South African Wines You'll Love

Delightful wines that you might not have thought about looking for. These are the wines of South Africa, and especially Chenin Blanc, made from the country's signature grape.

Three beautiful Chenins were poured at a recent lunch at A.O.C. Wine Bar presented by the South African Consulate-General at Los Angeles and Wines of South Africa. Here is one of them, with the South African flag. 

There were red wines two, but I was more enchanted by the five white wines, which included the three Chenins and a sparkling wine poured as an aperitif before lunch (above). This was the Backsberg Brut Méthode Cap Classique 2016. 

There's no Chenin Blanc in the Backsberg (above). It's 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir, said Jim Clarke, marketing manager for WOSA. And it's kosher. I couldn't find it in my nearby wine shop, but this link will help to locate it.   

At the end of the lunch, Clarke presented a "surprise" wine, the luscious, costly Vin de Constance from Klein Constantia (above). Naturally sweet and made from Muscat grapes, this wine has an extraordinary history, stretching back more than 300 years. Napoleon drank it. So did Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Get its story and watch a video by clicking here. 

In South Africa, 18% of the grape plantings are Chenin Blanc, Clarke said. The three at the lunch were (from left) the 2017 Spier Vintage Selection Chenin Blanc, Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc 2017 and Mullineux Old Vines White 2016.

For me, the Forrester stood out, although I loved them all. It's "as typical of South African Chenin Blanc as you can get," said Clarke (above). Amazingly, it sells for well under $20. Check here to see how it was made. 

 

The grapes for the Forrester Chenin came from 38-year-old vines, but there are much older vines in South Africa. The first wine was made there in 1659, Clarke said. 

 

The Spier Chenin (at right) was more dry, the grapes were hand-harvested, and the wine sells for about $18--a great bargain. This site tells where to find it. 

 

The rich, dry Mullineux wine is a blend of 62% Chenin Blanc, 15% Grenache Blanc, 11% Viognier, 8% Clairette Blanche and 4% Semillon Gris. Learn more about it here. 

 

These were followed by three cool climate Pinot Noirs from the Cape South Coast, the Boschendal Elgin 2016, B Vintners Black Bream 2016, and Storm Ignis 2015.

 

The final two wines were Bordeaux style blends. The Tokara Directors Reserve Red 2014 (above) is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with 16% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.

 

The Meerlust Rubicon 2014 (above) is also 67% Cabernet. The rest of the blend is 14% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot.

 

At A.O.C., the first course plates paired with the wines were Parmesan-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates, Spanish fried chicken with romesco aioli and chili-cumin butter and a platter (that combined roasted vegetables, muhammara, chickpea puree, burrata and grilled bread (above).

 

Main dish choices were Moroccan chicken salad, grilled sea bass and grilled hanger steak with Dijon vinaigrette onion rings and French fries.

 

Here is a lineup of the red wines poured at the lunch. For more about South African wines, read this story that I wrote in 2017.