Favourite South African wine?

If you like South African wines, which is your favourite? Unfortunately, I don't think the poll allows for multiple replies, since it is entirely possible to have a favourite white wine, a favourite red and maybe a favourite "other" - dessert, fortified, etc.

My number-one pick is obviously Pinotage, which I consider the true South African red wine. Coming closely afterwards, however, are Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc - though I voted Pinotage. We can qualify our replies through posting.

[Jenise]

Paul, one of your options should have been, "No favorite, because I rarely buy South African wines". I'll bet that's (unfortunately) true of a lot of people. I know I run into them very rarely at other people's houses.

Interesing, Jenise ... I would never have thought of that one because SA wines in general have always been very well represented at the LCBO here in Ontario and at Vintages (the fine-wine boutique division of same). I guess we're luckier for some reason in Ontario?

Paul: I'd guess Canada has good representation of South African wines in part because of the old "Commonwealth Country" connection.

We stock about 40 different South African wines at any given moment. There are always at least two pinotages, at least two blends involving pinotage and/or cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, sometimes merlot. Several chardonnays, several chenin blancs, several sauvignon blancs. And one oddball: A sparkling muscat ($6.99).

I enjoy pinotage if it is made well. Unfortunately, I have found very few that fit the description. Titan, Groot Constantia, and Merkel make good ones (listed in approximate ascending levels of quality). Back when KMV ruled the roost, there was an awful lot of awful pinotage. To this day, if there's a hint of that telltale "band-aid" smell, I'm not interested.

I'm impressed with a lot of SA sauvignon blanc. I'd stack Mulderbosch up against any comparably priced Sancerre.

Ken Forrester makes some nice chenin blanc of the "picnic wine" variety. I haven't run across any top-flight chenin from SA yet. Certainly nothing on a par with Vouvray. But I'm sure somebody here can direct me to some bottles of the good stuff....

[Jenise]

Interesing, Jenise ... I would never have thought of that one because SA wines in general have always been very well represented at the LCBO here in Ontario and at Vintages (the fine-wine boutique division of same). I guess we're luckier for some reason in Ontario?

You're certainly right about Canadian representation, but it's not as true in the U.S. and many other parts of the world. Sure in any major market like New York or Los Angeles you'll see a couple of the major brands, but most outside of the metros probably see, as I do here, a small smattering of low enders and very very few premium selections. I probably have about two mixed cases (off the top of my head: Thelema, Meerlust, Rustenberg, Rust-en-Vrede, Conde, Vergelegen, Overgaauw, Mulderbosch) in my cellar, but of the dozen or so people in my neighborhood who actually cellar wines? I'll bet none have even one bottle.

I voted for Pinotage, although I think they do Chenin Blanc wonderfully, too.

When we were in Stellenbosch, we had an absolutely phenomenal sparkling wine from Pierre Jourdan called Brut Sauvage. Unfortunately, it's not available in the States and I think it's probably too delicate/volatile to ship successfully.

I didn't vote as my favourite SA wine is Hamilton-Russell pinot noir, but in general SA pinot's don't appeal.

Other wines I've enjoyed
- Vin de Constance (Klein Constantia?)
- Allesveloren Tinta Barocca (a real 'full-on' wine)
- Meerlust Rubicon
- Thelema (most of their range)
- Buitenverwachting (gasps for breath ) - Sauv Blanc

plus a few more I can't recall. Tasted most whilst working away from home (in Norwich before I moved here) and eating in a Cape Dutch styled restaurant in town. Michael the owner had all South African wines except for a generic Liebfraumilch and Piesporter (for those in his words "who didn't appreciate wine"). The food was stunning as well.

[Robin Garr]

Paul, one of your options should have been, "No favorite, because I rarely buy South African wines". I'll bet that's (unfortunately) true of a lot of people. I know I run into them very rarely at other people's houses.

I'd like to see a "none" option in any poll of this type, and I pretty much agree, Jenise ... we can get a fair number of South African wines here, but mostly they're the usual suspects. I've had a few over the years that have knocked my socks off - some of the upper-tier Kanonkops and a couple of non-export treasures that Joel and Sally have opened at MoCool. But by and large, especially based on what's available locally, South Africa ranks with Eastern Europe for me: Interesting, worth watching over the years, but at this point still emerging from a troubled era and not really competitive yet.

[Jenise]

I've had a few over the years that have knocked my socks off - some of the upper-tier Kanonkops and a couple of non-export treasures that Joel and Sally have opened at MoCool. But by and large, especially based on what's available locally, South Africa ranks with Eastern Europe for me: Interesting, worth watching over the years, but at this point still emerging from a troubled era and not really competitive yet.

The wines are really deserving of attention, Robin. Because I hang out with a lot of Canadians, I get to taste aged examples of quality South African wines frequently. What always impresses me, too, is how easy they are to pick out at blind tastings--in other words, they have a definitive personality even if it's usually ferreted out by process of elimination. The wines are usually traditional, but with more fruit than a French wine would have and more acid than a California or an Australian.

I enjoy pinotage if it is made well. Unfortunately, I have found very few that fit the description. Titan, Groot Constantia, and Merkel make good ones (listed in approximate ascending levels of quality). Back when KMV ruled the roost, there was an awful lot of awful pinotage. To this day, if there's a hint of that telltale "band-aid" smell, I'm not interested.

I consider myself fairly au fait with Pinotage and yet the name Titan is totally unknown to me; can you give some more info?

Groot Constantia makes some nice pinno and I assume by Merkel you mean Morkel which is the trading name of Bellevue Estate, and a nice family run estate with many good wines.

The days when KWV (not KMV) were in charge were the bad old days and pinno wasn't the only variety mis-used. There has been a sea-change in SA winemaking since then.

I also am not interested in 'band-aid' because that means excessive brett; but that is not a characteristic of the variety.

But by and large, especially based on what's available locally, South Africa ranks with Eastern Europe for me: Interesting, worth watching over the years, but at this point still emerging from a troubled era and not really competitive yet.

The key words here are 'available locally'.

[Robin Garr]

The key words here are 'available locally'.

That would be why I said "based on what's available locally."

Even so, though, with all respect to South Africa and its wines, I wonder how many people who don't either live there or have a significant connection with the region would rate it among the top five (or possibly even the top ten) wine-producing nations.

[James Roscoe]

The key words here are 'available locally'.

That would be why I said "based on what's available locally."

Even so, though, with all respect to South Africa and its wines, I wonder how many people who don't either live there or have a significant connection with the region would rate it among the top five (or possibly even the top ten) wine-producing nations.

Let's see... In no particular order... France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, U.S. Australia, Chile, Argentina.... Nope, not there yet...I have eleven in my top ten. I wonder who gets tossed off the boat?

The key words here are 'available locally'.

That would be why I said "based on what's available locally."

Even so, though, with all respect to South Africa and its wines, I wonder how many people who don't either live there or have a significant connection with the region would rate it among the top five (or possibly even the top ten) wine-producing nations.

Well, I have no idea, because where I am we get a wide range of SA wines and thus the preception is different.

Over here, your equation of SA wines with eastern European wines could be made with California wines and eastern European wines, in that we get the cheapest bulk wines (Blossom Hill et al) but few of the better CA wines and the ones we do see are not competitively priced.

[Jenise]

Let's see... In no particular order... France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, U.S. Australia, Chile, Argentina.... Nope, not there yet...I have eleven in my top ten. I wonder who gets tossed off the boat?

James, on any list I'd configure of favorites, South Africa would be well in front of Australia, Chile and Argentina. Which both admits to their quality and my preferences in general. It's my experience that South Africa's wines are the most European in the Southern Hemisphere.

[James Roscoe]

Fair enough Jenise. You obviously have had a lot more South African wines than I have and are more qualified to judge. From my limited experience, I like the others better. Of course I am more tolerant of the New World style than many here.

The key words here are 'available locally'.

That would be why I said "based on what's available locally."

Even so, though, with all respect to South Africa and its wines, I wonder how many people who don't either live there or have a significant connection with the region would rate it among the top five (or possibly even the top ten) wine-producing nations.

Let's see... In no particular order... France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, U.S. Australia, Chile, Argentina.... Nope, not there yet...I have eleven in my top ten. I wonder who gets tossed off the boat?

Its all pretty meaningless, but looking at my consumption over the past 9 months Germany rates equal with Greece, and well below England and Malta.

My top 10 consumed counttries are SA, France, Italy, Australia, Spain, USA, England, Malta, New Zealand, Argentina.

Malta is only there because I went there, I doubt it will be so high next year. USA covers 4 states, and SA is tops because I spent 5 weeks there with wine a lunch and dinner (as well as tastings alnd I also drink a lot at home

[James Roscoe]

Do we have a wider variety of wines available to us in the US? Especially on the east coast in the megatropolis that stretches from Boston to DC and centers on NYC?

[Jenise]

Fair enough Jenise. You obviously have had a lot more South African wines than I have and are more qualified to judge. From my limited experience, I like the others better. Of course I am more tolerant of the New World style than many here.

Right, and I wasn't correcting you, just offering a different perspective.

[James Roscoe]

Right, and I wasn't correcting you, just offering a different perspective.

I assumed that. I also assumed that you have a much wider experience than I have had. I am still a relative newbie at this.

... South Africa would be well in front of Australia, Chile and Argentina. Which both admits to their quality and my preferences in general. It's my experience that South Africa's wines are the most European in the Southern Hemisphere.

I could have written that word for word. I agree - South African wines have what I call a perfect marriage of warm-climate opulent fruit and Old World minerality. The best Chardonnay I ever tried in my life was an oaked one from Stellenbosch - Zonnebloem winery, to be exact; 1996 vintage. It was beautiful - complex, very complex, with lanolin, beeswax and peaty smoke atop vibrant fruit. It was nothing like the terrible vanilla-candle-wax/confectionary Chardonnays coming out of South America.