February 2025
South Africa: Exploring the Cape
As with all ‘New World’ wine-producing countries, South Africa has been growing grapes pretty much since Europeans began establishing serious colonies on its shores, with the first vines being planted in the 17th century by Jan van Riebeeck. Jan was a surgeon sent south to plant a garden and grow things that Dutch East India Company ships could stop at to load up on scurvy-preventing fruit before the final leg of their journey. Part of Jan’s garden was a vineyard. Not long after, in 1685, Constantia was formed outside Cape Town, on the same grounds it operates from today. For hundreds of years this estate was the country's only recognizable winery, producing fortified wines that traveled around the world on the many ships that journeyed past the cape.
Other than Constantia, the story of South African wine was very bleak until the 1990s when the end of apartheid rejuvenated a country that had existed in isolation for decades. Young winemakers began exploring the wines of Europe (especially Burgundy) and bringing ideas back to their country. Pinotage, the grape created in South Africa in 1925, began to be recognized as a grape with fine wine potential for the first time; Chenin Blanc emerged as the favored white grape; and a multitude of other French varietals (as you’ll soon taste) took root across the Western Cape.
And these grapes found a ready environment to be grown in. South Africa has the oldest geology of any winegrowing country, with soil formed from granite, sandstone and shale up to 500 million years old in some cases. The soil, paired with the extreme diurnal shifts (difference between daytime and nighttime temps) on the cape make for exceptional grape-growing potential. This makes it no surprise that in the last thirty years a plethora of excellent wineries have emerged from across South Africa’s southwestern coast. Here we explore some of the lesser seen varietals coming out of the country (no Pinotage or Chenin Blanc - but we have some awesome examples in the shop if you want to try more from South Africa). The whites are varietals everyone is familiar with but the reds dig a little deeper and will both be the only single-varietal expressions we currently have in the shop.
Southern Right - Sauvignon Blanc
Cape Coast: 47% Hemel-en-Aarde, 53% Walker’s Bay
The Grapes
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Producer Profile
A very small project by winemaker Anthony Hamilton Russell in a tiny corner of the Cape Coast overlooking Walker’s Bay, where Southern Right Whales (on the label) frequent during their migration. Southern Right only makes two wines: this Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinotage. Both wines are a balance of new and old world styles, with this Sauvignon Blanc toeing that line perfectly.
Tasting Notes
Bright notes of green apple, lemon, and peach with aromatics of beeswax and fresh cut grass. On the palate there’s some round, tropical guava notes. Moderate acidity for sauv blanc, nice minerality.
Pairing Suggestions
A great, simple white for your next fish fry or shrimp scampi.
Can it Age?
Drink now.
Kara-Tara - Chardonnay
Western Cape
The Grapes
100% Chardonnay
Producer Profile
Kara-Tara is a joint venture between winemaker Rudger Van Wyk, who grew up on the Kara Tara river, and winery owner Jose Conde. This project, similarly to Southern Right, focuses on just two grapes, this time Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These varietals are well-suited to the high elevation, quite cool vineyards from which Kara-Tara sources their fruit. The wines are more old-world than many in South Africa, with this Chardonnay being very reminiscent of Chablis.
Tasting Notes
Mineral driven, even on the nose. Pear, ripe stone fruit, lemon curd, salinity. A very light touch of new French oak brings out some spice and richness that lingers through the finish. Slate-y minerality on the tongue. Florality also coming through on the palate.
Pairing Suggestions
Shellfish of any shape or size or as an aperitif wine.
Can it Age?
Drink now - 2027.
Trizanne Signature Wines - Cinsault
Swartland
The Grapes
100% Cinsault - Organic, Natural
Producer Profile
Going on 17 years of operation, Trizanne Signature Wines (TSW) was founded by Trizanne Barnard, one of South Africa’s star young winemakers while working at Constantia in the mid-2000’s. TSW was started with an eye towards creating vineyard-specific expressions of single varietals from her home of Swartland. This Cinsault is no exception, incredibly drinkable and easy-going, it’s beautifully indicative of this odd-ball grape.
Tasting Notes
Raspberry and bing cherry with some spice and lavender on the nose. The lack of tannin and low acid make this quite approachable. More lush fruit on the palate with the spices and florality darting in and out. Very pleasant finish, very pleasant wine.
Pairing Suggestions
Quite good on its own, but would be perfect with appetizers. Cheeses, cured meats, bread, the works.
Can it Age?
Drink now.
Blackwater - ‘Omerta’
Tulbagh, Western Cape
The Grapes
100% Carignan - Organic
Producer Profile
Blackwater is a wide-ranging winery from winemaker Francois Haasbroek. He works with a plethora of sustainable and organic vineyards across the Western Cape. This Carignan is one of his most sought after wines, featuring single-vineyard fruit made with extended maceration and a long aging in large old oak foudres. A surprisingly elegant expression of what is often a ‘rustic’ grape, used mostly for blending in the South of France.
Tasting Notes
Darting dark fruit: black cherry, plum, blackberry with lovely aromatics of fresh herbs and leather. Acid and tannin are both present but very balanced. Black cherry comes more forward on the palate and the herbaceousness lingers in the finish along with a slight smokey note.
Pairing Suggestions
This will pair with a lot of food quite well, but would be very lovely with roast chicken slathered in Ras el Hanout or some similar spice-mix (where can you get Ras el Hanout, you may ask? Why, right here in the shop!)
Can it Age?
Lovely now, but should be hitting a peak 2027-2030