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Ken Forrester
Varietal: Pinotage
Although most commonly associated with South Africa, where it has become something of a symbol of the country's wine industry, Pinotage is grown in several countries around the world and is favored by vintners due to its vigorous nature and hardiness, and the fact that the grapes produce high yields of reliable quality. Pinotage grapes are also very versatile, and are often used to make sparkling and fortified wines, as well as the more common still red wines which are enjoyed across the globe. The Pinotage varietal grape is actually a cross-breed, first made by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsaut varietals in the early 20th century, in an attempt to capture the finer points of both grapes. The results are often splendid, with Pinotage commonly holding flavors of dark hedgerow fruits, with a smoky and earthy character.
Region: Coastal Region
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.
Country: South Africa
With its hot, long summers and oceanic winds from both the west and the east, South Africa is something of a haven for a wide range of imported grape varietals. Since the mid-18th century, the country has been associated with some very fine wines made using complex and careful blending techniques, with one of the most famous and widely loved early examples being constructed from Pontac, Muscadel and Chenin Blanc varietals. Since those colonial days, the regions around Cape Town have proven again and again to be fantastic areas for producing interesting and delicious wines, with many of the best examples of Champagne style sparkling wines originating from these fertile lands. From the scorchingly hot regions of Orange Rivers, to the far cooler and temperate appellations in Walker Bay, South Africa has developed a booming wine industry responsible for many of the finest New World wines available anywhere across the globe.