Explore South African Wine

South African wines have come a long way. Ten years ago it wouldn't be uncommon to hear most people say, "South Africa makes wine?" Today, South African wines have a higher profile but have still gone unexplored by many wine drinkers. To understand the challenges winemakers have faced, here’s a brief history of the South African wine industry. The first wine made in South Africa, as recorded in the diary of Jan Van Riebeeck, was February 2nd 1659. Because of the threat of hungry birds, farmers were forced to pick grapes early so acid was sky high, creating harsh wines of low quality.  Things were not totally bleak as Simon van der Sel, the Cape Colony’s first Governor, gained some international acclaim with a noteworthy sweet wine.

In the early 19th century, the Cape passed from Dutch to British control. With an increase in settlement and shipping came an increase in the number of vineyards and by 1825 wine accounted for more than half of the Cape's exports, but quality was still considered poor. 

A change in the right direction came in 1918 with the formation of the KWV, a co-operative formed with the intention of creating unity among South African wine farmers and improving quality. The KWV grew and in 1940 the government gave them the power to set prices for table wine as well as setting quotas for wine production. Despite its intentions, the system at this point incentivized quantity over quality. Farmers grew as many grapes as possible and then sold them to the co-operatives who would make the wine. Despite this lack of motivation from KWV, quality wines were starting to be made but Apartheid-induced sanctions kept these wines from being exported and kept the country isolated from the rest of the wine world. 

1994 saw the end of Apartheid and is also seen as the start of the modern wine industry in South Africa. During the 90's, the KWV dropped the quota system and price setting, eventually becoming a private company which now exists as a wine producer, not a regulatory body. Winemakers at this point had the freedom to grow and innovate with an eye toward producing high quality wines. 

South Africa grows international varietals such as Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but Cabernet Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc are their two most planted grapes. They also have one grape unique to the region. Pinotage, a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, was created in 1925 by South African scientist, Abraham Perold and it has become South Africa’s signature grape.

Here is a sampling of some of the South African wines we currently stock.

Remhoogte Pinotage $18.99
"Lam" Pinotage $14.99

We offer two Pinotage which exhibit two different sides of the grape. The Remhoogte Bushvine shows more of the traditional characteristics of the varietal. It is full bodied with red fruit, black pepper, tobacco and is slightly smoky. Our other offering is the Lammershoek "Lam" which expresses more of the characteristics of Pinot Noir. This wine is light and elegant with pleasing red fruit. We recommend this one with a light chill.

Terre Brulee Chenin Blanc $15.99
Terre Brulee Le Rouge $14.99

We currently carry two wines from the Terre Brulee winery. The Chenin Blanc is dry and refreshing with citrus, honeysuckle and bright acid. The Le Rouge red, a blend of Shiraz and Cinsault, is savory with blackberry, light spice and enough oak to give it good weight and structure.

Kanonkp has established itself as a one of the best producers of South African Wines. The Kadette, a blend of primarily Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon, is a full bodied wine with black fruit, raspberry, and mocha with light earthy notes.

Kanonkop Kadette $14.99
Morgenster Lourens River Valley $31.99

For those looking for a more serious wine, we recommend the Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2010. A blend of mostly Cabernet Franc with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, this hearty wine delivers cherry and black fruit, chocolate and sweet spice with well-integrated tannin.

From this point on, wines from South Africa will continue to improve and it won’t be long before they take their place among the great wines of the world. 

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The Evolution of Rose

It wasn't long ago that wine consumers view of Rose was as overly sweet, much like White Zinfandel, which was actually created by accident. Sutter Home was trying to make a dry, almost white wine with their red zinfandel grapes. During this process they experienced stuck fermentation in which the yeast dies before all the sugar is consumed, thus creating a sweet, pink wine. Sutter Home preferred the "mistake" wine, released it and it took off like gangbusters. This was back in 1975 and this wine, while technically not a Rose, became many Americans’ first impression of a Rose type wine.

This impression actually began quite a bit earlier. In France, "pink" wines were the first to be produced. In historic times, before modern winemaker techniques were developed, wines were made with low maceration which gave it its light color. After WWII, two Portuguese winemakers released a slightly sweet, sparkling Rose-like wine in Europe and the U.S. and set sales records. 

Meanwhile, in Provence, quality Rose's were being produced in 125BC and by the 14th Century became the wine of kings and aristocrats. Today, Rose production is around half to two thirds of all wine produced in Provence. With its food friendly, light crisp style, the region became synonymous with Rose and became the "go to" region for U.S. drinkers who slowly began to discover that "pink" doesn't necessarily mean sweet.  

At approximately 13%, the U.S. is now the second largest consumer of Rose' wine, behind only France. So how did we get here? Some say the trend began in The Hamptons where about five years ago, drinking Rose became a lifestyle and was known as "Hamptons Gatorade". Others theorize that the influx of Europeans, and their love of Rose, helped re-introduce it to Americans. Either way, the popularity surge has been good for everyone. Rose's made from a variety of grapes and regions, both Old and New World, are gaining in popularity throughout the U.S.

"Rose season" used to start in the summer. Now it begins in the spring and is practically year round. Here at Windsor Wine, the process began in February when we began tasting lots of Rose in order to find what we considered the best for our customers. Our selection includes not only Provence, but Rose from all over France as well Spain, Italy, South Africa and the U.S. Whether you're looking for light and crisp, full and fruity or something in between, we have something to please every palate. 

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Delicious and Under $15

Walk into any wine shop and you’ll find stacks of cheap bottles of Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Merlot, and often Montepulciano. There are some great wines made from these grapes and there are bargains to be found, but bargains don’t discriminate against grapes! We have a number of different varietals from all corners of the wine world that are delicious, interesting, and affordable. You may recognize a number of these bottles as they are constantly being recommended by our staff because of the tremendous value they offer for the quality of wine you receive...and they all fall between $10 and $15.

For some earthier wines try the Col Des Vents Corbières Rouge 2012, a blend of Carignane, Grenache and Syrah, full, rich and gritty earthiness typical of the Corbières region. Do you prefer Italian wine? Try the Alceti Isola dei Profumi Rosso 2012 from Sicily with juicy earthiness, savory spice tones and loads of dark fruit. And perhaps one of the best deals in the earthy red category is the Oxford Landing Shiraz 2012. Somewhat of an oddball for Australian Shiraz, this red has more in common with Northern Rhone Syrah showing earthy, gamey and olive notes, and none of the sweeter baking spices that show so much in other Australian Shirazes.

If you don’t like earthy wines as much, there are always some great fruity options. The Domaine Des Deux Arcs Anjou Rouge 2011 falls right in between showing some of the typical peppery notes of Cabernet Franc, but in a lighter, juicer and a very fruity style. The Lapierre Raisins Gaulois 2013 is a great Gamay from Beaujolais with bright red fruit, a lighter character and it comes with a bet from me that you can’t open a bottle without finishing it! And the last red is probably the bottle I recommend the most from California when someone asks for something delicious, easy and inexpensive: Urbanite Cellars Redart blend. Redart is a blend of 45% Zinfandel, 45% Merlot and 10% Petite Verdot and is full bodied with great spice notes and no heavy oak influence.

If white wine is more your thing, there are some great options. We recently poured the German white   Schlossmuhlenhof Muller-Thurgau Trocken 2012 and it was a hit! Slightly richer and very mineral driven this wine is a steal for the money. The same is true of the Chateau Saint Germain Entre Deux Mers Bordeaux Blanc 2013; medium bodied, crisp, and a great balance of mineral and citrus fruit. The Vinicola del Sannio Falanghina Beneventano 2013 is a great light and crisp Italian option with nice saline minerality that keeps your mouth watering.

The last two are truly odd. The first is another Italian white, Cortese from the Piedmont region, the Valley Unite Bianchino 2013. Usually light, delicate and soft, this one has a fuller, waxier texture and wild minty flavors and happens to be very low in added sulfites (bonus). And last but by no means least is the Vegas Altas White Wine 2013 made from the Evos de los Santos variety. This is also organic, light and floral with tangy fruit and a beautiful texture.

Moral of the story: You can come in and try something exciting and different and you don’t have to break the bank to do it!

Enjoy!

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Summer Wines: Something for Everyone

Even if it doesn’t feel like it, summer is coming upon us quickly. For a lot of people that means jumping to rosé and white wines, for others it means nothing and red wine will be consumed despite the heat and humidity. Both are okay, in fact we have wines to cover anyone’s desire as the weather heats up.

Is it rosé you’re looking for? Why not try one of our current favorites; the Coteaux du Vendômois, made from the little known grape Pinot d'Aunis, is a crisp and dry rose with very little fruit and an abundance of savory mineral flavors. Want something with a little more fruit but a nice peppery bite? Try the rosé from Domaine de la Petite Marie Bourgueil, made from 100% Cabernet Franc. Need something classy and sophisticated? Look no further than the Domaine du Bagnol Cassis rosé. This has it all, beautiful fruit, crisp herbs and the structure to last well into next summer.

Rosé not your thing? How about something local? Shinn Estate Vineyards First Fruit Sauvignon Blanc may be one of the freshest and cleanest Sauvignon Blancs on the East Coast. Need another reason to try it? How about the fact that this is almost a natural wine, utilizing natural yeasts, spontaneous fermentation only a light filtration, this a standout in the honest wine category. Or how about a North Fork Chardonnay that drinks like a Finger Lakes Riesling? The Macari Early Wine is made like Beaujolais Nouveau with a quick maceration and early bottling. It is bright and refreshing and Biodynamic! Want something fuller and bigger but still refreshing? Try Red Hook Winery’s SK Level 1; a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine spends extended time on the skins when fermenting giving a rich and dense profile brimming with refreshing apricot and floral notes.

And if you’re one to drink red wine no matter the time of year we have some great options that you can chill, and we often have them in the fridge for you already. You may have tasted the Castelfeder Schiava Breitbacher Alto Adige when we poured in back in April. If not, think rich and medium bodied with light cherry notes and a surprising lightness for the weight it offers. Want something lighter that you can pour down your throat by the bottle? Try the Raisins Gaulois Beaujolais from Marcel Lapierrre. At 11.5% alcohol, this is light and fresh and an easy bottle to quench your thirst without knocking you out on a hot afternoon. Did I mention it pairs well with almost any food: burgers, pasta, spicy Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian, BBQ, Coq au Vin, and eggs (brunch wine). Just one man’s opinion, but it might be the perfect wine. And last but not least, a favorite from last summer, the Slovenian Cviček from Zajc: a wine made from a blend of four red grapes (Blauer Koelner, Blaufrankisch, Portugiezer and St. Laurent) and five white (Kraljevina, Welschriesling, Yellow Plavec, Gruener Veltliner and Stajerska Belina). Known as the national drink of Slovenia, Cviček is always low in alcohol, 10% in this case, and has minimal residual sugar giving it a crisp dry cranberry note with a savory finish and just delightfully thirst quenching.

If for some odd reason none of these struck your fancy, just ask and we can recommend many more that fall in that great category of a “summer wine”. And check the top shelf of the fridge this summer for cold reds!

          

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Sustainable, Organic, Biodynamic, Natural and Lutte Raisonée: The Reasoned Struggle

          You may have noticed the green stars adorning some of the tags in our shop. We use these as a quick way to point out what wines are sustainable, organic, or biodynamic. Recently we added a silver star denoting wines that are “natural” or without any added sulfites. We have a lot of customers asking us for wines of this nature and are always happy to stock and support wine makers who utilize these methods. But inevitably the question arises (as it should) what does it mean to make wine by sustainable, organic, biodynamic, or natural means; and does it make a difference?

           First of all, it’s important to realize that these terms represent different philosophies and approaches to viticulture and wine-making and one is not necessarily better than the other. Let’s start with sustainable wine making as it requires the least commitment, but may offer as many benefits as the other methods. Kendall-Jackson’s blog defines sustainable quite well stating that it, “usually take[s] into consideration the environmental, social and economic aspects of operations and management.  Most sustainability programs have fewer absolute requirements than organic or biodynamic [ones].” While it’s true that sustainability has less strict requirements, it also allows growers to act accordingly when nature challenges the process. A more conscientious branch of sustainable farming has emerged known as lutte raisonée, literally translated as the “reasoned struggle”,  which borrows from organics and biodynamics as well as a relying on a process known as integrated pest management (IPM). The intricacies of IPM are beyond the scope of this simple post, but it is sufficient to say that it focuses on the idea that some “pests” are good for the vines and some not, and there is a balance that should be maintained.

            Organic practices are heavily regulated by a number of different agencies around the world and have strict guidelines for what can and can’t be done when growing grapes. Most of these regulations have to do with what chemicals, if any, can be used on the vines and soil. What a lot of people don’t realize is that these regulations often deal with the viticulture and not necessarily the wine-making process; meaning, for example,  sulfites may not be sprayed on the vines during the growing process, but may be used during fermentation or bottling of the wine. This is not always the case, as every agency has different standards for what constitutes “organic,” but is something to keep in mind when buying an organic wine. Also, it is important to realize that sulfites occur naturally during the wine-making process and therefore, all wine contains sulfites to some degree or another and they can, in fact, be quite useful when used conscientiously.

It is probably the most obvious that these are philosophies on wine-making and

viticulture when examining biodynamics. Jaime Goode defines biodynamics well in his book, The Science of Wine; “key to biodynamics is considering the farm in its entirety as a living system, and seeing it in the context of the wider pattern of lunar and cosmic rhythms.” With even more stringent requirements, biodynamics requires the application of “special preparations to enhance the life of the soil” at key times in the lunar cycle. Some of the practices border on the mystical side of things causing biodynamics to be a polarizing practice in the wine world.

         Finally, natural wine-making doesn't necessarily follow biodynamic or organic practices, although can and often does, but is more focused on the idea of non-intervention.  It is perhaps best described as total control being led by the fruit itself. The winemaker will pick

when the grapes are ripe, weather early, late or otherwise, and allow the wine to ferment on it's own with whatever yeast is present. Often characterized by dramatic changes in wine from vintage to vintage (although good winemakers will produce a good product despite the differences), this is also a somewhat polarizing philosophy in the wine world as it belittles the winemaker's efforts and focuses on the viticulture and fruit almost solely. For a great example of the thought process that goes into natural wine-making, watch this quick video featuring Joeland Christine Menard of Domaine des Sablonnettes.

For a great, although very academic, study of these processes and their impact on the wine, check out The Science of Wine by Jaime Goode. And remember, none of these processes are necessarily better than the others, but all offer a more honest process of wine making than is utilized in the big, commercial wine industry. This is the case because all of these philosophies focus on the quality of the fruit to one degree or another instead of focusing on the economic side of wine and that can only equal a better product in your glass at the end of the night. Enjoy!

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