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| Sophisticated tannins here |
Wine has been around for quite a long time. In fact, it predates footwear. Most likely the first areas that made wine are present-day Georgia and Armenia. Eventually Europe got in the action and within the last 500 years France and Italy have dominated any discussion of premier wines. And that’s just not fair.
So in this segment we’re going to spotlight regions that don’t get the same fanfare. Today we’re focusing on South Africa.
South Africa is a top ten producer of wine in the world, and exports more tons of wine than Australia. Most of the wine from the country centers around Cape Town in the regions of Paarl, Worcester, and Stellenbosch. These regions are influenced by both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and thus feel more like the Mediterranean. The wine is harvested in February and March (remember it’s the Southern hemisphere!) and depending on the elevation of the winery, can feel like Napa Valley (a warmer region) or Burgundy (a cooler region).
Today I’ve got a 2005 Uva Mira Cellar Selection Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon. This particular winery is located on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains in the Stellenbosch region. This would make it a cooler climate wine, which means there is less sugar and intense fruit aromas.
But just because this wine isn’t as fruit-forward as something you’d find in Napa doesn’t mean you can’t smell or taste the black fruits. The black cherries and raspberries are very much enhanced by the earthy texture of the wine. There are a lot of wild spices working here to create a very delicious medium-bodied wine.
And there you have it. No need to be afraid of a wine from a region you've never had before. Although if anybody ever offers you wine from Antarctica, be wary!
So in this segment we’re going to spotlight regions that don’t get the same fanfare. Today we’re focusing on South Africa.
South Africa is a top ten producer of wine in the world, and exports more tons of wine than Australia. Most of the wine from the country centers around Cape Town in the regions of Paarl, Worcester, and Stellenbosch. These regions are influenced by both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and thus feel more like the Mediterranean. The wine is harvested in February and March (remember it’s the Southern hemisphere!) and depending on the elevation of the winery, can feel like Napa Valley (a warmer region) or Burgundy (a cooler region).
Today I’ve got a 2005 Uva Mira Cellar Selection Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon. This particular winery is located on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains in the Stellenbosch region. This would make it a cooler climate wine, which means there is less sugar and intense fruit aromas.
But just because this wine isn’t as fruit-forward as something you’d find in Napa doesn’t mean you can’t smell or taste the black fruits. The black cherries and raspberries are very much enhanced by the earthy texture of the wine. There are a lot of wild spices working here to create a very delicious medium-bodied wine.
And there you have it. No need to be afraid of a wine from a region you've never had before. Although if anybody ever offers you wine from Antarctica, be wary!
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