Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Thursday Edition of the Thursday’s Edition of the Carpe Vinum Newsletter of Extreme Importance and Announcement of the Tasting That Immediately Follows Such an Announcement . . . immediately being in a day, or so. And in that day’s time, we will be visiting a place I’ve not been for quite some time. (Both “visiting” and “been” used figuratively and poetically.) We’re going to South Africa! It’s been quite some time since I’ve had one of these tastings, and having been reminded recently of the quality that is being produced down there, I figured it’s high time we get to it. So let’s get to it!

So the South African wine industry is one of the oldest in the New World. Jan van Riebeeck, a settler to the area in the mid-1600s, was charged with the task of planting vineyards, as well as other crops. These crops were for the local market as a way to help stave off scurvy for the sailors of ships on the spice route and the Dutch East India Company. This Riebeeck fellow was a surgeon, not viticulturist. (Dammit, Jim! I’m a doctor, not a vintner!) The wine was reportedly awful.

After Riebeeck made his awful wine, a governor in the area, Simon van der Stel took over, most likely saying, “Uh, yeah. Thanks for everything Jan, but we’ll take it from here.” Other vineyards were planted, but these were Dutch settlers. And apparently the Dutch didn’t really know anything about growing vines or making wine. Thankfully there were boatloads (literally) of French Protestant Huguenots arriving to South Africa, fleeing persecution in Europe. But think about it. They’re French. The wine connection is obvious. So the South African winemaking skills took a great leap forward at that point.

Actually, wine as we know it from South Africa really is a relatively new thing. Of course, 350 years and quite a few technological advances later, things are much better now. That’s granted. The main difficulties since then being the relative confusion of political instability and unstable contact with Europe and the rest of the world, at least from a commercial perspective. The South African wine movement really started about 20 years ago, and anti-apartheid sanctions against the country ended just 15 years ago, or so. Now the wines of the country now have a place in international markets, and this has brought on a new renaissance in the South African winemaking in experimentations with barrel aging and European varietals.

Speaking of varietals, I find South African wine one of the most interesting places in the world simply because of the unique varietals that are found there. Well, not so much unique varietals themselves, but just which varietals seems to be the flagship grapes. White wines account for a vast majority of grapes grown, although it’s unclear how much of that is for the express purpose of winemaking. (South Africa is also the top world producer of concentrated grape juice and, I believe an important producer of brandy.) Of those white wines, there is one that resounds above all the rest. That is the Chenin Blanc, a grape found in the French Loire, especially known in Vouvray. Chenin Blanc is really grown worldwide, as it is a hardy variety, produces well, and is very versatile.

As for red grapes, the unique flagship grape of the region is a grape that is seldom, if ever, seen anywhere else. This is the Pinotage, a grape engineered from the Pinot Noir and the Cinsault. Pinotage, when done well, can produce a very easy-drinking and sturdy wine, and definitely is unique. All things considered, though, the Pinotage represents a pretty small percentage of the total production in South Africa. Other reds they are known quite well for include the quintessential Shiraz, which takes on a whole different character and attitude in the region, and the Cabernet Sauvignon, quickly becoming one of the world’s most notable producers of the grape.

So for tomorrow I’ve pieced together a cross-section of what they do best in South Africa. There is the Pinotage, a South African essential, as well as a Cabernet, and a Shiraz. There are three red blends, another slice of the wine market for which South Africa is known. Also, I found an oddity, and y’all know how I love the oddities. I found a Mourvedre made by Spice Route. This is a grape from the French south, important in Bandol in Provence and often used in blending of Rhone-style wines. I’m always intrigued when it’s seen as a single-varietal wine, and especially so from a region where you don’t expect it. Is it good? Well, we’ll just have to see, now, won’t we?

So Friday, November 9th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

South Africa!!!
Spice Route 2005 Mourvedre, Swartland
Capaia 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Coastal Region
Darling Cellars 2003 Onyx Shiraz, Groenkloof
Bilton 2005 Matt Black (Merlot, Shiraz, Cab. Sauv., Petit Verdot), Stellenbosch
Glen Carlou 2003 Grand Classique (Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Cab. Franc,, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Paarl

More South Africa!!!
Meerlust 2001 Rubicon (Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Cab. Franc), Stellenbosch
Wildekranz 2003 Pinotage Barrel Selection, Walker Bay

And Just a Little White on the Side!!!
Ken Forrester 2005 Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours. $2 for that extra white wine.

Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Primer!

M