RED WINES SOUTH AFRICAN STYLE

If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket you might think about using it on a trip to the South African wine country. I have heard that it is the most beautiful land in all the world of wine. I have never had much fondness for their wine in the past, but since our last wine class at Quality Wine and Spirits hosted by Mat Garretson and the rest of his knowledgeable staff, my opinion has changed. Chris and Alyson and I tasted some wonderful wines, and last week I talked about the whites, especially the Chenin Blanc wines. This week I want to touch on the reds. I’m convinced that if you want a really nice Cabernet Sauvignon at reasonable prices S. Africa is the place. They are making some really nice Shiraz and Merlot as well.
The list of wines we tasted consisted of Onyx Cabernet Sauvignon, Onyx Shiraz, Meinert Devon Crest Cab/Merlot blend, Wildekrans Cab Franc/Merlot blend, and DeTrafford Cabernet Sauvignon.
Onxy Cab 2006 had oak and vanilla on the nose and currant, chocolate, and black berries on the palate. A very nice balance of tannins and acidity. The price should be about $18. Will pare well with beef, and lamb.
The Onyx Shiraz 2007 is medium to full bodied with oak, fruit and pepper notes. I liked it better than some of the Australian Shiraz at the same price which is around $16.
The “best buy” of the group was the Wildekrans 2007. I liked the fresh and lively taste of coffee and cherries. I think it sells for $15.
Meinert Devon Crest 2004 comes from the Devon Valley in the heart of the great Stellenbosch region. I think I tasted berries, cherries and spicy mint, and it was smooth and velvety. I’d love to try it with our Duck or our Mediterranean Lamb Chops. The price is around $30.
If you are looking for a big, intense cab, try the De Trafford 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a long rich finish with big tannins. There are some tobacco, smoke, toast and cedar notes on the palate. Maybe some plum and currant also. I’d like to have this with our Beef Wellington. It’s a bargain at $40.
That’s it for now.
Happy wine drinking!

Try South Africa

If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket you might want to think about a trip to the South African wine country. It has been reputed to be the most beautiful of all wine regions in the world, and the wines are excellent.
The kids and I attended a wine tasting class hosted by wine expert Mat Garretson of Quality Wine and Spirits Distrubutors. Last week's talk was on S. African wines and my opinion of them has changed drastically. Of the 14 wines we tasted I would consider purchasing 9 of them, which is definetly a huge improvement over the last 10 years.
If you can't make it down there, stop at your favorite store and make some purchases of S. African Chenin Blanc. We tried the Ken Forrester label: Petite; Estate; and FMC. The Petite is a really nice wine loaded with lots of citrus fruit and it's really easy to drink. The price is right at around $9.
The Estate is full and complex and nicely balanced between fruit flavors and vanilla and oak. Price is around $13 and is an excellent summer wine.
My favorite was the FMC at a much higher price however around $65. It has a hint of off-dryness but a nice balance . It is very lush and ripe with flavors of peaches and other exotic fruits.There are some toasty notes and some very nice acidity and freshness to this wine. I think it would go well with spicy foods.
Next week I'll tell you about some of the really good reds we tasted, so until then, enjoy the wines.