Pinotage, a red varietal dry still wine made predominantly from the Pinotage grape.
This topic is for ratings and reviews of Pinotage, a red varietal dry still wine made predominantly (minimum 85%) from the Pinotage grape, mostly in South Africa. The best examples of Pinotage wines are medium-bodied and subtly flavored, but it may be made in several different styles: young, light, and fruity, like Beaujolais, deep and rich like a Cotes du Rhone or Zinfandel, or elegant and restrained like Bordeaux. There are also a few rare rosé versions and several fortified into ports. At least one producer makes sparkling red Pinotage. Pinotage has been planted in California, New Zealand, and British Columbia, and there are also experimental plantings in New York and Australia. See Wikipedia, Pinotage.
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of grape juice. The most basic division of wine is into color: red, white, and rosé (or "blush"). Wines are categorized as still wines, sparkling wines, dessert wines, and fortified wines. Dessert wines are sweet, as are fortified wines, such as port and sherry, which have other liquors such as brandy added to them. Aromatic wines, such as vermouth, have been flavored with herbs. Sparkling wines, such as Champagne, contain carbonation and thus are "sparkly" or bubbly. Still wines ("still" since they aren't bubbly from carbonation), are either varietals or blended wines. A varietal wine is any wine that takes its name from its predominant grape variety, as opposed to a blended wine, which is a blend of different grape varieties. A vintage wine date denoted on the label of the wine indicates the year in which 95 percent of the grapes used to make the wine were harvested. Non-vintage (NV) wines are blends of grapes harvested in different years, denoted by the absence of a year on the label.
The names of wines reflect a dichotomy between "Old World" and "New World" that exists in the world of wine. "Old World" refers to traditional wine-producing nations of Europe and the Mediterranean, such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany. "New World" refers to those countries where the wine-growing industry has been established since the arrival of European influences, such as USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. The names of wine everywhere start with the name of the winemaker (or negociant who "assembled" the wine). What comes next in the name is where the dichotomy begins. Varietal "New World" wines are named for the most prominent grape variety used to produce the wine, such as "Cabernet Sauvignon," but "Old World" varietal and blended wines are named after their appellation, or area of origin. Appellation refers to the country, state, county, or viticultural area in which the grapes were grown, such as "Bordeaux" or "Napa Valley." "Old World" wine labels always include the appellation and sometimes include the variety of grape. "New World" wine labels always include the variety of grape and frequently include the appellation.
Countries and states regulate the amount of a particular grape that makes up a particular wine. In the USA, for wines from states or counties, 75 percent of the grapes must be from that location; for wines from a viticultural area (AVA), such as "Napa Valley," 85 percent of the grapes must come from that area. In Europe, the rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced, e.g., France has its AOC regulations and Italy has its DOC regulations. See Wikipedia, Wine.
Rate and review the Pinotage varietal wines listed below or go to the Action section to ask that another Pinotage wine be added to the list. Make sure to include the year of production (or if no year appears on the label, insert NV for non-vintage), the appellation or viticultural area (AVA), and the price range, rounded off. Example: Fairvalley 2004 Coastal Region, Paarl (South Africa) Pinotage ($10).
