 13.5%
6. Laura shared an '09 Cab Sav a bit on the fruity side, receiving 2.33 stars. 14% alc

8/19/10 South African Review:

After an evening in our personal, South African Shangri La (thanks again LA), the ballers and funk nasties of the evening were determined.




The spread:










For those unable to attend on any given week, don't fret! Our clubs will now include rankings for each bottle from one to five stars. One star being the lowest and five being the highest possible ranking. And, in true WC form, we've added our own personal flare to truly eliminate any confusion regarding exactly how we felt about each variety.

1 star: I don't want to finish my glass aka "funk nasty"
2 stars: I'll finish my glass but don't want another (unless I'm at a wedding and it's the only beverage available)
3 stars: I like, and will drink again if under $10
4 stars: Enjoy and will spend $15 or more again
5 stars: "Baller" (somehow this was way funnier at the time ;)

Below is our ranking of highest to lowest bottles from left to right









Detailed descriptions to arrive shortly!

Wines of South Africa: Pre-Session Tips

South Africa's quality growing regions are clustered around Cape Town in what is known as the Coastal Region.  The best Coastal Region subdistricts are Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Constantia.

 The Coastal Region is one of the most beautiful wine regions / places in the world.  

Wine club fieldtrip anyone?  The above photos are from the iconic Buitenverwachting winery in Constantia.

 
GRAPES
South Africa grows all of the major varietals well (esp. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet), but Pinotage is the poster child of South Africa [like Shiraz is to Australia and Zinfandel is to California.]  

PINOTAGE is a cross between two French grapes: Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (San-SEW)
It is a medium- to full-bodied red wine, with a spicy, gamy character.
It does not age particularly well, so look for a recent vintage (2007+)


WINE BUYING TIPS

• a few terms you may need help translating from Afrikaans:
• Hermitage: "Cinsaut" aka "Cinsault"
• cultivar: "varietal" or grape
• Stein: a semi-sweet style of wine that is normally Chenin-based
• semi-soet: "semi-sweet"
• South Africa's appellations (DOCs in Italy, AOC's in France, DOs in Spain) are called Wine of Origin districts (WO.)
• get familiar with your favorite wine importers.  when you find an international wine you like, check the back label for the importer and seek out another of their selections.  the best import companies are very discriminating and take great pride in their selections.  here are two of the best importers of South Africa: Cape Classics and Cape Ventures.