Wines we've liked

While neither Erin nor I are particularly skilled in the art of wine tasting, we do like to drink the fermented grape juice and generally know what we like. It was with this technical expertise that we tried to keep track of wines we tasted during our travels around South Africa's wine country. As a measure of my commitment to this task, I have to note that in the first three weeks in Africa, not a beer crossed my lips (OK, one or two beers, but it was a hot day).

 

So here, in no particular order, are wines and wineries we enjoyed. I am not sure which of these can be found in the US markets, but South Africa seems intent on growing their exports, so perhaps some will be coming to a wine store near you someday soon.

 

Glenwood

We visited this winery and weren't blown away by any of their wines. We did like the sauvignon blanc the best.

 

Boschendal

Again, the wines at this winery were not as impressive as the setting. Our ample tasting (As an aside, South African tastings generally seem to consist of 7-10 glasses, each filled amply. An ambitious undertaking unto itself.) took place under a huge oak tree that was planted when the winery was founded, a few hundred years ago. Of the wines we tasted, we liked the 2003 shiraz the best.

 

Delaire

This was by far the most scenic winery we visited (other than perhaps Le Petite Ferme, which is really more of a restaurant than typical winery), set on a mountain pass between Franschoek and Stellenbosch. Of the wines we tried, the 2005 sauvignon blanc was our favorite.

 

Buitenverwachting

I drank a fair amount of their buiten blanc over lunch at Col C'Acchio Pizza, one of our favorite haunts. While the wine was very refreshing on a hot day, I think I kept ordering it because I liked saying "Buitenverwachting" in my brutalized German accent. By the end of the meal, I am sure the waiter was tired of my self-entertainment.

 

Grande Provence

The Grande Provence is known as one of the best restaurants in Franschoek (the culinary capital of South Africa, arguably). However, on the night we dined there, we were the only patrons. This led to the somewhat surreal experience of eating while the entire waitstaff leaned against the wall staring at us. Even the slightest flinch on our part brought at least one, if not several, inquiries about whether we needed anything. If I were slightly more devilish, I might have started flinching, just to see the waitrons jump. Luckily I am a much better person than that. As for the wine, we liked the shiraz and red table wine. In fact, if I were having a party and needed some bulk wine, I'd call the red table wine a good choice.

 

Chamonix

I wanted to visit this winery, but alas, so many wineries, so little time. I drank their pinotage at dinner at Reubens one night. It was arguably my favorite wine we had in South Africa, but that could be due in part to the excellent meal it accompanied. Reubens would have to be tied for first place (with Le Petite Ferme) as the best meal we have had so far. It is an excellent restaurant that would hold up in New York, as well as in Franschoek.

 

Now in Namibia and Botswana, we learned that while you can get wine from a bottle, you can also get it from a box. And I have gained new respect for box wines, but I will leave that musing for another day.