Pinotage

Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape variety. There are now plantings in other countries, but the origin of Pinotage is South African and it has achieved international success.  Pinotage is a grape variety that was created in South Africa in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University.

Because of the efforts of South African makers of Pinotage wines. South Africa has both practical and patriotic reasons for aggressively promoting Pinotage as a grape varietal which provides wines of superior quality, wines which can hold their own against any varietal from any wine-growing region of the world. Pinotage is the trump card of the South African wine industry. This is the philosophy that underlies the existence of the Pinotage Association.

In addition to South Africa, Pinotage is also grown in Brazil, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, United States and Zimbabwe. In New Zealand, there are 94 acres (38 ha) of Pinotage. In the US, there are plantings in California and Virginia.  German winemakers have recently begun experimenting with the grape.

The majority of the world's plantings of Pinotage is found in South Africa, where it makes up just 6% of the vineyard area but is considered a symbol of the country's distinctive winemaking traditions. It is a required component (30-70%) in "Cape blends".

Here it is made into the full range of styles, from easy-drinking quaffing wine and rosé to barrel-aged wine intended for cellaring. It is also made into a fortified 'port' style, and even a red sparkling wine. The latest and fastest growing trend is the production of coffee styled Pinotage.

The grape is very dependent on the skill and style of winemaking, with well made examples having the potential to produce deep coloured, fruity wines that can be accessible early as well as age.

Cultivars

Did you know that there are over 8,000 grape varieties harvested in the world, however, only a select few appear in our stores?  

All the wine grape varieties cultivated in South Africa, which were originally imported from Europe, belong to the species Vitis vinifera. Unfortunately the roots of European vines are susceptible to an insect disease called phylloxera and, in order to avoid it, they are often grafted onto American rootstock which is largely resistant to the insect.

A vine yields its first crop after three years and is fully productive after five. On average, the South African vineyard is replaced after 25 years but this depends on factors such as the area in which it is situated and how heavily it has yielded. Generally, its lifespan may be anything between 15 and 30 years although vines as old as 100 years still in production can be found.

The vine is a remarkable plant which lends itself to selection, propagation and grafting factors which make possible a continuous improvement in both plant and quality. Although most of the vine varieties cultivated here today were originally imported, up to now six local crossings have been released. The best known of these is a red variety, Pinotage, a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Hermitage (Cinsaut), which is cultivated locally on a fairly large scale.

White-wine varieties grown in South Africa include:

• Bukettraube
• Cape Riesling (Crouchen Blanc)
• Chardonnay
• Chenel
• Chenin Blanc (Steen)
• Clairette Blanche
• Colombar(d)
• Emerald Riesling
• Gewürztraminer
• Grenache (Blanc)
• Marsanne
• Muscat d'Alexandrie (Hanepoot)
• Muscadel
• Nouvelle
• Palomino (White French Grape)
• Pinot Gris
• Roussanne
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Semillon (Green Grape)
• Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano)
• Viognier
• Weisser Riesling (Rhine Riesling)

Red-wine varieties grown in South Africa include:

• Barbera
• Cabernet Franc
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Carignan
• Cinsaut Gamay (Noir)
• Grenache (Noir)
• Malbec
• Merlot
• Mourvèdre
• Muscadel
• Nebbiolo
• Petit Verdot
• Pinot Meunier
• Pinot Noir
• Pinotage
• Pontac
• Roobernet
• Ruby Cabernet
• Shiraz
• Souzào
• Tempranillo (Tinta Roriz)
• Tinta Barocca
• Touriga Nacional
• Zinfandel

Red Blends

South African wines are renowned as having some of the finest Red Blends in the world.

It is often understood that grapes which can be rather heavy on their own will work better by being mixed with a softer and more elegant wine, and delicate wines can be given strength and body through the addition of a meaty or more substantial wine.

In the past South African wine producers have concentrated heavily upon growing and making a single varietal of wine like Merlot or Shiraz.  After the fall of Apartheid, when European wines and grape vines were coming back into South Africa, there was intense planting of single varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Eventually, this led to over-production on the market of single-varietal wines, and some wine makers have been forced to branch out into other types of wine production, including making red wine blends from a mix of European and South African wine.

There are mainly three types of red blends:

Cape Blend

Any red wine blended with significant portion of Pinotage. (The statutory minimum portion of a variety to be mentioned on the label is 20% according to the regulations set by the South African Wine & Spirits Board) Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape variety and was bred by the late Prof Perold in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut, then locally known as Hermitage.

A patriotic Cape blend must thus surely be infused with the pertinence of Pinotage.

Bordeaux Blend

The Fab Five
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  These five red grapes are the components of a classic Bordeaux blend. Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot usually play the lead role, while Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot act as the supporting cast. These three grapes help to add color, structure and body in varying amounts. A Bordeaux blend typically, but not exclusively, uses at least three of the five grapes to be labeled as such, but many wines in Bordeaux and else where stick to just two.

Rhone Blend

The Rhone region of France has a delightful selection of red varieties. The primary red players of Rhone blends are Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.  Typical wines termed "rhone blends" will have two or more grapes from the Rhone region and occasionally, small percentages of the secondary varieties.

Rhone blends are often called "GSM" or "SGM" - using the initials of the grapes used, the most predominant variety being the first initial.

Winemakers also have great success with Shiraz & Viognier wine styles.

It is truly an art to get the percentages of the different cultivars exactly right and to be able to blend a wine that blows your hair back! Well done South Africa, we are so spoiled!