International Pinotage Day – 14 October: Proudly South African
- Oct 14, 2017
- 2 min read
Pinotage
Pronounced “Pee-noh-tahj”
Pinotage is a proudly South African grape first crossed in 1925 by Prof. Abraham Izak Perold. Its name is derived from its parent grapes; Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (also known as Hermitage). Unfortunately, Perold passed away in 1941 before he could live to see the success of his new varietal.
Pinotage is a full-bodied red wine ranging in colour from deep ruby to crimson. It is rustic, earthy and fruit-driven. It is the quintessential love-it-or-hate-it variety. It is a New World Wine with little influence from Europe, causing some European wine experts to dismiss the wine.
Flavours & aromas: Aromas and flavours include red fruit, berry, plum, tropical fruit, earthy and smoke. Pinotage can be made in a wide variety of styles: Port-style wines, Rosé wines and sparkling wines. It is often very high in tannins and as a result, winemakers may prefer to use oak barrels to reduce these tannins.
In order for a wine to be called a “Cape Blend”, it needs to include a minimum of 30% Pinotage – very much the same principle as wines only being allowed to be called “Champagne” if they come from the French region of Champagne.
Food & wine: Pinotage is best paired with meat (typical South African) such as game, lamb, boerewors, spare ribs and steak. It also goes well with fish-curry and young cheddar.
Serving temperature & ageing potential: Pinotage can easily age for up to 10 years, whereas well made old-style Pinotage can be aged for up to 20 – 30 years. Pinotage (depending on the style) should be served between 16˚C - 18˚C.
Fun fact:
New Zealand and Australia were the first wine-producing countries outside South Africa to pick up on Pinotage.
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