The Perfect Marriage

Cape Town Select
Pinotage
13.5% alcohol
$9.00
2005

Part of the charm of wine is in the local color. In "winese" the correct term is terroir. It refers to the small variations in climate, or in soil content that can affect the final overall experience. Because some vines perform better in certain areas, grapes have become almost synonymous with certain regions. Think of Pinot Noir and you immediately think of Burgundy, or maybe Oregon. Think of Sangiovese and the hills of Tuscany spring to mind. Or equally Zinfandel and California. By the same token, "Pinotage" should always be mentioned in the same breath as South Africa.  This grape variety was actually developed in in South Africa by Abraham Izak Perold in 1925. Mr. Perold was looking to get the best qualities from the Cinsault grape (known as Hermitage in South Africa) and marry them to the best qualites of the Pinot Noir grape. He called the resulting cross bred variety Pinotage. (For those of you out there who are interested in a little trivia; a cross is made from two plants of the same species, whereas a hybrid is a cultivar from two different species.) Although there is a little Pinotage grown in New Zealand and the U.S., almost all is to be found in South Africa. As a matter of fact, any wine that is called a Cape Blend, must contain between 30-70% Pinotage.

For those of you out there who have never tried a Pinotage, then Cape Town Select is a wonderful place to start. The color is a beautiful deep rose. And the smell is fruity and smoky with hints of black pepper. Take a look at the ViniCode™. The wine was very dry and a little on the edgy side. It would be a great complement to many foods, cutting through grilled meats and creamy cheeses. The oakiness in the wine can best be described as smoky, not the usual burnt sugar or vanilla that can overwhelm lesser wines. It made us think that the winemaker had used barrels that have been very lightly charred. It added a definite richness to the wine. But the star of this glass was the fruit, big dark fruits like plums and berries. But don't think fruity and boring. The wine was nicely complex and interesting. Overall we really liked this wine and would certainly buy it again! For more information on this wine please check out their website here.