South – Enjoy Red Wine

A White Wine Drenched Tour Along The Red Path of Paarl, South Africa

Lateesha — Sun, 30 May 2021 11:11:00 +0000

A Glass Of Wine Drenched Scenic Tour Along The Red Course of Paarl, South Africa

The white wine custom in Paarl is older than the origins of the aging Oak Trees that line its Cape Dutch roads. The very first European inhabitants showed up at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652, planting the seeds that strengthened the Cape’s credibility as a wine expanding heaven.
Since the work has actually currently been done, what else can you and also I do but indulge in the fragile fruits pressed with decades of wine making experience as well as travel the freshly formed courses leading us to the finest wines on the planet.
Neglect the greatness of the Drakensberg Mountains, attempt to overlook the historic monoliths perched loftily upon pearly hillsides, the type of white wine tasting to be done in Paarl will certainly call for every ounce of your concentration.
Since we recognize what we are going to be doing in Paarl, apart from taking pleasure in the landscapes, allow’s make a trip into the winelands, delving right into existing day wine making neighborhoods, revealing their intriguing characteristics and mapping those dynamic glass of wines to retreats so commonly missed out on by the multitude.
In the process, if we’re lucky, we might make the associate of a genuine Garagiste, a course of heretic garage wine makers steered clear of in France by the old school traditionalists as a result of the stir their individually crafted white wines develop. There may be a tip in the process regarding where we could find among those that make these “Vins de Garage”. The mixture of Paarl’s best climate as well as their special skills makes certain to be extremely gratifying.
We start our trip at the entrance of the Hugenot Passage, the breach to the longest white wine route in the world, also referred to as Course 62. But we go no better; what we are primarily concerned with is the well known Red Route … The Red Route The Red Path, as you can imagine, is called due to the huge quantity and also quality of merlots along its relaxing meander. It was developed by a cooperation of a glass of wine manufacturers known as the Paarl Vintners (A Glass Of Wine Vendors). The Vintners vigilantly plotted a wine route for an approximated 24 individuals, all found within the Paarl Valley. One or 2 of these consist of the De Zoete Inval Estate possessed by the Frater family, who have actually been making a glass of wine here for greater than 115 years. The Rhebokskloof Estate has actually additionally been producing white wine given that 1692. Regrettably, the red wine from that very early period has actually currently been consumed.
The Red Route is without inquiry a collection of the most popular red wine producers in the globe. Any effort made in locating them would not in any kind of method be an aggravation to your preference buds. The Red Path’s Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Shiraz are certainly the very best in the world.
Fairview
Not strictly a red wine course, the Red Course is additionally, by happy coincidence, a cheese course. Which brings us to our next stop along our journey – Fairview.
Fairview is South Africa’s biggest producer of speciality cheeses. For over 25 years, milk goats have actually provided milk for a variety of cheeses varying from Jacket Milk, Brie and also Camembert to a wide array of Italian and also French-style cheeses.
If nevertheless that is insufficient of a motivation to visit Fairview, a little historic run-through ought to offer to magnify your interest …
Fairview not just produces speciality cheeses, but likewise prize-winning red wines. In 1693, Simon van der Stel, the 2nd guv of the Cape of Excellent Hope, designated the original land at Fairview to Steven Vervey, a French Huguenot. The very first white wine was made on Fairview in 1699 and also a long custom has actually long considering that established. Fairview started its own bottling in 1974 and also auctioned its first bottled red wines at the really first white wine public auction ever before kept in the country, pre-dating the currently renowned Nederburg Public auction
The Nederburg Public auction.
The Auction is Paarl’s biggest wine festival and resembles the World Mug for winetasters. Held at the end of every summer, the public auction epitomises what fine wine is everything about. The really significance of the occasion exists in the tasting of 147 award winning wines, maybe also those of the Garagistes, yet you will have to wait and also see!
The public auction is a standard of high quality for South African Wines as well as offers as a display for African red wines to the global profession. Due to this, any tag proclaiming “cost the Nederburg Auction” is concerned as having an official stamp of approval, worldwide.
Too much talk about red wine is liable to make a person a little obsessed. It seeks all only fermented grape juice. Yet Paarl makes it well as well as the Red Path is the most effective place to find it.
Great a glass of wine naturally goes well with good food and Paarl supplies some of the most effective restaurants in the Cape, offering a variety of foods that mingle well with a bottle of your preferred tipple.
Paarl is likewise a place abundant in history with its building marvels. They seem to stand for the concrete and also rock variations of its fine red wines. Each a glass of wine estate has a special destination – a gable, an unique goat tower like the one at Fairview or even a gargoyle awaiting the flash of your camera.
Olive Sampling
Due to the fact that one-track mind restricts the mind, numerous things can be missed along the Red Path. Take olive sampling as an example. This is becoming a significant tourist attraction on some of the estates, a lot of whom currently expand Olive Trees for the export of olive oil.
The remainder is up to you. Whether you come down to the specifics and also better details of a glass of wine sampling or broaden your perspectives staring over the Paarl Valley from Paarl Rock relies on which side of the tunnel you get on. Take pleasure in Paarl!

South African Dessert Wines

Lateesha — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 10:56:00 +0000

Dessert wines are, by definition, high in alcohol. This alcohol is made from the increased concentration of sugar in these wines and the two combine to define them. The ratio of water to sugar can be changed by actually adding sugar, unfermented grape juice or honey before fermentation or must afterward. Alternatively, wine makers may opt to remove water during production, increasing the concentration of sugar in the volume of wine. Drying the grapes into raisins and then using these to make the wine achieves this sweetened effect too, as does freezing some of the water out of the wine, making what is known as “ice wine”. Adding Botrytis cinerea desiccates the grapes and increases their sugar content, having a similar effect.

Certain grapes, such as the Muscat, are sweeter by their very nature. These and other varieties are made sweeter by being picked only once they are completely ripe and have their highest sugar levels. The more sun these grapes get, the sweeter they become, so wine farmers rely very much on a hot, sunny summer. To improve their grapes’ chances of maximum exposure, the farmer may choose to clip away any leaves casting a shadow on the grapes below them on the vine. This approach renders different versions of each wine every harvest, creating an unreliable (but always natural) product. One of South Africa’s most famous Muscats was the Constantia of old, and this is likely to have been sweetened in this natural way.

When selecting a dessert wine, it is vital that the wine is sweeter than the dish it is accompanying. Chocolate has a bitter base taste and this does not match well with sweet dessert wines. Baked goods with nuts and honey are far more suitably enjoyed with a sugary and flavorsome wine. Sweet, ripe fruits are also fantastically set off by a good dessert wine. When a fortified or dessert wine is well made, though, it can be enjoyed as the perfect end to a hearty meal all on its own. It should be served slightly chilled if it is white, and at room temperature if it is a red wine.

The very sweet dessert wines are not matured for very long, whereas ports are aged for far longer periods. The aging process is largely determined by the size of the oak vats in which the wine is placed. The larger the vat, the longer its contents will take to mature.

While dessert wines may be regarded by some wine connoisseurs as being inferior or subordinate to their more ‘savory’ counterparts, they have earned acclaim over the years. Their rich, sugary body is offset by their syrupy texture and alcoholic warmth, a winning combination by even the most discerning of palate’s standards.

Kosher South African Wines

Lateesha — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 14:17:00 +0000

A wine begins its koshering once plucked from the vine, as it is sown and cultivated in the same way as other wines. It may be picked by anyone, not necessarily a kosher or Jewish person. The grapes to be used for the wines are then taken to the winery, where they are crushed. This process needs to be performed under a rabbi’s supervision. The rabbi physically tips the grapes into the crusher and sometimes operates the necessary equipment. This is an integral requirement for a kosher wine’s production.

The barrels in which the kosher wines are to be fermented need to be judged worthy for such a use. After the grapes have been crushed under rabbinal supervision, the rest of the process and even the handling of the grapes and juice need to be performed by a Jewish person that observes the Sabbath faithfully. Even thought the rabbi does not necessarily need to be involved in the wine-making process, he does need to oversee the entire progression to the final product. Kosher wines even need to be opened by a kosher waitron. None of the work involved in producing a kosher wine may be done on the Sabbath.

Meshuval wines are kosher wines that have been flash-pasteurized by boiling (or nearly boiling) and cooling them very rapidly. Advanced technology means that there is very little, if any, difference to the taste of these wines kosher wines compared to non-meshuval wines. Pasteurising the wine in this way renders it kosher immediately, regardless of how it is handled thereafter. In South Africa, though, meshuval wines are rare and are more common in North America and Israel. The rabbi would operate the pasteurization equipment.

The wines carry an official seal of approval called the hechsher. The reason that a wine has to be deemed kosher (since it contains none of the forbidden foods of Judaism) is owing to its important role in non-Jewish religions. Using it for these purposes is considered to be idolatry. Therefore, wines need to be kosher to ensure that they are free from any form of idolatry before being consumed by a Jewish person. Of course, kosher wines can not contain anything that is derived from a non-kosher source, such as gelatine or isinglass.

South Africa, along with a few other countries around the world, has recently seen an increased demand for kosher wines. This may be related to the fact that methods for ensuring correctly koshered wines are becoming more widespread.

In South Africa, good quality kosher wines are available from Norman Goodfellows, Kleine Draken and Nwanedi. Some recommended vintages include:

· Eshkol Shiraz 2003 – the Eshkol Winery in Paarl produces excellent kosher wines.
· Welnerberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – From South Africa’s Swartland, this full-bodied red is ideal for red meat dishes.
· Welnerberg Pinotage 2005 – this wine enjoys fruitier flavors and a slightly lighter body.

The South African Sauvignon Blanc

Lateesha — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 17:42:00 +0000

Interestingly, the specific taste of each region’s version of the Sauvignon Blanc differs slightly depending on the climate and soil conditions. Because South Africa is a country that is as diverse as the people it is home to, each farm’s Sauvignon Blanc bears its own unique flavour, whether grassy, crisp or fruity. Despite being defined by its dry, fresh nature, this grape can also be used in the production of dessert wines. Sauvignon Blanc does not take long to mature, and is best when it is still young. It is ideal alongside a dish of fish or cheese. Interestingly, it also goes down well with pasta and sushi.

Because the taste of a Sauvignon Blanc is so dependent on the area and other environmental criteria, South Africa prides itself for its rich array of quality wines. Each one, with its signature aroma, shows off another little corner of this fantastically fertile land. Vines can be planted in rock, sand or flint, which also affects the bouquet and flavour, especially to the trained taster. It is believed that South Africa’s advantage in producing the ideal Sauvignon Blanc lies in our ability to balance acidity and fruitiness in perfect ratio to one another.

South Africa’s Sauvignon Blancs have featured high amongst international competitors, and are in enormous demand the world round. Gaining international acclaim sets South Africa apart amongst wine producers. By setting this standard, SA has gained credibility, not only for these grapes, but for a host of other varieties too. Some of the most outstanding Sauvignon Blancs to compete on a global level include Boschendal, Cederberg, Constantia Glen, Fryers Cove, Graham Beck, Jordan, Klein Constantia, Nederburg and Springfield.

Wine farmers frequently elect to pick Sauvignon Blanc grapes at different intervals in the season. This lends the end product a complex combination of flavours. The riper the grape, the sweeter it is. By combining these with the tarter, younger berries, the flavour is enhanced and balanced. When the berries are being gathered, oxygen is excluded to ensure that the flavour is kept inside the grape.

This reductive process is carried through right until the wine is bottled. The contact between the skin and the juice of the grape also needs to be monitored so that the flavours are controlled. If the contact between these two components of the grape is left for too long after picking, the wine becomes very intense. This reduces the aging ability of the wine significantly.

Even the temperature at which the Sauvignon Blanc is fermented impacts heavily on the resultant flavour. When fermentation is conducted under warmer conditions, the resulting wine has a grassier, earthy taste to it. Cooler temperatures bring out the fruity, tropical qualities of the wine. Although this wine does not require a long aging process and is best enjoyed young, oak barrels soften the flavour, while steel barrels maintain the very crisp, dry quality of the wine.

With such an adaptable and easily influenced grape, South African wine farmers are granted the ideal opportunity to prove the quality that this country’s rich soil and climate enables. This is most perfectly reflected in the crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

Find More Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Articles

A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Cabernet Sauvignon From South Africa

Lateesha — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 18:14:00 +0000

It may be hard to believe but this is our first bargain wine from South Africa, one very major wine country. The Nederburg winery was founded in 1791 near Paarl not far from the Cape of Good Hope. This wine is part of their series, the Winemaker’s Reserve. This wine is marketed by Stellenbosch Farmers Winery which is not your little farmer’s winery. Stellenbosch markets about one third of all South African wines with a value of over one third of a billion dollars. I don’t think that I have to tell you about the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, one popular red grape in Bordeaux France, California, and many other locales as well. Let’s see if we can get a bargain. It seems like a fairly long time.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 12.5 % alcohol about $ 9

Let’s start with the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Medium – deep red/purple; aromas of game, sweet cherry, cassis, earth, liquorice and cedar tones; dry, medium-full bodied, red currant and spice flavors with soft tannins to finish. Serving Suggestion: Grilled or roasted meats, white meats, pizza or pasta or old cheese. And now for my review.

I started by sipping this wine alone. It was oaky with tobacco, long, and presented round tannins. But seemed a bit too acidic. The first meal included a commercially barbecued chicken and potato salad. The Cab displayed plummy and earthy notes. It was more forceful with the chicken than it was with the potato salad.

The second meal centered around slow-cooked beef ribs with potatoes accompanied by a lime and garlic tomato salsa. The wine was powerful, mouth filling, and long. I got tobacco and dark fruit. This Cab was chewy. With the somewhat spicy salsa the wine became peppery and didn’t lose its force.

The final meal consisted of a packaged baked Ziti Siciliano with eggplant covered with grated Parmesan cheese. There was a fine balance of acidity, tannins, and fruit with a faint bit of tobacco.

I finished the tasting with two cheeses. The first cheese was a Yellow Cheddar. This wine was round, oaky, and it displayed good fruit. The second pairing was with a Swiss (Emmenthal). Things worked out about the same but the wine was more acidic.

Final verdict. I would definitely buy this wine again. This really struck me as somewhat of a bargain. If you’re a big fan of Cabernet Sauvignon, you might take it up a notch with Nederburg’s Manor House line. I prefer staying in their bargain price range but trying another grape.

South African Wine

Lateesha — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 12:24:00 +0000

Since the 1990s the production and popularity of South African Wine started to grown, this is due mainly to the end of the apartheid. From this many winemakers begin to indulge into their wine making exploring new ideas and technologies that they had never tried before, to rapidly speed up their developments of wine production. They also began to exchange ideas with other wine makers from around the world as before this time they had only exchanged through post, and now other winemakers from around the world where being flown into South Africa to share their knowledge on viticulture and winemaking. All these factors have helped the South African Wine industry bloom in the last 20 years.

The South African wine regions are mainly situated around the coast exposed to the Atlantic and Indian Ocean at the South tip of Africa. Because of this exposure to the sea the major wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, which mean that the vineyards are exposed to hot sunlight during the day, with a cooler temperature in the evening created by the cool sea breezes. Also the main ocean current brings cool breezes from the Antarctica, to help cool South Africa’s hot days.

South Africa’s most popular red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinotage, and South Africa’s most popular whites are Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.

South African Wine has many wine growing regions, some of the most popular are

Constantia was the first place where vineyards in South Africa where planted. Because of this regions shape it is exposed to the sea on both sides, experiencing cool breezes, which cool down its days and nights, to create a slow and ripening period for the vineyards. Sauvignon Blanc is famous here.

Stellenbosch is a popular tourist destination for wine lovers, with many wine trails and vineyards with included accommodation for a tourist to visit. Here the second vineyards were planted in South Africa. This area is exposed to the nearby coast which brings in a cool sea breeze, keeping the summer temperature steady. Here African red wines are grown in the east and white wines in the west, where they are nearer to the cool breeze from the coast.

Paarl can be hot, meaning that the best vineyards are grown on the higher altitudes. Two popular areas here are The Franschhoek Valley and Wellington. Paarl is mainly linked to white wine, but with the hot summers and steep slopes, red wines popularity is rising.

Robertson is known for its Chardonnay and Shiraz, along with other South African Whites. Robertson is a hot region located in the Valley, where the river gives life to the area.

Walker Bay is known for its cool climate as it is close to the coast and constantly exposed to the ocean breeze. Chardonnay and Pinot Noire are famous here.

Elgin is up and coming in wine production. It’s a great fruit growing place, and its climate is ideal for cool climate growing wines.

Find More Malbec Wine Articles

I Love Organic Wine – A South African Cabernet Sauvignon

Lateesha — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 12:39:00 +0000

The Sonop Wine Farm is located in Paarl, South Africa about sixty kilometers (less than forty miles) northeast of Capetown, wine country that produces some mighty fine red wines. This organic Cabernet Sauvignon wine also has the advantage of being Fair Trade which means that the producers and workers are paid a living wage. So you can drink this wine with a clear conscience knowing that both the environment and the people involved its production have been respected. As long as we’re on the subject, make sure to enjoy this wine in moderation so that nobody is harmed. What about the wine itself?

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Sonop Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 13.5% alcohol about $ 12.50

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials.

Description: An excellent value, this certified-organic Cab is also one of a growing number of wines that are certified as Fair Trade. Such a certification guarantees that producers and workers are paid a living wage and that grapes are grown using environmentally conscientious practices. This medium-bodied Cab delivers cassis and typical cigar box aromas, ripe fruit flavours and fairly soft tannins. Pair it with pasta in a meat sauce. Our Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined that this wine contains 22 mg/L of free sulphur. And now for my review.

The first sips revealed a wine that was mildly sweet with soft tannins. It had good length and light acidity. The initial food pairing consisted of slow-cooked beef stew and potatoes with a side of okra in a sauce of garlic, onions, and crushed tomatoes. The wine’s intensity and fruit stepped up to the meat. The okra dish brought out the darkness of the fruit. I added green jalapeno pepper sauce to the meat and got some chocolate and tobacco.

The second pairing involved chicken and potatoes baked in a commercial honey and garlic barbecue sauce. The Cab tasted of dark fruit. It was mouth-filling and yet light. There was a tiny bit of sweetness. The lingering acidity did a good job of cutting the grease.

The final food pairing was with whole-wheat lasagna noodles baked with ground beef, peas, and tomato salsa. This lasagna had no cheese. The wine was round. It tasted of dark cherries with soft tannins and a tobacco finish. I added extra salsa (mild, not spicy) and the tobacco finish intensified. The length was good.

Two cheese pairings marked the end of the bottle. In the presence of sheep’s milk feta cheese the Cab was long and chewy. But brick cheese managed to weaken the wine somewhat.

Final verdict. This wine was quite good and the price is right. I would buy this wine again. If you want an organic wine, this is a good deal. And it’s even better when you consider that it is Fair Trade as well. Even if you aren’t interested in these factors, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers a fine wine for the price.

A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Pinot Noir From South Africa

Lateesha — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 16:17:00 +0000

We have reviewed several South African wines lately, and many of them have been quite successful. Pinot Noir can be a fine grape; I often am fond of it. I like its classic tastes of earth and mushrooms and the fact that it isn’t very tannic. And it’s considered food-friendly. The site where it’s made is fantastic, at the conjunction of the Pacific and the Indian ocean. It’s not only beautiful (what vineyard isn’t?) but it’s said to be a winemaker’s dream. On the down side, Pinot Noir is not usually at its best in South Africa.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Two Oceans Pinot Noir 2008 13.1% alcohol about $ 9.50 Let’s begin by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note : Pale ruby color with a slight hint of garnet; aromas of blueberry, cherry, and earth; dry, medium bodied, with flavors of toasty oak, and raspberry on the long smoky finish. Serving Suggestion : Serve with roast chicken or duck. And now for my review.

At the first sips the wine was almost mouth filling, with touches of earth. Its first pairing was with a ready-made chicken potpie. The wine was thick, earth tasting, and quite short but there was the taste of the underbrush. When I added zesty green jalapeno pepper sauce the Pinot Noir gained in roundness and perhaps length.

The next meal involved chicken meatballs and a barbecued chicken leg with a black bean, corn, chickpea, and pimento salad. This time the wine was almost hefty; it was fairly dark with lots of chocolate and good length.

My final meal was composed of hamburgers, green beans in a tomato sauce, and a salad described below. The wine was dark and had a slight aftertaste. There were dark cherries but no tannins. It was stronger with the green beans but the aftertaste remained. With the accompanying red, yellow, and orange plum and cherry tomatoes and basil leaves this Pinot Noir had a touch of harshness and not much flavor.

I ended the bottle with two local cheeses. With a virtually tasteless brick cheese the wine did not have much taste. So in a way, it was a balanced pairing. With a somewhat stronger yellow cheddar the wine perked up a bit and I tasted some oak.

Final verdict. I do not intend to buy this wine again. While it did manage some fairly good wine pairings it was far from consistent. And with all the inexpensive wines on the market that just isn’t good enough.