Pinotage South African Wine

The name Pinotage South African Wine is a little bit misleading because it sounds so much like Pinot Noir. This South African grape is related to Pinot Noir but the grape looks and tastes more like Shiraz. Its reputation has been mostly confined to South Africa.

The result of the crossing between Cinsaut and Pinot Noir was unexpected. The Pinotage grapes were extremely dark and the wine they created was bold and high in tannin and anthocyanin. Despite the difference in flavor, Pinotage would eventually become the 2nd most planted grape in South Africa.

Pinotage is a red wine grape that is South Africa’s signature variety. It was cultivated there in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut (Cinsaut was known as “Hermitage” in South Africa at that time, hence the portmanteau name). It typically produces deep red varietal wines with smoky, bramble and earthy flavors, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit, but has been criticized for sometimes smelling of acetone. The grape is a viticultural intraspecific cross of two varieties of Vitis vinifera, not an interspecific hybrid.

The first recognition came when a Bellevue wine made from Pinotage became the champion wine (General Smuts Trophy Winner) at the Cape Wine Show of 1959, a feat repeated by Sauer & Rossouw in 1961 with their Pinotage from Kanonkop Wine Estate. The Bellevue wine would become the first to mention Pinotage on its label in 1961 when Stellenbosch Farmer’s Winery (SFW) marketed it under their Lanzerac brand. This early success, and its easy viticulture, prompted a wave of planting during the 1960s. 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. Perold was attempting to combine the best qualities of the robust Hermitage with Pinot noir, a grape that makes great wine but can be difficult to grow. Perold planted the four seeds from his cross in the garden of his official residence at Welgevallen Experimental Farm and then apparently forgot about them. The young plants were moved to Elsenburg Agricultural College under Perold’s successor, CJ Theron. In 1935 Theron grafted them onto newly established rootstock. The newly grafted vines and the one that was doing best was selected for propagation and was christened Pinotage.

Fruit Flavors

Pinotage association member and winemaker Danie Steytler Jr. says it’s common to find purple fruits and black fruits in Pinotage, but occasionally you’ll taste amazing red fruit flavors of raspberry, red licorice, and even red bell pepper.

Other Flavors

On great bottles of Pinotage South African Wine you’ll be delighted by the flavors other than fruit. A wide array of other flavors include rooibos, dried leaves, bacon, sweet and sour sauce, hoisin and sweet pipe tobacco.

Tannin & Acidity

You should expect tannins to be bold but to have a sweet note on the finish –almost like flavored smoke. As far as acidity is concerned, the grape is typically high pH (low acidity) so most winemakers will acidify their wines early in the fermentation process so the acids are more integrated. Many wineries in hot climates, including California, Australia and Argentina, acidify their wines. Well-integrated acidification is unnoticeable although some tasters appear to be more sensitive to this trait than others.

Pinotage Renaissance

Pinotage remained relatively obscure internationally until Beyers Truter from Kanonkop won the 1987 Diners Club Wine of the year for his Pinotage. Pinotage has since experienced a renaissance in South Africa, with an increasing number of producers exploring a bright and juicy expression of the variety that shows off the fruit rather than oak, and showing real finesse with less ripe extraction.

In the past decade (2007 -2017) the quality, demand, and supply of Pinotage has grown excessively. From around 3 million liters of Pinotage a year at the turn of the century, domestic sales have increased to over 5 million liters, and exports since 2001 have gone from just over 8 million liters a year to close on 19 million liters.

In the past two decades, winemakers and marketers have embraced this grape cultivar which lead to the expansion of the market for Pinotage globally. Competitions like the Absa Top 10 Pinotage Awards, which started in 1997, and initiatives by organizations like the Pinotage Association have assisted in establishing this uniquely South African wine. Accolades like the 2017 Tim Atkin’s South African Red Wine of the Year confirms the trend of quality Pinotage wines. Pinotage weighed heavily in favor of Kanonkop cellarmaster Abrie Beeslaar being named the 2017 Winemaker of the Year at the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition in London, making him the second Kanonkop winemaker to achieve the honor. Of the Top 10 most-planted wine grape varieties in South Africa, Pinotage is the only red cultivar to have grown in hectares over the past 10 years (2007-2017).

Wine regions

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 Arizona, California, Michigan, Oregon and Virginia.

South Africa

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 wine’ 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-colored, fruity wines that can be accessible early as well as age.

Viticulture and winemaking

The vines are vigorous like their parent Cinsaut and easy to grow, ripening early with high sugar levels. Pinotage can be grown via the trellised system or as bush vines (untrellised). The older Pinotage vineyards are predominantly planted as bush vines and it is perceived that these lend to more concentration of fruit and depth to the wine. It has the potential to produce yields of 120 hl/ha (6.8 tons/acre) but older vines tend to lower their yields to as low as 50 hl/ha. Yield restriction is managed through water stress and bunch thinning. In winemaking, controlling the coarseness of the grape and the isoamyl acetate character are two important considerations. Volatile acidity is another potential wine fault that can cause Pinotage to taste like raspberry vinegar. Since the 1990s, more winemakers have used long and cool fermentation periods to minimize the volatile esters as well as exposure to French and American oak.

The grape is naturally high in tannins which can be tamed with limited maceration time but reducing the skin contact can also reduce some mulberry, blackberry and damson fruit character that Pinotage can produce. Some winemakers have experimented with letting the grapes get very ripe prior to harvest followed by limited oak exposures as another means of taming the more negative characteristics of the grape while maintaining its fruitiness. Newer clones have shown some potential as well.

Freshly picked Pinotage

While large-scale bulk production tended to yield a wine of little distinction, some wonderful examples of Pinotage were made not long after Lanzerac became the first to sell it commercially in 1959. Lanzerac and Kanonkop were early flag-bearers, and indeed still are, for two of their labels made it into the 2017 ABSA top 10 Pinotage Wines.

The 2017 ABSA top 10 Pinotage Wines

Pinotage South African Wine Food Pairing

beef:

• beef

• carpaccio, beef tartar

• sausages

• steak

cheese:

• cheese: hard

• cheese: medium

• cheese: soft

• goat cheese

chicken/poultry:

• chicken: curried

• turkey

• partridge

Desserts:

• souffle: chocolate

Egg dishes:

• quiche

Ethnic dishes:

• Chinese dishes: spicy

• spicy Mexican dishes

• Thai dishes

Wild game:

• ostrich

• quail

• rabbit

lamb:

• lamb: roast & grilled

Pasta:

• couscous

• pasta with vegetables

Pinotage Wine with pizza:

• pizza: cheese

• pizza: Hawaii

• pizza: pepperoni/meat

Pinotage Wine with pork:

• cotechino

Pinotage Wine with seafood & shellfish:

• fish: curried

• grouper

• seafood casserole

• swordfish

• tuna

Pinotage Wine with veal:

• veal

Please sign up for our email list below to get the latest information on our latest product descriptions, upcoming sales and special offers. We have some of the best offers in the business so please keep updated and have all questions answered in our COMMONWEALTH NEWS

Please sample and order from our selections below or go to our main site winetospiritscrown for a complete selection of all wines and beverages.

 

Ashbourne Pinotage 2016

Southern Right Pinotage 2018

Beeslaar Pinotage 2017

Doolhof ‘Dark Lady Of the Labyrinth’ Pinotage 2017

Kanonkop ‘Black Label’ Pinotage 2016

Kanonkop Pinotage 2017

La Cave Pinotage 2017

Lievland Pinotage 2017

Neethlingshof Pinotage 2017

Painted Wolf Guillermo Pinotage 2017

BEST SANGIOVESE WINE

The Sangiovese grape is a bit of a chameleon; easily altering its genetics to fit the environment. There are many different mutations of the variety all over Italy, which results in very different tasting wines. From the delicate floral strawberry aromas of Montefalco Rosso to the intensely dark and tannic wines of Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese wine has something for everyone.

Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin sanguis Jovis, “the blood of Jupiter“. The literal translation of the grape’s name, the “blood of Jove”, refers to the Roman god Jupiter. Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio, Campania and Sicily. It is the most widespread grape in Tuscany and outside Italy it is most famous as the only component of Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino and the main component of the blends Chianti, Carmignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Morellino di Scansano, although it can also be used to make varietal wines such as Sangiovese di Romagna and the modern wines like Tignanello.

Sangiovese was already well-known by the 16th century. Recent DNA profiling by José Vouillamoz of the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige suggests that Sangiovese’s ancestors are Ciliegiolo and Calabrese Montenuovo. The former is well-known as an ancient variety in Tuscany, the latter is an almost-extinct relic from the Calabria, the toe of Italy.[8] At least fourteen Sangiovese clones exist, of which Brunello is one of the best regarded. An attempt to classify the clones into Sangiovese grosso (including Brunello) and Sangiovese piccolo families has gained little evidential support.Young Sangiovese has fresh fruity flavors of strawberry and a little spiciness, but it readily takes on oaky, even tarry, flavors when aged in barrels. While not as aromatic as other red wine varieties such as Pinot noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, Sangiovese often has a flavor profile of sour red cherries with earthy aromas and tea-leaf notes. Wines made from Sangiovese usually have medium-plus tannins and high acidity.

Early theories on the origin of Sangiovese dated the grape to the time of Roman wine making. It was even postulated that the grape was first cultivated in Tuscany by the Etruscan from wild Vitis vinifera vines. The literal translation of the grape’s name, the “blood of Jove”, refers to the Roman god Jupiter. According to legend, the name was coined by monks from the Santarcangelo di Romagna in the Emilia-Romagna region of east-central Italy.

The first documented mention of Sangiovese was in the 1590’s.The grape was identified as “Sangiogheto” and the grape makes very good wine. While there is no conclusive proof that Sangiogheto is Sangiovese, most wine historians generally consider this to be the first historical mention of the grape. Regardless, it would not be until the 18th century that Sangiovese would gain widespread attention throughout Tuscany, being with Malvasia and Trebbiano the most widely planted grapes in the region.

In 1738, wines made from Sangiovese were described as excellent when blended with other varieties but hard and acidic when made as a wine by itself. The winemaker, Bettino Ricasoli formulated one of the early recipes for Chianti when he blended his Sangiovese with a sizable amount of Canaiolo. In the wines of Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Sangiovese would experience a period of popularity in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the 1970s, Tuscan winemakers began a period of innovation by introducing modern oak treatments and blending the grape with non-Italian varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon in the creation of wines that were given the collective marketing sobriquet “Super Tuscans”.

Viticulture

 

Sangiovese has shown itself to be adaptable to many different types of vineyard soils but seems to thrive in soils with a high concentration of limestone, having the potential to produce elegant wines with forceful aromas. In the Chianti Classico region, Sangiovese thrives on the highly friable shale-clay soil known as galestro. In the Montalcino region, there is a high proportion of limestone-based alberese soils alternating with deposits of galestro. The lesser zones of the generic Chianti appellation are predominantly clay, which often produce as high quality of wine as alberese and galestro do.

The grape requires a long growing season, as it buds early and is slow to ripen. The grape requires sufficient warmth to ripen fully, but too much warmth and its flavors can become diluted. Harvests in Italy have traditionally begun after September 29, with modern harvest often taking place in mid-late October. A longer growing season gives the grapes time to develop richness and potential body. However, in cool vintages this can result in the grapes having high levels of acidity and harsh, unripened tannins. In regions (like some areas of Tuscany) that are prone to rainfall in October, there is a risk for rot due to the Sangiovese grape’s thin skin. For the best quality, yields need to be kept in check as the vine is notably vigorous and prone to overproduction. In Chianti, most quality conscious producers limit their yields to 3 pounds (1.5 kg) of fruit per vine. Soils with low fertility are ideal and help control some vigor of the vine. Planting vines in high densities in order to curb vigor may have the adverse effect of increasing foliage and limiting the amount of direct sunlight that can reach the ripening grapes.[13] Advances in understanding the quality and characteristics of the different clones of Sangiovese has led to the identification and propagation of superior clones. While high-yielding clones have been favored in the past, more attention is being paid to matching the clone to the vineyard site and controlling the vine’s vigor.

To add color and fruit to the wine, some winemakers will blend their Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon (pictured).

The high acidity and light body characteristics of the Sangiovese grape can present a problem for wine making. The grape also lacks some color-creating phenolic compounds known as acylated anthocyanins. Modern winemakers have devised many techniques trying to find ways to add body and texture to Sangiovese — ranging from using grapes that come from extremely low yielding vines, to adjusting the temperature and length of fermentation and employing extensive oak treatment. One historical technique is the blending of other grape varieties with Sangiovese, in order to complement its attractive qualities and fill in the gaps of some of its weaker points. Other techniques used to improve the quality of Sangiovese include extending the maceration period from 7–12 days to 3–4 weeks to give the must more time to leach vital phenols out of the grape skins. Transferring the wine during fermentation into new oak barrels for malolactic fermentation gives greater polymerization of the tannins and contributes to a softer wine flavor.rounder.

Wine regions

Sangiovese wine.

A glass of Chianti made primarily from Sangiovese.

While Sangiovese plantings are found worldwide, the grape’s homeland is central Italy. From there the grape was taken to North and South America by Italian immigrants. It first achieved some popularity in Argentina where in the Mendoza region it produced wines that had few similarities to its Tuscan counterparts. In California the grape found a sudden surge of popularity in the late 1980s with the movement of winemakers seeking red wine alternatives to the standard French varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot noir.

Italy

In Italy, Sangiovese is the most widely planted red grape variety. It is an officially recommended variety in 53 provinces and an authorized planting in an additional 13. It accounts for approximately 10% of all vineyard plantings in Italy with more than 250,000 acres planted to one of the many clonal variations of the grape.

Tuscany

A glass of Brunello di Montalcino.

From the early to mid-20th century, the quality of Chianti was in low regard. DOC regulation that stipulates the relatively bland Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes needed to account for at least 10% of the finished blend, with consequent higher acidity and diluted flavors. Some wineries trucked in full-bodied and jammy red wines from Sicily and Apulia to add color and alcohol to the blend—an illegal practice that did little to improve the quality of Chianti. From the 1970s through the 1980s, a revolution of sorts spread through Tuscany as the quality of the Sangiovese grape was rediscovered. Winemakers became more ambitious and willing to step outside DOC regulations to make 100% varietal Sangiovese or a “Super Tuscan” blend with Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet and Merlot.[13]

Outside Tuscany

Sangiovese

Sangiovese is considered the “workhorse” grape of central Italy, producing everything from everyday drinking to premium wines in a variety of styles-from red still wines, to rosato to sweet passito, semi-sparkling frizzante and the dessert wine Vin Santo. In northern Italy, the grape is a minor variety with it having difficulties ripening north of Emilia-Romagna. In the south, it is mainly used as a blending partner with the region’s local grapes such as Primitivo, Montepulciano and Nero d’Avola.

In the Romagna region of Emilia-Romagna, the same grape is called Sangiovese di Romagna and is widely planted in all the Romagna region east of Bologna. Like its neighboring Tuscan brother, Sangiovese di Romagna has shown itself to spring off a variety of clones that can produce a wide range of quality—from very poor to very fine. Viticulturists have worked with Romagna vines to produce new clonal varieties of high quality.

United States and Canada

Italian immigrants brought Sangiovese to California in the late 19th century. But it was never considered very important until the success of the Super Tuscans in the 1980s spurred new interest in the grape. In 1991, there were nearly 200 acres planted with Sangiovese. By 2003, that number rose to nearly 3,000 acres with plantings across the state, most notably in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and the Sierra Foothills.

The flavor profile of the wine usually shows red plums, tart cherries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and figs. It undergoes a light oak aging, which often imparts it a subtle vanilla and cedar character. The style of the wine may be rustic, or fruit-forward, though both go very well with food. Pairing the wines with some ingredients suggested below, say tomatoes, would accentuate the fruitiness of the wine.

SANGIOVESE WINE and FOOD PAIRING

1. Sangiovese and tomato is a classic combination. Pair the wine with tomato-based dishes such as red sauce pasta. Spaghetti and meatballs, the Italian-influenced American dish, famous the world over, or preparations with marinara sauce, like ravioli marinara, are brilliant pairings with Sangiovese.
2. Any grilled steak is delicious with this wine. Cut from the loin, the meat is marbled and cooked on live charcoal or wood fire.
3. Grilled vegetables are a great pairing with this red too! Try a pizza with roasted veggies!
4. Beef stew. The richness of meat helps cut through the tannins in the wine.
5. Sausages taste delicious with this varietal. Barbecued sausages, in particular, are excellent.
6. Dishes flavored with herbs, mainly oregano, thyme, basil, and sage are a delightful companion to Sangiovese.

Please sign up for our email list below to get the latest information on our latest product descriptions, upcoming sales and special offers. We have some of the best offers in the business so please keep updated and have all questions answered in our COMMONWEALTH NEWS

Please explore and sample some of our fine selections of Sangiovese fine wines or go to our main site for a complete selection of all fine beverages

Castello di Monsanto Il Poggio Chianti Classico Riserva 2013

Sangiovese from Chianti Classico, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2015

Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva 2015

Sangiovese from Chianti Classico, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Fattoria La Lecciaia Brunello di Montalcino 2013

Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2016

Sangiovese from Chianti Classico, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2013

Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Ferrari-Carano Siena 2016

Sangiovese from Sonoma County, California

Collosorbo Rosso di Montalcino 2016

Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico Riserva Berardo 2015

Sangiovese from Chianti Classico, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Poggio San Polo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012

Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 2016

Sangiovese from Chianti Classico, Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

 

GOOD PORT WINE

Port is the world’s most popular fortified wine. Made for centuries in the rugged region of northwest Portugal’s Douro Valley, Port is a fortified wine, meaning it’s a wine that’s been blended with a small amount of a distilled spirit, usually brandy. Good Port Wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced with distilled grape spirits exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, though it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Fortified wines in the style of port are also produced outside Portugal, including in Australia, France, South Africa, Canada, India, Argentina, Spain, and the United States. Under the European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal may be labeled as port or Porto. In the United States, wines labeled “port” may come from anywhere in the world, while the names “Oporto”, “Porto”, and “Vinho do Porto” have been recognized as foreign, non-generic names for port wines originating in Portugal.

Port wine, associated with Portugal really came into being as a result of the activity of England. Essentially, the English boycotted French wine during the late 17th century and as a result of the war and began sourcing their red wine from Portugal instead of France. The British were adding a small amount of brandy to the Port to stabilize it during the transport from Portugal to England. As a result, Ports have a reputation for being higher in alcohol, noticeably sweeter, and with more body and palate density than other wines.

The Brits started adding a wee bit of brandy to the Port to help sustain it during the voyage back to England. The brandy served to give the fragile still wine the fortitude to make the long trip on a rocking boat without spoiling, but it also made the wine considerably sweeter when it was added early enough to halt fermentation and leave residual sugar levels elevated. As a result, Ports have a reputation for being higher in alcohol, noticeably sweeter, and with more body and density than other wines.

Grapes

Over a hundred varieties of grapes (castas) are sanctioned for port production, although only five Tinta Barroca,

Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional are widely cultivated and used. Touriga Nacional is widely considered the most desirable port grape but it is difficult to grow. Touriga Francesa is thus the most widely planted grape. White ports are produced the same way as red ports, except that they use white grapes of Donzelinho Branco, Esgana-Cão, Folgasão, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato and Viosinho. All commercially available Ports are from a blend of different grapes. Quinta do Noval, which, since being planted in 1925 on ungrafted rootstock, has produced some of the most expensive vintage ports.

Grapes grown for port are generally characterized by their small, dense fruit which produces concentrated and long-lasting flavors, suitable for long aging. While the grapes used to produce port made in Portugal are strictly regulated by the Instituto do Vinho do Porto, wines from outside this region which describe themselves as the port may be made from other varieties.

How Port Is Made

Port starts off similar to other still wines as far as the production process goes. Grapes are harvested in the fall after a season of significant struggle in low-nutrient, dry schist soil in the patchwork of Douro Valley vineyards.

Next, the grapes are pressed to extract the juice and initiate fermentation. Many Port producers still embrace traditional foot treading in open-air Lagares or large stone or cement tanks for pressing the fruit. After treading, the grape ‘must’ the fresh-pressed juice along with the seeds, stems, and skins—ferments for several days, until alcohol levels reach around 7 percent.

At this point, the young wine is fortified with brandy to bring the fermentation process to a sudden stop and to capture the new wine’s unique fruit flavors. This fortification will leave the residual sugar levels considerably higher than most still wines, typically in the 100 g/L range.

Finally, the batch of Port is pumped into large oak casks, typically for 18 months or so of aging. At the year and a half mark, these young Port wines are blended with other lots of Port wine to find complementary components that will ultimately deliver a delicious wines with well-defined fruit, a great palate appeal, and overarching balance. The young Port may then be transferred to bottles for further aging or receive additional time in a cask.

Types of Port

In broad terms, Port can be split into two distinct categories: wood-aged or bottle-aged. Wood-aged Ports are typically designed to be consumed while still relatively young. The bottle-aged beauties, like Vintage Port, are built to go the distance, often requiring another decade or two to reach full maturity.

Ruby Port

Ruby Ports, so named for their distinct ruby color, are young wines with fresh, fruit-filled aromas. These wines are wallet-friendly, entry-level Ports made from a mix of both grapes and vintages. They’re aged for a total of three years and are quite popular in U.S. markets. Ruby Ports are intended to be consumed young and enjoy a remarkable food-pairing versatility.

Foods to Pair With a Ruby Port: Blue cheese, milk chocolate, and berry-based desserts

Tawny Port

A Tawny Port is a blend of older vintage wines and displays a rich amber color. Tawnies typically fall on the slightly sweeter side of the spectrum.

As a tawny port spends more time in oak, its color starts to fade from ruby red to more ruby-orange or a “brick-red,” often reaching a deep amber or mahogany color by the time it’s matured. As the aging process continues, a Tawny will taste nuttier and will develop the rich flavors of caramelized figs, dates, and prunes, compared with the fresh-fruit character of Ruby Port.

On the label, the age is most commonly designated as 10, 20, or 30 years. These year designations represent the average age of the various vintages used in the Tawny Port blend, not the exact years the wine has been aged as a whole. Tawny Ports come in three different styles:

• A Colheita Port is made from grapes that were all harvested in the same year.
• A Crusted Port is an unfiltered tawny that develops visible sediment, “crust,” and needs decanting before serving.
• Indicated Age Tawny Ports are designated as being 10, 20, 30, or 40 years old; the number indicates the minimum average age of the wines used in the bottle.

Tawny Port Food Pairing Aged cheddar cheese, caramel apples or apple pie, dried fruit, milk or dark chocolate, cheesecake, tiramisu, and pumpkin or pecan pie.

Vintage Port

A Vintage Port is a Port that is made of blended grapes, usually from various vineyards, which are all from the same vintage year. Historically, Vintage Ports are only declared every three out of 10 years on average. The best grapes, from the best vineyards in the best years, come together to create a quality Vintage Port.

These Ports typically spend about 6 months in oak and then go unfiltered into a bottle for further aging. This extended aging is typical to the tune of another 20 years or more! As a direct result of long-term aging, a pretty heavy layer of sediment forms, and Vintage Ports require decanting and a good bit of aeration before they’re consumed.

Vintage Ports represent the upper echelon both in style and cost. A classification that is common to mistake with the “Vintage Port” designation is the Late-Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port. This particular style of Port is made with grapes from a single vintage, but it was aged in oak only four to six years before it is bottled and released. Late-Bottled Vintage Port is exceedingly popular in the U.K.

Vintage Port and Food Pairing: Stilton and other blue cheeses, almonds and walnuts, chocolate and chocolate-based desserts, and puffed pastries

White Port

As the name implies, White Port is derived from white grape varietals and can be made in both very dry to semi-sweet styles. White Port is typically fruitier on the palate and a bit fuller-bodied than other fortified white wines.

Storing and Serving Port

Vintage Ports should be stored on their sides, in a dark, cool environment like their still wine counterparts. Ruby and Tawny Ports are ready to drink once released and can either be stored upright or on their sides. Once opened, Ports can last from a day (Vintage Port) to several weeks for Ruby Ports and several months for a Tawny Port.

When serving Port, try to keep the serving temperature right around 60 to 65 degrees. Serving Port wines with a slight chill will lift the aromatics and focus the innate fruit and flavor components.

Today, various renditions of Port are made outside of Portugal in several wine-producing countries. However, these fortified wines are typically made from raisined grapes and often lack the depth and remarkable acidity that comes with the original. Authentic Portuguese Port is designated as “Porto” on the bottle’s label.

Please sign up for our email list below to get the latest information on our latest product descriptions, upcoming sales and special offers. We have some of the best offers in the business so please keep updated and have all questions answered in our COMMONWEALTH NEWS

Please sample some of our fine selections below or go to our main website for a total selection of your favorite beverages

 

Wine & Soul Pintas Vintage Port 2014

Port from Douro, Portugal

GOOD PORT WINE – Wine & Soul Pintas Vintage Port 2014

Port from Douro, Portugal

Warre’s Fine White Port

Port from Portugal

Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port 2016

Port from Portugal

Ferreira Vintage Port 2011

Port from Portugal

Ferreira White Port

Port from Portugal

Ramos Pinto 10 Year Tawny Ervamoira

Port from Portuga

Quinta Nova Cla Port Special Reserve

Port from Portugal

Ferreira Dona Antonia Reserva Tawny Port

Port from Portugal

Fonseca 10-Year-Old Tawny

Port from Portugal

Smith Woodhouse Colheita Tawny Port 2000

Port from Portugal

Sandeman 10-Year-Old Tawny

Port from Portugal

BEST SHERRY WINE

Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versions similar to white table wines, such as Manzanilla and Fino, to darker and heavier versions that have been allowed to oxidize as they age in barrels, such as Amontillado and Oloroso. Sweet dessert wines are also made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes and are sometimes blended with Palomino-based sherries. The sherry designation contains some of the driest as well as the sweetest wines on the planet.

Today, sherry, just as with other spirits or liquors, can only be made within a specific region. Known as the Marco de Jerez or “Sherry Triangle,” sherry is made in three towns in Southern Spain — Jerez de la Frontera (known simply as Jerez, and pronounced “he-ref”), Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa Maria.

After fermentation is complete, the base wines are fortified with grape spirit in order to increase their final alcohol content. Wines classified as suitable for aging as Fino and Manzanilla are fortified until they reach a total alcohol content of 15.5 percent by volume. As they age in barrel, they develop a layer of flor—a yeast-like growth that helps protect the wine from excessive oxidation. Those wines that are classified to undergo aging as Oloroso are fortified to reach an alcohol content of at least 17 percent. They do not develop flor and so oxidize slightly as they age, giving them a darker color. Because the fortification takes place after fermentation, most sherries are initially dry, with any sweetness being added later. In contrast, port wine is fortified halfway through its fermentation, which stops the process so that not all the sugar is turned into alcohol.

Wines from different years are aged and blended using a solera system before bottling so that bottles of sherry will not usually carry a specific vintage year and can contain a small proportion of very old wine.

Jerez has been a center of viniculture since wine-making was introduced to Spain by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC. The practice was carried on by the Romans when they took control of Iberia around 200 BC. The Moors conquered the region in AD 711 and introduced distillation, which led to the development of brandy and fortified wine.

Wine production continued through five centuries of Muslim rule. In 1264 Alfonso X of Castile Spain took the city. From this point on, the production of Sherry and its export throughout Europe increased significantly. By the end of the 16th century, Sherry had a reputation in Europe as the world’s finest wine.

Christopher Columbus brought Sherry on his voyage to the New World and when Ferdinand Magellan prepared to sail around the world in 1519. He spent more on Sherry than other significant supplies.

Sherry became very popular in Great Britain, especially after Francis Drake sacked Cadiz in 1587 and acquired 2,900 barrels of Sherry. These spoils of war were brought back to the British Isles and made Sherry very popular. Because sherry was a major wine export to the United Kingdom, many English companies and styles developed. Many of the Jerez cellars were founded by British families.

BEST SHERRY WINE, DRY AND SWEET TYPES

• Fino is the driest and palest of the traditional varieties of Sherry. The wine is aged in barrels under a cap of flor yeast to prevent contact with the air. There is oxygen exposure, but the perfect amount, given the flor’s protective abilities. Relatively simple and great chilled, this is a good, inexpensive introduction to sherry. Try it with tapas. Fino sherries are purely biological in their production.

• Manzanilla is an especially light variety of Fino Sherry made around the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Manzanilla is also aged under the flor and shares many characteristics with fino sherries, except for one: Manzanilla sherry is only made in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

• Manzanilla Pasada is a Manzanilla that has undergone extended aging or has been partially oxidized, giving a richer, nuttier flavor.

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• Amontillado is a variety of Sherry that is first aged under flor and then exposed to oxygen, producing a sherry that is darker than a Fino but lighter than an Oloroso. Naturally dry, they are sometimes sold lightly to medium sweetened but these can no longer be labeled as Amontillado. The result is a beautiful tawny specimen, often tasting woodsy, with candied fruit and nut elements. Amontillado sherries retain both the biologic and oxidative elements of sherry production.

• Oloroso (‘scented’ in Spanish) is a variety of Sherry aged oxidatively for a longer time than a Fino or Amontillado, producing a darker and richer wine. With alcohol levels between 18 and 20%, Olorosos are the most alcoholic sherries. Like Amontillado, naturally dry, they are often also sold in sweetened versions called Cream Sherry (first made in the 1860s by blending different sherries, usually including Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez). If you’re looking for sherry at its most dense and sophisticated, this style is for you.

• Palo Cortado is a variety of Sherry that is initially aged like an Amontillado, typically for three or four years. This will develop a character closer to an Oloroso. This either happens by accident when the flor dies or commonly the flor is killed by fortification or filtration.

• Jerez Dulce (Sweet Sherries) are made either by fermenting dried Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes, which produces an intensely sweet dark brown or black wine or by blending sweeter wines.

Grapes for Sherry Production

Currently, there are only three white grapes grown for sherry-making:

• Palomino: the dominant grape used for the dry sherries. Approximately 90 percent of the grapes grown for Sherry is Palomino. As varietal table wine, the Palomino grape produces a wine of very bland and neutral characteristics. This neutrality is actually what makes Palomino an ideal grape because it is easily enhanced by the sherry winemaking style.
• Pedro Ximenez: used to produce sweet wines. When harvested these grapes are typically dried in the sun for two days to concentrate their sugars.
• Moscatel: used similarly to Pedro Ximénez, but it is less common.

Fortification

Immediately after fermentation, the wine is sampled and the first classification is performed. The casks are marked with the following symbols according to the potential of the wine:

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a single stroke indicates a wine with the finest flavor and aroma and thus compatible with Fino or Amontillado. These wines are fortified to about 15 percent of alcohol to allow the growth of flor.

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A single stroke with a dot indicates a heavier, more full-bodied wine. These wines are fortified to about 17.5 percent alcohol to prevent the growth of flor, and the wines are aged oxidatively to produce Oloroso.

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a double stroke indicates a wine that will be allowed to develop further before determining whether to use the wine for Amontillado or Oloroso. These wines are fortified to about 15 percent alcohol.

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a triple stroke indicates a wine that has developed poorly and will be distilled.

Fine Sherry and What To Eat

The wines under the ‘sherry’ umbrella range from the lightest and driest in the world right through to the sweetest and everything in between. Here are just a few of the key styles to try and what to eat with them. All but one here are made from the white Palomino grape.

Fino and Manzanilla

The lightest and driest sherries, with virtually no sugar content. Not the style that most Brits associate with sherry, but these days it’s hugely popular. Treat like a dry white wine.

Straw-colored, crisp, with nutty floral notes. It’s aged under a beautiful layer of ‘flor’ made of local yeasts that protect its light color and give huge flavor to the wine.

Drink with: Lots of tapas would be a good start! In particular, anchovies, fine ibérico ham, crisp fried fish and plump juicy prawns, as well as sushi. Always drink fridge cold in a wine glass. Order good olives and almonds than just keep grazing.

Amontillado

A style that started life as a fino, but then aged for several more years creating a delicate and elegant wine, dry, amber-colored with floral and caramel notes, dried fruits and hazelnuts.

Drink with: Perfect with mushrooms, risottos and Spanish rice dishes. It pairs incredibly with asparagus and artichokes, as well as smoked fish and cured meats. Also, brilliant with spiced oriental and Asian dishes. It’s so versatile with most foods.

Oloroso

Oloroso translates to ‘aroma’. It’s powerful and robust, and a bit higher in alcohol (at least 17%). Aged in contact with oxygen, the color has more of a mahogany tinge. Olorosos will be warming, rounded, with hints of wood, hazelnut, and dried fruits.

Drink with: As a more powerful sherry it pairs wonderfully with braises, stews, casseroles and mature cheese. It also goes wonderfully well with good rare tuna dishes.

Pedro ximenez

‘PX’ as it’s often termed is no shrinking violet. If fino is the driest sherry in the world, then this is the sweetest, with up to 50% sugar content! Not made from palomino, but actually from the Pedro Ximenez grape, sun-dried in the Andalucian sun to concentrate its sugars before being pressed.

Drink with: vanilla ice cream as a saturating topping. Also, heavenly with any chocolate dessert, such as churros with hot chocolate sauce. Contrasting it also pairs wonderfully with strong blue cheeses.

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Please sample some of our fine selections of Sherry or go to our main site for an absolutely complete selection of fine wines and exceptional beverages for your pleasure.

 

Deliciosa manzanilla 2019 en rama valdespino, 15%

El Maestro Sierra amoroso medium, 19%

Mil Pesetas cream sherry NV, 18%

Don PX vino dulce de passas 2017, 17%

Gonzalez byass apostoles palo cortado VORS, 20%

Pedro’s almacenista selection amontillado, 19%

Xeco fino, 15%

Croft Particular sherry, 17.5%

Gonzalez byass del duque VORS amontillado sherry, 21.5%

THE BEST SEMILLON WINE

Sémillon is one of the wine world’s somewhat famous grapes. This gold-skinned grape produces France’s most famous and revered sweet wines, such as Sauternes, and some greatest dry white wines of Australia and the best Semillon wine of either France for Sauternes or Australia for fine dry white wines

Sémillon Grapes

The Sémillon grape is native to the Bordeaux region. It was known as Sémillon de Saint-Émilion in 1736.It first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and became extremely popular. The Semillon grape by the 1820s the grape covered over 90% of South Africa’s vineyards, where it was known as Wyndruif, meaning “wine grape”. It was once considered to be the most planted grape in the world, although this is no longer the case.

Sémillon, which is relatively easy to cultivate, consistently produces six to eight tons of grapes per acre from its vigorous vines. It is fairly resistant to disease and ripens early, when, in warmer climates, it acquires a pinkish hue. Since the grape has a thin skin, there is also a risk of sunburn in hotter climates; it is best suited to areas with sunny days and cool nights.

The Sémillon grape is rather heavy, with low acidity and an almost oily texture. It has a high yield and wines based on Semillon can undergo significant aging. Along with Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle, Sémillon is one of only three approved white wine varieties in the Bordeaux region.

The grape is also key to the production of sweet wines such as Sauternes. For the grapes to be used for sweet wine production, they need to have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, (also known as “noble rot“). This fungus dries out the grapes, thus concentrating the sugar and flavors in the grape berry.

Semillon showing signs of developing noble rot

The grape’s home is Bordeaux, and in the 1960s it was planted more than any other variety there. It is here on the Atlantic coast that Sémillon gives its most famous expression: the botrytis-affected wines of Sauternes. Foggy mornings followed by sunny afternoons encourage the development of Botrytis cinerea, leading to the luscious, long-lived wines that are some most collectible in the world.

When vinified, sweet wine made from Sémillon can take on a multitude of flavors, particularly peach, nectarine and mango, with notes of citrus, nuts and honey. Because of the concentrations of sugar and glycerol the wine demonstrates a very silken texture.

Often lacking the acid required to balance its weight, Sémillon is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Muscadelle is also added to enhance the fruitiness of the white Bordeaux Blend. Intensely structured Sémillon wines may be barrel-aged, while fresher examples are typically fermented in stainless steel.

As a dry wine, Sémillon requires a unique set of conditions in which to make quality wine including a certain amount of rain to produce these top quality dry wines of the unoaked Sémillon. The best Hunter Valley wines are some longest-living dry white wines in the world.

Sémillon is an important cultivar in two significant wine producing countries. In France, Sémillon is the preeminent white grape in the Bordeaux wine regions. The grape has also found a home in Australia; whereas today the country’s major white varieties are Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc, early in the country’s viticultural development it was Sémillon that was the most significant white variety.

France

In France, the Sémillon grape is grown mostly in Bordeaux where it is blended with Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle.[6] When dry, it is referred to as Bordeaux blanc and is permitted to be made in the appellations of Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers. However, when used to make the sweet white wines of Bordeaux (such as those from Sauternes, Barsac and Cérons) it is often the dominant variety. In such wines the vine is exposed to the “noble rot” of Botrytis cinerea. Which consumes the water content of the fruit, concentrating the sugar present in its pulp. When attacked by Botrytis cinerea, the grapes shrivel and the acid and sugar levels are intensified.

Australia

Sémillon vines growing in Gisborne, New Zealand

Sémillon is widely grown in Australia, particularly in the Hunter Valley north of Sydney. Four styles of Sémillon-based wines are made there:

• a commercial style, often blended with Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc;
• a sweet style, after that of Sauternes;
• a complex, minerally, early picked style which has great longevity;
• and an equally high quality dry style, which can be released soon after vintage as a vats- or bottle-aged example.

The latter two styles were pioneered by Lindemans, Tulloch, McWilliam’s Elizabeth, Drayton and Tyrrell’s, and are considered unique to Australia.

Most examples of these bottle-aged Hunter Semillons exhibit a buttercup-yellow color, honey characteristics on the nose and excellent complex flavors on the palate, with a long finish and soft acid. Young Hunter Valley semillon is almost always a dry wine, usually exhibiting citrus flavors of lemon, lime or green apple. Cooler-year Hunter Semillons seem to be the most highly sought after.

Sémillon is also finding favor with Australian producers outside the Hunter Valley in the Barossa Valley and Margaret River regions. The Adelaide Hills is becoming a flourishing region for Semillon with the cooler climate producing some wines of great complexity.

South Africa

Semillon is one of the Cape’s true heritage white varietals, with origins as early as the 17th century when it became known as Groendruif which translates as Green grapes. This grape variety accounted for more than 90% of plantings in the first half of the 19th century. While South African Semillon has not quite taken off as a serious commercial category in single varietal form in the modern era, there are stunning wines being made from especially older vineyards. The best South African Semillons have juicy fruit with often an ethereal-like citrus perfume, fine texture, herbal interest and manage to marry the intensity of flavors.

Other regions

Outside of these regions, however, Sémillon is unpopular and often criticised for lack of complexity and intensity. As such, plantings have decreased over the last century. As referenced above, the grape can still be found in South Africa and Chile. The latter is reputed to have the largest plantings of this grape, although the number of acres planted with Sémillon fluctuates often. California growers plant Sémillon primarily to blend it with Sauvignon blanc. There are some wineries in Washington State that have produced Sémillon as a varietal wine since the early 1980s; others actively produce Sémillon for Ice Wine and Late Harvest wines. The grape is also planted in Argentina, Canada (Niagara and British Columbia) and recently in New Zealand.

Semillon and Great Food Pairing

The Hunter Valley in Australia is the place to go for the best Semillon wine the most distinctive style. Fresh and zippy when it’s young, more complex and oily as it ages this is the perfect wine for raw and lightly cooked shellfish especially with Asian flavors.

Oysters

Fresh crab

Clams

Sashimi

Seafood salads

Spring vegetables such as asparagus and peas

Dishes with fennel

Dishes with a citrus influence

Lightly cooked fish dishes such as sea bass and razor clams

Soft shell crab

squid

smoked fish such as salmon or trout

Barossa Valley Semillon and other rich selections

Fuller and riper, often with a lick of oak, Southern Australian Semillons can take richer fish and shellfish dishes and light meats like chicken and pork – again with an Asian accent. Try:

Scallops (probably my number one choice)

Grilled lobster, prawns or Moreton Bay bugs

Salmon and salmon trout

Fish or chicken in a creamy Asian sauce

Seafood risotto

Thickly sliced ham

Pork or chicken satay

Other spicy but not over-hot pork dishes

Please sign up for our email list below to get the latest information on our latest product descriptions, upcoming sales and special offers. We have some of the best offers in the business so please keep updated and have all questions answered in our COMMONWEALTH NEWS

Please review some fine selections of the Best Semillon Wine. Also, please go to our website for a complete selection of all our fine beverages

2011 Brokenwood ILR Semillon

2014 Carpenter Semillon

2015 De Romance

2017 Moss Wood Semillon

2015 Moss Wood Wilyabrup Margaret River Semillon

1995 Tirecul La Graviere Monbazillac Cuvee Madame Vendage Tardive

2004 Two Hands For Love or Money Cane Cut Semilion Late Harvest

1942 Yquem

BEST VIOGNIER WINES

Viognier is a white-wine grape variety known for producing textural, aromatic wines with pronounced fruit flavors as apricots are the variety’s classic flavor associations. On the nose, Viognier wines can also be very herbal, with aromas of chamomile, lavender, thyme and even a possible hint of pine. In aged examples and sweeter styles, this potentially overpowering herbal profile is softened by honeyed notes. Just consider a fantastic grilled salmon and a mango and not a salad with a glass of Viognier.

Like Chardonnay, Viognier has the potential to produce full-bodied wines with a lush, character. In contrast to Chardonnay, Viognier varietal has more natural aromatics that include notes of peaches, pears, violets.

The potential quality of Viognier is also highly dependent on viticultural practices and climate with the grape requiring a long, warm growing season in order to fully ripen but not a climate that is so hot that the grape develops high levels of sugars and potential alcohol before its aromatic notes can develop. The grape is naturally a low yielding variety which can make it less economically viable to planting in some vineyards.

The Best Viognier Wines are well-known for their floral aromas, and terpenes, which are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines depending on where they were grown, the weather conditions and how old the vines were. Although some of these wines, especially those from old vines and the late-harvest wines, are suitable for aging, most are intended to be consumed young. Viogniers more than three years old tend to lose many of the floral aromas that make this wine unique. Aging these wines will often yield a very crisp drinking wine which is almost completely flat in the nose. It is thus better to select a young wine for the ultimate in flavor The color and the aroma of the wine suggest a sweet wine but Viognier wines are predominantly dry, although sweet late-harvest dessert wines have been made.

ALMOST EXTINCT

In the late 1960s, just 35 acres of Viognier vines were all that remained in the world, located exclusively in the vineyards of Condrieu and Château-Grillet. Fortunately, the 1970s saw new life into the near-extinct variety, by the Yalumba winery in Australia’s Eden Valley and a handful of California winegrowers. During the 21st Century, Viognier has had a remarkable renaissance and is now found more widely in France, and in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the US, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and even Japan. In other locations, notably California and Australia, Viognier has emerged as a prestigious niche variety.

OUTLAW CONTRABAND

The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown; it is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia which is present-day Croatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend states that the Roman emperor Probus brought the vine to the region in 281 AD; another has the grape packaged with Syrah on a cargo ship navigating the Rhône river, en route to Beaujolais when it was captured, near the site of present-day Condrieu, by a local group of outlaws. The origin of the name Viognier is also obscure. The most common namesake is the French city of Vienne, which was a major Roman outpost.

Viognier Wine & Food Pairings

The best selections could be mild creamy curries like kormas or spicy south-east Asian curries. Even curries made with curry powder work well as do spicy dishes with a hint of peach or apricot, echoing the flavors in the wine

Mild spicy noodle dishes like Pad Thai

Chicken salads with apricot, peach or mango

Fruity chicken – and even lamb – tagines with apricot

Dishes with ginger, saffron and coconut

Chicken, pork or rabbit with creamy sauces, especially if the dish includes a dash of viognier. More intensely flavored viogniers can stand up to roast pork, chicken, and turkey

Rich shellfish dishes such as seared scallops, grilled lobster and baked crab, especially with a hint of spice

Creamy and buttery cheeses

Sweet root vegetables especially carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes and spicy butternut squash

Salmon

Mahimahi

Chilean Sea Bass

Lobster

Crab Cakes

Pork

Turkey

Ham

Almonds

Creamy or buttery Pasta Dishes

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With all these great food ideas it is time to order and sample some great Viognier Wine. Please check out the selections below or go to our website for the ultimate source of all wine and spirits

Alban Central Coast Viognier 2017

Viognier from Central Coast, California

Barboursville Reserve Viognier 2017

Viognier from Virginia, Other U.S.

Cristom Viognier 2016

Viognier from Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Penner-Ash Viognier 2018

Viognier from Oregon

Darioush Signature Viognier 2018

Viognier from Napa Valley, California

Miner Family Viognier 2017

Viognier from California

M. Chapoutier La Combe Pilate 2016

Viognier from Rhone, France

Yalumba Organic Viognier 2017

Viognier from South Australia, Australia

Guigal Condrieu 2017

Viognier from Condrieu, Rhone, France

Domaine Pichat Condrieu La Caille 2017

Viognier from Condrieu, Rhone, France

Peay Vineyards Estate Viognier 2017

Viognier from Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California

Chateau Lagrezette Le Pigeonnier White 2015

Viognier from France