Pinotage — South Africa's Singular Red

Abraham Izak Perold created Pinotage in 1925 by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault (then called Hermitage). The seedlings were nearly lost when Perold left Stellenbosch and his colleague CT de Waal rescued them from an overgrown garden in 1927. First commercial vintage: 1959 by Lanzerac. First to win a major trophy internationally: Kanonkop 1987 at the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape variety, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (historically misnamed 'Hermitage' in South Africa, hence the name) created in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first professor of viticulture at Stellenbosch University. The variety divides opinion more than any other: at its worst, it produces paint thinner and nail polish aromas from isoamyl acetate and acetaldehyde; at its best, it delivers extraordinary wines of smoked meat, dark plum, coffee, chocolate, and a distinctly South African earthiness that no other grape replicates. The transformation of Pinotage from a controversial variety to a fine wine grape mirrors South Africa's own post-apartheid wine renaissance. Stellenbosch, Paarl, and the Swartland now produce benchmark expressions that have silenced the critics.

FOOD PAIRING: Pinotage is inseparable from South African braai culture and Cape Malay cuisine. From the Provenance 1000 recipes: Braai Boerewors (grilled sausage — Pinotage's smoky character mirrors the meat), Bobotie (spiced minced meat with egg custard — the wine's fruit balances the sweet spice), Biltong (dried meat — Pinotage's tannin cuts the salt), Lamb Chops with Chimichurri, Game Meats including kudu and springbok.