Sauvignon and Pinotage: confronting prejudice

You'd think after a week of tasting some 500 wines, I'd be running away from the stuff. Aversion therapy, I think they call it.

Not a bit of it. Instead, my palate is like an athelete's body, finely honed by an intensive training regime, and working with even greater precision and discriminative power. [Deliberately silly, this bit.]

Two prejudices to face head-on, tonight. First, that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is dull and predictable. Second, that all Pinotage is vile, filthsome stuff. Both prejudices prove to be ill-founded, on this occasion at least.

Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is deliciously concentrated and fresh, with a lively, assertive cut-grass and green pepper herbaceousness, as well as piercing lemony, grapefruit pith fruit. A wake-up call to the palate. Deliciously intense and well balanced, this is a versatile wine that would match up well with some of the strong flavours of modern fusion cuisine. 90/100 (£12, UK agent MMD Ltd)

Sizanani Pinotage 2006 Stellenbosch, South Africa
40% of this brand is owned by an employees trust (http://www.sizanani-wines.co.za/). It's a really gluggable, fruit-forward wine with soft sweet berry and dark cherry fruits countered by a bitter, plummy, tarry, slightly rubbery twist. The overall effect is of a juicy red wine with a sense of deliciousness and enough savouriness to make it work with take-away pizza or spaghetti bolognaise. It takes the slightly negative features of Pinotage and turns them into positives in the context of this wine, so I think it's worthwhile in the right context. 83/100 (£5.99 Oddbins)

Cricket and greenness

Been at the cricket this evening, watching my sons play for the U11s. Elder son is a regular - he opens the batting and normally gets quite a few runs. Was bowled for just 4 today though (the moment is pictured, although the 'welfare officer' for the team we were playing was unhappy about me taking pictures...I think he wanted me to get parental consent forms signed from all the players...such is the modern world). Younger son is two years below in school, but gets the occasional U10 and even U11 game. Tonight he was keeping wicket, and did OK. It was fun to see elder son bowling, and younger son keeping wicket together.

Tonight I'm drinking Mellasat M 2003 Paarl, South Africa (see http://www.mellasat.com/). It's beautifully packaged in a Burgundy-shaped bottle. A blend of Cabernet, Syrah and Pinotage, this is a deep coloured wine with a nose of fresh, subtly green dark fruits. There's a nice savouriness here. The palate has more savoury, spicy dark fruit, but this is joined by a herby greenness. It would have been a really nice, understated, food-friendly red wine, but the green streak - which on the nose adds freshness and works quite well - is too obtrusive on the palate, and for me is a big distraction. Greenness at a certain level can be a good thing - it's an important component of many great Bordeaux wines, for example. But here, in conjunction with ripe fruit and at this sort of level, it verges on the faulty. There's still some enjoyment to be had from this wine, and if it could lose its greenness it would be really nice. Like so many South African reds... 82/100

Petit Pinotage

It has been a wet old day over here in west London. It started early when Rosie woke up at 05.17. Then some good friends arrived back from 4 weeks in Australia seeing family, and had to rouse us at 06.38 to pick up a key for their house. They are coming to lunch tomorrow, and I'm eager to hear how they got on - it was their first visit to Aus, but I can see them emigrating there...

I took youngest son over to the Two Rivers retail complex in Staines to spend some of his Christmas money. Staines battles it out with various Medway towns for the title of the UK's Chav capital, and Two Rivers is where Chavs really love to hang out. Still, I managed to find myself some decent running shoes, and youngest son purchased a Playstation game and a hip-hop/rap CD (he isn't allowed CDs labelled 'parental guidance', which severely limits his choice in this musical genre).

Tonight's wine is a cheapie. It's Ken Forrester's Petit Pinotage 2005, which is £4.48 from Asda. I like it, as much as I can really like Pinotage. Perhaps that sounds a bit negative, but i'm just being honest. By not taking Pinotage too seriously - and interpreting it as a good-time, slightly off-the-wall variety - Ken has made an attractive, juicy berry fruited red with some green herbal and medicinal Pinotage funk, in a format where this funk helps add to the fun character of the wine. I'd serve this wine slightly chilled with honest, rustic fare. It has edges, and these are all too often lacking in inexpensive wines. The packaging is great, too.

Stunning sirens

UK-based South African wine brand Stormhoek certainly talk a good game. Do their wines match up to the largely self-generated hype?

I was sent through their two new 'Siren' wines. I was gobsmacked by their appearance. They look absolutely stunning. I showed them to Fiona, and she agreed. They bottles are made from clear glass, but rather than have a standard punt at the bottom they've got a lovely solid sort of chunky glass foot to them. It's hard to describe properly, but it looks impressive. Label design is spot on. Visually, these wines are incredibly appealing, and despite what we'd like to believe, appearance matters a fair bit.

The bottles are screwcapped, but Stormhoek have done their closures homework and the caps have the saranex-only liner. On the back label there is an innovative freshness indicator, telling punters when the wines will drink best.

Reassuringly, it's not just style without substance. The liquid in the bottle is impressive, as I hope my notes below indicate. At £7.99 these are very good value.

Stormhoek The Siren Pinotage 2005 Western Cape, South Africa
Beautifully packaged in clear glass, this Pinotage has a ripe, sweet, subtly meaty nose with bright red fruits and a subtle green herbal edge. The palate is juicy and vibrant with nice ripe juicy fruit and some meatiness. It's a very well mannered Pinotage and the trace of greenness works well in combination with the chocolatey richness. Quite delicious. Very good+ 87/100 £7.99

Stormhoek The Siren Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Western Cape, South Africa
Full, perfumed, fresh grassy nose with lots of fruit. The palate is zippy with nice balance between the ripe fruit and the grassy freshness. A stylish, full-flavoured Sauvignon with real appeal. Assured winemaking here. Very good+ 88/100 £7.99

Stockists lists: Sauvignon Blanc (Define Food and Wine, Cheshire; Imbibros, Godalming; Vineyards, Sherborne; BV Liquormart, London; The Vineking, Reigate; Worth Brothers, Lichfield; Vinology, Stratford-upon-Avon; Magnum Wine, Swindon; EWGA, Silverdale, Lancashire; Wines in Cornwall; Wines of the World, Earlsfield, London; Denby Dale Wines, Yorkshire; Harrogate Fine Wines.

Pinotage (Define Food and Wine, Cheshire; Imbibros, Godalming; Vineyards, Sherborne;
BV Liquormart, London; The Vineking, Reigate; Worth Brothers, Lichfield; Vinology, Stratford-upon-Avon; Magnum Wine, Swindon; EWGA, Silverdale, Lancashire; Wines in Cornwall;
Wines of the World, Earlsfield, London; Denby Dale Wines, Yorkshire; Harrogate Fine Wines)