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South African Dessert Wines
Dessert wines are, by definition, high in alcohol. This alcohol is made from the increased concentration of sugar in these wines and the two combine to define them. The ratio of water to sugar can be changed by actually adding sugar, unfermented grape juice or honey before fermentation or must afterward. Alternatively, wine makers may opt to remove water during production, increasing the concentration of sugar in the volume of wine. Drying the grapes into raisins and then using these to make the wine achieves this sweetened effect too, as does freezing some of the water out of the wine, making what is known as “ice wine”. Adding Botrytis cinerea desiccates the grapes and increases their sugar content, having a similar effect.
Certain grapes, such as the Muscat, are sweeter by their very nature. These and other varieties are made sweeter by being picked only once they are completely ripe and have their highest sugar levels. The more sun these grapes get, the sweeter they become, so wine farmers rely very much on a hot, sunny summer. To improve their grapes’ chances of maximum exposure, the farmer may choose to clip away any leaves casting a shadow on the grapes below them on the vine. This approach renders different versions of each wine every harvest, creating an unreliable (but always natural) product. One of South Africa’s most famous Muscats was the Constantia of old, and this is likely to have been sweetened in this natural way.
When selecting a dessert wine, it is vital that the wine is sweeter than the dish it is accompanying. Chocolate has a bitter base taste and this does not match well with sweet dessert wines. Baked goods with nuts and honey are far more suitably enjoyed with a sugary and flavorsome wine. Sweet, ripe fruits are also fantastically set off by a good dessert wine. When a fortified or dessert wine is well made, though, it can be enjoyed as the perfect end to a hearty meal all on its own. It should be served slightly chilled if it is white, and at room temperature if it is a red wine.
The very sweet dessert wines are not matured for very long, whereas ports are aged for far longer periods. The aging process is largely determined by the size of the oak vats in which the wine is placed. The larger the vat, the longer its contents will take to mature.
While dessert wines may be regarded by some wine connoisseurs as being inferior or subordinate to their more ‘savory’ counterparts, they have earned acclaim over the years. Their rich, sugary body is offset by their syrupy texture and alcoholic warmth, a winning combination by even the most discerning of palate’s standards.
Kosher South African Wines
A wine begins its koshering once plucked from the vine, as it is sown and cultivated in the same way as other wines. It may be picked by anyone, not necessarily a kosher or Jewish person. The grapes to be used for the wines are then taken to the winery, where they are crushed. This process needs to be performed under a rabbi’s supervision. The rabbi physically tips the grapes into the crusher and sometimes operates the necessary equipment. This is an integral requirement for a kosher wine’s production.
The barrels in which the kosher wines are to be fermented need to be judged worthy for such a use. After the grapes have been crushed under rabbinal supervision, the rest of the process and even the handling of the grapes and juice need to be performed by a Jewish person that observes the Sabbath faithfully. Even thought the rabbi does not necessarily need to be involved in the wine-making process, he does need to oversee the entire progression to the final product. Kosher wines even need to be opened by a kosher waitron. None of the work involved in producing a kosher wine may be done on the Sabbath.
Meshuval wines are kosher wines that have been flash-pasteurized by boiling (or nearly boiling) and cooling them very rapidly. Advanced technology means that there is very little, if any, difference to the taste of these wines kosher wines compared to non-meshuval wines. Pasteurising the wine in this way renders it kosher immediately, regardless of how it is handled thereafter. In South Africa, though, meshuval wines are rare and are more common in North America and Israel. The rabbi would operate the pasteurization equipment.
The wines carry an official seal of approval called the hechsher. The reason that a wine has to be deemed kosher (since it contains none of the forbidden foods of Judaism) is owing to its important role in non-Jewish religions. Using it for these purposes is considered to be idolatry. Therefore, wines need to be kosher to ensure that they are free from any form of idolatry before being consumed by a Jewish person. Of course, kosher wines can not contain anything that is derived from a non-kosher source, such as gelatine or isinglass.
South Africa, along with a few other countries around the world, has recently seen an increased demand for kosher wines. This may be related to the fact that methods for ensuring correctly koshered wines are becoming more widespread.
In South Africa, good quality kosher wines are available from Norman Goodfellows, Kleine Draken and Nwanedi. Some recommended vintages include:
· Eshkol Shiraz 2003 – the Eshkol Winery in Paarl produces excellent kosher wines.
· Welnerberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 – From South Africa’s Swartland, this full-bodied red is ideal for red meat dishes.
· Welnerberg Pinotage 2005 – this wine enjoys fruitier flavors and a slightly lighter body.
The South African Sauvignon Blanc
Interestingly, the specific taste of each region’s version of the Sauvignon Blanc differs slightly depending on the climate and soil conditions. Because South Africa is a country that is as diverse as the people it is home to, each farm’s Sauvignon Blanc bears its own unique flavour, whether grassy, crisp or fruity. Despite being defined by its dry, fresh nature, this grape can also be used in the production of dessert wines. Sauvignon Blanc does not take long to mature, and is best when it is still young. It is ideal alongside a dish of fish or cheese. Interestingly, it also goes down well with pasta and sushi.
Because the taste of a Sauvignon Blanc is so dependent on the area and other environmental criteria, South Africa prides itself for its rich array of quality wines. Each one, with its signature aroma, shows off another little corner of this fantastically fertile land. Vines can be planted in rock, sand or flint, which also affects the bouquet and flavour, especially to the trained taster. It is believed that South Africa’s advantage in producing the ideal Sauvignon Blanc lies in our ability to balance acidity and fruitiness in perfect ratio to one another.
South Africa’s Sauvignon Blancs have featured high amongst international competitors, and are in enormous demand the world round. Gaining international acclaim sets South Africa apart amongst wine producers. By setting this standard, SA has gained credibility, not only for these grapes, but for a host of other varieties too. Some of the most outstanding Sauvignon Blancs to compete on a global level include Boschendal, Cederberg, Constantia Glen, Fryers Cove, Graham Beck, Jordan, Klein Constantia, Nederburg and Springfield.
Wine farmers frequently elect to pick Sauvignon Blanc grapes at different intervals in the season. This lends the end product a complex combination of flavours. The riper the grape, the sweeter it is. By combining these with the tarter, younger berries, the flavour is enhanced and balanced. When the berries are being gathered, oxygen is excluded to ensure that the flavour is kept inside the grape.
This reductive process is carried through right until the wine is bottled. The contact between the skin and the juice of the grape also needs to be monitored so that the flavours are controlled. If the contact between these two components of the grape is left for too long after picking, the wine becomes very intense. This reduces the aging ability of the wine significantly.
Even the temperature at which the Sauvignon Blanc is fermented impacts heavily on the resultant flavour. When fermentation is conducted under warmer conditions, the resulting wine has a grassier, earthy taste to it. Cooler temperatures bring out the fruity, tropical qualities of the wine. Although this wine does not require a long aging process and is best enjoyed young, oak barrels soften the flavour, while steel barrels maintain the very crisp, dry quality of the wine.
With such an adaptable and easily influenced grape, South African wine farmers are granted the ideal opportunity to prove the quality that this country’s rich soil and climate enables. This is most perfectly reflected in the crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
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A Wine Lover’s Weekly Guide To $10 Wines – A Cabernet Sauvignon From South Africa
It may be hard to believe but this is our first bargain wine from South Africa, one very major wine country. The Nederburg winery was founded in 1791 near Paarl not far from the Cape of Good Hope. This wine is part of their series, the Winemaker’s Reserve. This wine is marketed by Stellenbosch Farmers Winery which is not your little farmer’s winery. Stellenbosch markets about one third of all South African wines with a value of over one third of a billion dollars. I don’t think that I have to tell you about the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, one popular red grape in Bordeaux France, California, and many other locales as well. Let’s see if we can get a bargain. It seems like a fairly long time.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 12.5 % alcohol about $ 9
Let’s start with the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Medium – deep red/purple; aromas of game, sweet cherry, cassis, earth, liquorice and cedar tones; dry, medium-full bodied, red currant and spice flavors with soft tannins to finish. Serving Suggestion: Grilled or roasted meats, white meats, pizza or pasta or old cheese. And now for my review.
I started by sipping this wine alone. It was oaky with tobacco, long, and presented round tannins. But seemed a bit too acidic. The first meal included a commercially barbecued chicken and potato salad. The Cab displayed plummy and earthy notes. It was more forceful with the chicken than it was with the potato salad.
The second meal centered around slow-cooked beef ribs with potatoes accompanied by a lime and garlic tomato salsa. The wine was powerful, mouth filling, and long. I got tobacco and dark fruit. This Cab was chewy. With the somewhat spicy salsa the wine became peppery and didn’t lose its force.
The final meal consisted of a packaged baked Ziti Siciliano with eggplant covered with grated Parmesan cheese. There was a fine balance of acidity, tannins, and fruit with a faint bit of tobacco.
I finished the tasting with two cheeses. The first cheese was a Yellow Cheddar. This wine was round, oaky, and it displayed good fruit. The second pairing was with a Swiss (Emmenthal). Things worked out about the same but the wine was more acidic.
Final verdict. I would definitely buy this wine again. This really struck me as somewhat of a bargain. If you’re a big fan of Cabernet Sauvignon, you might take it up a notch with Nederburg’s Manor House line. I prefer staying in their bargain price range but trying another grape.
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South African Wine
Since the 1990s the production and popularity of South African Wine started to grown, this is due mainly to the end of the apartheid. From this many winemakers begin to indulge into their wine making exploring new ideas and technologies that they had never tried before, to rapidly speed up their developments of wine production. They also began to exchange ideas with other wine makers from around the world as before this time they had only exchanged through post, and now other winemakers from around the world where being flown into South Africa to share their knowledge on viticulture and winemaking. All these factors have helped the South African Wine industry bloom in the last 20 years.
The South African wine regions are mainly situated around the coast exposed to the Atlantic and Indian Ocean at the South tip of Africa. Because of this exposure to the sea the major wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, which mean that the vineyards are exposed to hot sunlight during the day, with a cooler temperature in the evening created by the cool sea breezes. Also the main ocean current brings cool breezes from the Antarctica, to help cool South Africa’s hot days.
South Africa’s most popular red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinotage, and South Africa’s most popular whites are Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.
South African Wine has many wine growing regions, some of the most popular are
Constantia was the first place where vineyards in South Africa where planted. Because of this regions shape it is exposed to the sea on both sides, experiencing cool breezes, which cool down its days and nights, to create a slow and ripening period for the vineyards. Sauvignon Blanc is famous here.
Stellenbosch is a popular tourist destination for wine lovers, with many wine trails and vineyards with included accommodation for a tourist to visit. Here the second vineyards were planted in South Africa. This area is exposed to the nearby coast which brings in a cool sea breeze, keeping the summer temperature steady. Here African red wines are grown in the east and white wines in the west, where they are nearer to the cool breeze from the coast.
Paarl can be hot, meaning that the best vineyards are grown on the higher altitudes. Two popular areas here are The Franschhoek Valley and Wellington. Paarl is mainly linked to white wine, but with the hot summers and steep slopes, red wines popularity is rising.
Robertson is known for its Chardonnay and Shiraz, along with other South African Whites. Robertson is a hot region located in the Valley, where the river gives life to the area.
Walker Bay is known for its cool climate as it is close to the coast and constantly exposed to the ocean breeze. Chardonnay and Pinot Noire are famous here.
Elgin is up and coming in wine production. It’s a great fruit growing place, and its climate is ideal for cool climate growing wines.
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