For this month’s wine club selections, we offer three wines from South Africa! South Africa is one of the most prominent wine producing regions in the Southern Hemisphere and has a mix of old and new wine producers across the country. In this lineup is a refreshing Chenin Blanc, a beautiful rose, and a delightful Pinotage (South Africa’s most famous varietal).
This wine is made with 100% Chenin Blanc grapes, planted on granite soil, which gives it aromatics, powerful flavors, and bright acidity. It is Fermented and aged in stainless steel for remarkable freshness and clarity. This crisp white wine showcases notes of ripe mango, fresh lemon zest, and white peach rounded out with a subtle note of sea salt and fresh green herbs. Pair with tuna tartare or sushi.
The Producer: Storm Point
Storm Point is a wine project from South Africa’s Swartland region, known for its role in the country’s “new wave” of wine. Embracing both modern and traditional methods, the wines are fermented with native yeast, which is rare for their value and volume. Named after the “Cape of Storms,” a treacherous point encountered by Portuguese explorers, Storm Point embodies the belief that perseverance and careful planning lead to success. The project offers an accessible gateway to the diverse world of South African wine.
The Region: Swartland
The Swartland is a large wine producing region 40 miles north of Cape Town. Historically farmed for wheat, the Swartland now turns out world-class wines. The climate is hot and dry, leading to low disease pressure from fungus, as well as lower yields with smaller berries and thus more concentrated flavor. The soils here have good drainage but also hold enough water to allow dry farming. Swartland (Dutch for ‘black land’) is named for the native rhinoceros bush, which turns black after rain.
This rosé, composed of 83% Cinsault and 17% Grenache, is a perfect easy-going summer wine. Subtle floral and lemon notes on the nose couple perfectly with bright notes of watermelon, strawberry, and blood orange on the palate. Proximity to the Atlantic Ocean brings a slight note of salinity and minerality. Pair this delightful rosé with grilled prawns.
The Producer: Van Loggerenberg
Van Loggerenberg, helmed by Lukas van Loggerenberg, is a boutique family-run winery creating terroir driven wines from Stellenbosch and Swartland. Lukas, who worked as a car salesman in South Africa before working harvest at a winery in Connecticut, fell in love with wine during a trip to the Loire Valley with his college roommate, the winemaker of Boschkloof. After returning to South Africa, Lukas began his eponymous winery. Since then, he has received numerous awards and much acclaim as one of South Africa’s best young winemakers.
The Region: Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is a truly picturesque wine region in the Western Cape, known for its striking granite mountains. It is home to South Africa’s most developed vineyards, an important wine university (the University of Stellenbosch), and the center of South African wine tourism. Full of vineyards and wineries, Stellenbosch is like South Africa’s version of Napa Valley. Unlike Napa, however, the soil here is some of the oldest soil in the world – over 3 times as old as the soil in Napa. Because of this, the wines are famous for having a distinctive mineral note.
This wine, 100% Pinotage, is a perfect summer red. Aged predominantly in stainless steel with a touch of old neutral oak barrels, it is medium bodied with notes of freshly picked red cherries, juicy plums, and crunchy raspberries. It has a soft texture and silky tannins. Pair this red wine with grilled kebabs of chicken, sausage, and vegetables.
The Producer: Lovely Creatures
A nod to the eponymous album by Australian band Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, these wines are a side project of winemaker Stephanie Wild of Thistle & Weed, one of South Africa’s top women winemakers. The granddaughter of the founder of the Stellenbosch Wine Route, Stephanie has South African wine in her blood. Since inception, these wines have come to represent a phenomenal value for well-crafted, terroir driven South African wines.
The Region: Western Cape
The Western Cape is home to the majority of the South African wine industry, and the country’s two most famous wine regions, Stellenbosch and Paarl. The city of Cape Town serves as the epicenter of the Cape Winelands, a mountainous, biologically diverse area in the south-western corner of the African continent. The first vineyards were planted in the Western Cape when South Africa’s very first European settlers arrived in the 17th Century.
The Grape: Pinotage
The country’s most iconic grape variety, Pinotage was created in South Africa in 1925 by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsault. As a varietal wine, the wines tend to be full-bodied with elevated acidity and typical notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, and plum with background notes of smoke and spice.
