See below for what happened.........

South African Wines

Join us for tasting a selection of premium South African Wines, led by our expert, Michael Larranga, and accompanied by appropriate breads and cheeses.

Winemaking in South Africa is a hybridization of Old World and new. Winemakers from France, Spain, and California have brought new techniques and styles to South Africa and, in the 1980s, the use of oak barrels for fermentation and aging became popular. Many producers have been working to produce more "international" styles that have become successful on the world market.

 Desserts will follow the tasting. Please bring your own glasses & pens.

    No smoking or strong fragrances, please. 

Attendees recognize they will consume alcohol and assume responsibility of having done so.

Attendance will be limited to the first 32

Members  $22.00            Guests   $26.00

What Happened.........

This tasting was organized by John and Joan Reed and Jim and Beverly Brisko.

Mike Larranaga, Sommelier and Consultant of Vintek Cellars, who did a Spanish wine tasting for us last year, returned to present a selection of South African wines.   He started with the winemaking history of the region that began in 1659.  It has lived on through much trouble, suffering through phylloxera, which caused growers for a time to abandon grapes and plant feeds for the ostrich feather industry.  Later the reborn industry lost its markets due to the apartheid boycotts.  It is now in good recovery with a significant presence in the world market despite its disadvantages of limited growing area and a long distance from the greater markets.

Mile selected wines from the larger producers. The wines were:

2009 Cederberg Bukettraube

2009 Ken Forrester “Petit” Chenin Blanc

2005 Robertson Group Bon Cap Syrah

2005 Jardin Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Tulbach Wineries “Theta”

The Cederberg Bukettraube was a very interesting wine made from an obscure vinifera grape said to come from the Alsace.  It had good acidity and some sweetness and came from a high altitude limestone soil vineyard.

Chenin Blanc, known there as Steen, is the main grape and has been for centuries.  Ken Forrester, once a restaurateur, chose “Petit” as his bottle name; it is not a special grape. This Chenin Blanc was more dry than many and a good wine. 

Robertson is a very large producer with a wide price range of wines.  Syrah grows well in South Africa. 

Jardin is another large name in the South Africa wine industry, with family winemakers educated at Davis in California.  These were also well made wines.

The last wine, from Tulbach, was a nice blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  It is an expensive wine, low in tannin and smooth to the taste.

The tasting provided an excellent experience with the South African wines available today.  Our thanks go to Mike for another educational and entertaining tasting with a great selection of wines.

The cheeses were a very nice selection from Hirt’s, Goat Gouda, Port Salut and Tipperary Cheddar. 

Cookies after the tasting were chocolate chip, made by Beverly Brisco.  Many members stayed for dinner at the Club.   Our thanks to Brian Geraghty for hosting the tasting.