Foreign wines in local shops

South Africa has great wines, but not a lot of places to try things other than local produce.

Maybe that's why other wine countries (and consumer countries like the UK) sometimes get nasty about South Africa; perhaps it bothers them that our wines are so good that South Africans don't bother with R150 French Plonk! :P

Enough with the ribbing, there are some great wines from around the world which we let ourselves down if we don't explore, and sadly in South Africa that means, more often than not, finding stores which sell foreign wines at a bit of a premium.

One such store and cellar is, Wine Cellar, http://www.winecellar.co.za/, in Observatory in Cape Town. There is good wine, there is great wine, and then their is over priced wine.

I don't know if the Wine Cellar's wine is overpriced, I'd like to go to one of their legendary tastings before deciding on that;

That said, they have an AMAZING range of French and other nations' wines. That sort of range deserves to go at a bit of a premium, and Sian and I look forward to going for a tasting there soonest (i.e. when the wallet allows!)

Once we know more about this business, and its cellaring, I look forward to giving a full report.

Ingwe 2004

We had a bottle of Alain Moueix's Ingwe 2004. This great wine is made by PJ Geyer, and Francois Baard is the viticulturist. Francois's daughter once told me at a party how absolutely amazing this wine was, and I have to be honest that when I hear from the children of people in the wine industry how great there wine is I tend to hesitate; not because they aren't great arbiters of taste, but rather that often blood is thicker and wine, and an honest critique of a family product is hard thing... (I know all about this... its a huge problem... I used to extol the virtues of my families pies, even when we were having a 'bad' period - i.e. making pastry in Cape Town in February is a hard thing due to the heat).

Well Sian brought out the bottle while we had Swiss fondue on Saturday night.

What can I say? I simply LOVED it. The colour of the wine is dark and ripe, no hints of over stayed browns here: just a pure ruby. But unlike other wines which often come out with such a colour when they are the consistency of molasses, this wine is just the right weight; not too heavy, but not a model on heroin either.

The nose is a bit subdued; something I've come to appreciate, often I get misled when a wine had a fantastic nose only to be disappointed when the first taste hits my mouth.

I think a subtle nose to a wine, like a quick glace, or a gentle brush of the hands is far more seductive to the drinker; some wines strut to the table in F-me pumps and a mini-skirt, and Ingwe is far more reserved, and consequently a far more glamorous wine for it.

On the mouth, the wine is smooth and complex; a very rich flavour which doesn't overpower the senses; the wine was more than passable with the fondue, but to be honest I think would have paired spectacularly with a good roast or steak;

I can only speak for this wine from personal experience, I don't know how others might find it, but we finished the bottle and I certainly felt ready to buy a case. It really is a fantastic wine with a lot to offer as a Bordeaux blend from South Africa.

Viva Ingwe. It's great to have a wine with an African name that isn't simple a marketing gimmick, but a really great wine in its own right.

Cape Times V&A Wine Affair

Myself and Sian, Ez and Alan went to the Cape Times Wine Affair at the V&A last night.

This event has now officially become my favourite on the wine calendar of the Western Cape. Why? Simple... the quality of it all.

The Wine Affair moved from the Market Square to the new Parking Lot opposite the Victoria Wharf mall. Very clever and practical, and easy access to the rest of the waterfront, and a nice high view into the amazing African Renaissance stadium being thrown up a few hundred meters away.

The venue was a LITTLE warm; i.e. it was boiling hot at first; I've noticed this now at most festivals, with the exception of the Stellenbosch Wine Route Festival. I suppose warm is better than cold; but it is a bit poor. As the evening went on the temperature seemed to adjust (or at least I stopped caring) and it wasn't as noticeable.

What makes the Wine Affair so great is its exhibitors; so many great farms, the big labels and the boutiques, from all over the province made a showing. There are always a couple of farms you'd like to see, but the event offers a real treat for those looking to explore new wines from old favourite labels, as well as being surprised by wines from undiscovered wine makers.

For me the find of the show wasn't a wine, but rather a region; the wines from Rawsonville near Worcester are really getting quite excellent; every interesting and different from what you are used to; I've resolved to driving out there soon and getting more of a taste for the region - a lot of the wines coming out of their seem to be EXCELLENT everyday table wines; maybe not as "dignified" as some of the Paarl and Stellenbosch estates, but certainly up and coming.

I was particularly impressed by the balanced ranges coming from the region. I'm sure they've been making great wines for years; but for someone whose only really followed wine for 5 years it was great to find something new at a show you've been to before.

Balance is what makes the Wine Affair so great. The balance between food and wine, cheaper and more expensive, famous and new is perfectly struck. The entire event has a mildly curated feel which I think is at times lacking in events in SA, and it makes so much difference.
Had some amazing oysters at the Wild Peacock stand. I took their card :)

There was a lot of food at the show, a lot more than at most wine shows, with sushi, meat, fish, cheese, etc. Its fantastic to have both palate cleansers and great fresh food with wine; its the way wine is supposed to be enjoyed; and really gives you an opportunity to let wines open up in context.

Even Fisherman's Choice, the old Waterfront favourite, had a stand, and was serving some of the best calamari I've tasted from them in years.

Val de Vie's shiraz was perfectly paired by golden cardamom chocolates they had at their stand. They also have a wine called Polo which is a fantastic red blend for the table.

There were so many great wines at the show. De Klerk from Rawsonville. (Family name prejudice there I fear :) ), McGregor, De Grendel, Boekenhoutskloof, the list goes on...
Ooo, and I didn't have any, but Krone was there, from Twee Jong Gezellen; when I drank it at Winex it convinced me to buy a case of it at this last new years.

Raka and Asara's wines are also tasting a lot better on my palate than they have in the past; must have something to do with my new prelidiction for shiraz; thank you Sian!

How can I sum up this show? Unmissable!

I recommend it to anyone for next year; it really is the best way to spend a cold May evening, with great friends, great wine and food, and a wonderful festival of the good life.