My exposure to South African wines has been somewhat limited. Aside from some very delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, my exposure has usually consisted of overripe, yet somewhat dilute "Steen", and overcropped, poorly made Pinotage. On a recent trip to South Africa to attend Cape Wine 2006, I was drawn a very clear and altogether different picture of the newfound identity of South African wines...

Passion and creativity are the driving forces of the wine industry in SA right now, and with more appropriate varietals being planted, and more modern viticulture and vinification techniques being used, the shift into world-class production is apparent. But, the South Africans, being so culturally diverse, would like to be recognized for producing wines that cannot be compared to anything – wines that are uniquely South African. Wines that are not trying to emulate other regions. This was so exciting, and I do hope that the US will begin to see more of these unique wines, but for now, they are either consumed in SA, or shipped to the most demanding markets, the UK and the Netherlands.

Though regional differences were still hard for me to identify, I did get a clear picture of the flavor profiles of the most widely planted varietals, when in the hands of capable producers.

A dinner at the Meerendal Estate in Durbanville, convinced me that this was the hot spot for Sauvignon Blanc. Not grassy and lean like Sancerre, and not green bean like and tropical like New Zealand- this style falls somewhere in between with more grapefruit, quince and green fig aromas and tangy, natural acidity.

What about Pinotage? The South Africans are convinced that this intriguing cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault is part of their unique identity... Even though many have given up on the marketability of this varietal to other world markets, there are still some hanger's on….probably the ones who invented the concept of the "Cape Blend" which must be at least 70% Pinotage, the rest of the blend can be anything, but is usually Bordeaux varietals. In my opinion, the best blended wines of the world have come from grapes of close parentage. I quite like Pinotage on it's own, and had the rare opportunity to taste Pinotage from older vineyards, with naturally lower crop yields-a Pinotage from 50 yr. old vines at the Meerendal Wine Farm in the cooler region of Durbanville, was intense and exotic on the nose, and richly fruited on the palate.

A newcomer on the scene, Syrah, is showing tremendous potential in the warmer climes of Robertson and Stellenbosch, and plantings are on the rise. The wines have that piquant peppery quality that we all love about Syrah, but also have intriguing aromas of pomegranate, plum & tobacco- quite unlike styles found in Australia or California.

And Chenin Blanc, known locally as Steen, has had glorious success in the hands of the right producers. Though there is still a lot of bulk blending for cheap supermarket wines, the great producers have lowered yields and are making delightfully fresh Chenin's reminiscent of golden delicious apple and honey.

For many, the jury is still out on the overall quality of SA wines, but I believe that as vineyards become more mature (60% of SA vineyards are between 6-10 yrs of age), and as better sites for certain varietals are identified, we will see the continual improvement, and SA will be recognized by many more aficionados for it's world-class wines.

Here are just a few of my favorite wines from this trip:

Sauvignon Blanc Bloemendal 2004 Durbanville:
From a 300 yr old farm with the Tygerberg Hills as the backdrop, this
Durbanville estate produces intensely flavored Sauvignon with flavors of green fig,nettle & asparagus – one of the best SB’s I tasted.

Buitenverwachting "Christine" 2001 Constantia:
A beautifully structured ,classic SA Bordeaux blend. The name of the estate means "Beyond expectations"- the close proximity to False Bay, ensures a long, cool growing season. "Christine" is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot.

Stark-Conde Wines "Conde" Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Stellenbosch:
More of a new world style, full of rich, ripe Cabernet Fruit and generously oaked. This is a small family-run winery, with less than 3,000 case production.

Springfield Estate "Life from Stone" Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Robertson:
Another spectacular Sauvignon Blanc. Similar to a Pouilly-Fume, but with SA ripeness- very, flinty and stoney on the nose- with lots of Pomelo and kaffir lime fruit on the palate- the finish is a little smoky too. This estate is also family-run with meticulous hands on methods, everything is fermented using natural yeast and the wines are bottled unfiltered. Unfortunately, they have no US importer just yet, but hopefully that will change!

Raka "Biography" Shiraz 2004 Caledon:
Soon to be imported into the US, these wines are bursting with flavor-
Raka is named for the proprietors fishing vessel. After many years at sea, Piet Dreyer decided to try his hand at winemaking, and has had very promising results. The Shiraz has an intense purplish color, with white pepper and Damson plum nose Rich fruit on the palate and silky ripe tannins.

Ken Forrester "FMC" Chenin Blanc 2005 Stellenbosch:
From the Icon range, or Ken's top of the line, this an outstanding Chenin Blanc from 40 yr old vineyards. A beautiful, bright gold color with an intense nose of apple,Pear, vanilla and hazelnut, great; length and acidity- a very serious style that should be consumed with food.