Bourbon Pinot Gris Red Blend South Africa Coastal Region Paarl

Bourbon has survived all manner of difficulties and restrictions to become one of the world’s best selling and most recognizable spirits. This unique and distinctly American whiskey came from humble origins, allowing poor farmers in the fields of Pennsylvania and Maryland to make a living from their crops. Prohibition, temperance movements and conflict continuously threatened to wipe Bourbon from existence, but today the drink is stronger than ever and has a global audience of millions. Over time, it has become more refined, and innovation and experimentation has set modern Bourbon apart from other whiskey styles.

Today, the Bourbon heartland and spiritual home is in Kentucky, where the whiskey producers of northern states traveled to seek a new home, free from oppressive tax regimes in the early days. It is now far from the rough and ready spirit of yesteryear, governed by strict rules and regulations to maintain standards and keep quality high. Modern Bourbon must be made from a mash which is no less than 51% and no more than 80% corn (the rest of the mash being made from rye, wheat or barley), giving it a distinctive sweetness, and it must be aged in charred, white oak casks with no other added ingredient but water.

The varied flavors of different Bourbons come about mainly from the different quantities of the permitted grains in the mash. A larger proportion of rye will produce a spicy, peppery whiskey, whereas more wheat will result in a smoother, more subtle drink. Ageing and water quality, as well as the expertise and vision of the craftsmen who distill it, will also make a difference, meaning there is much more to Bourbon than might first meet the eye.

The Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris grape varietal is now one of the most widely grown vines in the world, due to the surge in popularity of Pinot Grigio wines over the past twenty years or so. These grayish-blue fruits, which hang in their distinctively conical bunches, are responsible for a very broad range of wines famous for their variety of color tones and flavors Pinot Grigio varietal grapes are highly influenced by terroir, climate and particularly the skill and expertise of the vintners who process them. As such, there are full bodied, amber colored wines made from this grape, and there are equally delicious yet far leaner, paler, lighter bodied and crisp white wines made from the same species in other parts of the world.

Situated on the very tip of the African continent, South Africa has proved itself over three centuries to be an ideal location for producing a wide range of wines. Benefiting from something not dissimilar to a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers complemented by both Atlantic and Indian Ocean winds, the grapes which grow on the valleys, mountainsides and plains of this fascinating country can ripen to their fullest capacity, producing wines packed full of fruity flavors and an array of interesting and enticing aromas. As a former colony, South Africa has long since been home to a range of different nationalities, who each brought something of their wine culture with them. As such, many European grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling and others have been given time to flourish in South Africa, allowing the country to develop a diverse group of wine types which are proving increasingly popular around the world.


The coastal region of South Africa is one of the most prodigious and productive wine regions on earth, and one which covers a vast distance making up for most of the tip of the African continent. The history of South African wines is a fascinating and surprisingly long one, with the very first wines in the country being produced by settlers in the 1650s, long before many other New World countries had even been discovered. Today, coastal South African wines are wildly popular around the world thanks to their big, fruity flavors and relative simplicity. Wineries in the region make the most of the hot sunshine, the high quality soils, and the brisk oceanic winds which keep disease at bay and stop the grapes from getting too hot, and produce a wide variety of wines of great distinction.