Pinotage is an intersting grape variety in that it's exclusive to South Africa and was created for growing and making wine specifically in South Africa and as such is not found anywhere but here. It was bred as a cross between Pinot Noir, which is an extremely tricky grape to grow, and Cinsault (which is knows as Hermitage in South Africa), thus giving the grape the name of Pinotage and somehow this cross makes it ideal for the growing conditions i South Africa. I have only tried 2 Pinotages in my life, and both of them have been over the past month and while I thoroughly enjoy the gamy, leathery components of this grape variety, it really doesn't seem to sit well with a lot of other people. I brought it with me to a dinner party and while the other winos at the table thought it was fascinating no one really wanted to drink more than a glass, which means I had the whole bottle to myself! One of the vegitarians at the table said that all she could taste was leather in this wine. I thought it went pretty good with the steak we had for dinner but even with this meat, it was bordering on being too overpowering for something like Beef. Maybe it would go better with a heavier, thicker, richer meat of some sort, Giraffe was one of the suggested pairings from those at the dinner table. I've never had Giraffe and as far as I know neither has anyone I tried this wine with so this pairing is only speculation. All I know is that this wine really isn't for everyone and with it's meaty, earthy tones and leathery notes, I'm not surprised the vegitarian didn't enjoy this wine. It's uniqueness is essentially the reason I like it so much and the fact that the specific flavour combination don't exist in wines from any other regions makes it absolutely fascinating for me. Worth a try if you're into being adventurous with your wine but be forewarned of what to expect and you might just be plesantly surprised like I was!
What I also like about this wine is that just about any pinotage you see here in Canada is under $20. Plus what I like is that unlike some more popular varieties (like Australian Shiraz that differs so much from bottle to bottle) you can expect similar flavours and characteristics from most Pinotages in the store.
The bottle I had was the Beyerskloof Pinotage 2007 from Sellenbosch South Africa, 14%abv. The 05 and 06 vintages are available for $12.00 at BC Liquor stores and since this wine is supposed to age well, I might just head out and try an older vintage to see if it maybe soften's up enough to hold it's own against my steak.
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