Tasting Report: South Africa in Hong Kong

James went to South Africa in 1994 just after the end of apartheid to visit the vineyards, wineries and winemakers of the country and he has been enamored with the wines ever since. Great South African wines have wonderful ability to straddle the New and Old World, producing wines of finesse and structure with purity of fruit and character. Last year in Hong Kong, James was invited to a daylong tasting of hundreds of South African wines available in the market, and was impressed by many of the wines.

It so happens that when you are asked about wine producing regions in the world, Cape Town often skips your mind. But it might surprise you that South Africa has been producing wine since 1652 when the Dutch East India Company established its colony there.

The country has been making reds and whites with its indigenous grapes such as pinotage and chenin blanc. But in recent years, there are some excellent wines of amazing Bordeaux blends and Rhone blends, or even some usual blends that perhaps you can only see in South Africa. 

Bouchard Finlayson Walker Bay Hannibal, for instance, mixed sangiovese, pinot noir, nebbiolo, shiraz, mourvèdre and barbera! The result of their 2012 vintage is a sexy red with beautiful aromas of plums, meat and strawberries. There’s even a blend of shiraz, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and chenin blanc from Post House Stellenbosch Penny Black 2009, creating a stylish red that leaves your palate wanting more.

There are also some South African wines that reminded James of other famous wine regions, and it's hard to believe they are made from this country, where half of its vineyards in Cape are just over 10 years old. The Bernard Series Limited Release Bush Vine, for example, is a crazy wine with all the character of an old-style Châteauneuf but New World brilliance. And a sniffle of Vilafonte Paarl Series C even alluded to a cult wine from Napa Valley. 

There are many pleasant surprises, and we are sure to see more greats from this African country, which is now the ninth biggest wine-producing country in the world.

-Natalie Wang