Navigation

Pinotage

Known as South Africa’s signature variety, Pinotage was bred there in 1925 as a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsaut grapes. Cinsaut, at the time, was known as Hermitage in South Africa, hence the Pinotage name. Pinotage is typically made into a deep red wine with smoky, bramble and earthy flavors, sometimes with notes of bananas and tropical fruit. Pinotage has also been criticized for sometimes smelling of acetone, thus it is often blended or made into fortified wines. Occasionally, the grape is seen in a red sparkling version.

The inventor of Pinotage was a man by the name of Abraham Izak Perold, who was the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. He created the cross in an attempt to combine the robust quality of the Cinsaut with Pinot Noir. Perold planted a small amount of his experimental cross in his garden at Welgevallen Farm and then seemed to have forgotten about them. A few years later, after he had left the university, the garden had become overgrown and was to be dug up and removed. A fellow lecturer, Charlie Niehaus, happened by during excavation and rescued the vines from the clean-up team. The young plants were moved to Elsenburg Agricultural College and propagated. The first wines were made from these vines in 1941 and were commercially planted at Myrtle Grove and in the Kanonkop Estate.

Kanonkop Estate has gone on to produce Pinotage of great fame and can mature up to 25 years. The estate has been called a formidable leader of South African winemaking. The first recognition came when a Bellevue wine made from Pinotage became the champion wine at the Cape Wine Show of 1959. This wine would become the first wine to mention Pinotage on its label in 1961, when Stellenbosch Farmer’s Winery marketed it under their Lanzerac brand. This success and Pinotage’s easy viticulture prompted a wave of plantings during the 1960s.

In addition to South Africa, Pinotage is seen grown in Brazil, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, the United States and Zimbabwe. German winemakers have recently begun experimenting with the grape, as well.

Ken Forrester Western Cape Petit Pinotage 2010

Appearance: Deep garnet red

Aroma: Aromas of dark plum, anise and currant

Flavors: Dark fruit flavors that are fairly toasted with new oak

Finishing Notes: Is rich and polished with a nice balance between the heavy oak and the dark fruit tones

Perfect Pairing: With the dark fruit flavors and the fair amount of oak, we would pair this nice fall red with a bone-in ribeye or porterhouse steak fresh of the grill, finished with a Pinotage infused demi-glace and grilled vegetables.

WINE:30 is written by Karl Bradley and Jody Wuollett, who are both longtime residents of Door County. Jody is the owner operator of Chop Restaurant in the Sister Bay Country Walk Shops and Karl is the General Manager and Executive Chef of the Mission Grille in Sister Bay. They have both been awarded the first level of certification from the Court of the Master Sommeliers.