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Today’s our wedding anniversary and by coincidence I received a You Tube link to a South African vineyard, which we visited on our honeymoon in the Cape in 2002. It’s very easy to think of big-brand, high-volume, sub-£5 wines when thinking of South Africa, and to think of the ethical and political problems. The South Africa we saw was of beautiful countryside, traditional wineries making world-class wines and restaurants selling the best food we have ever eaten, anywhere. Of course, that was partly due to the ridiculous rate of exchange which meant that we could order the most expensive food and wine on the menu, in the best place in town, and still only spend about £30.
It’s possible to buy cheap and reasonable wine, very creditable wine at £6-£8, but also serious and very exciting wine at higher prices. Try www.sawinesonline.co.uk or www.swig.co.uk for these.
Our favourite wine was Robertson Winery, Prospect Hill 2004 is £7.99 at Oddbins. It smelt appealingly of oak, some of which smelt new and Karen picked up mint and eucalyptus. It had a minty taste and was rich and chocolatey. The only problem was that it was so astonishingly complete as a taste experience that we felt food would be difficult to get right. It stood alone very well, as a solo experience. Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, which is £11.99 from Tesco, is also powerful and delicious. It’s quite clearly a good quality wine, even at first sniff. Richly, darkly fruity and appealingly oaky on the nose and deliciously tasting of blackcurrants, but also freshly sliced green peppers.
Our third favourite wine came as a complete surprise because my opinion had been that trying to make wine without Sulphur, which apparently we’ve all got to call Sulfur now, is an accident waiting to happen. I had got sick of people whingeing on, ignorantly, about how Sulphur wasn’t needed, and I’ve tried quite a few so-called No Sulphur wines, most of which have been actively fizzing, but not in a good way. When I heard about the Stellar Organics wines which have no added Sulphur, and are Fairtrade into the bargain, I thought it was a very brave and possibly foolhardy enterprise. This Cabernet is great – an absolute triumph! It smells of blackcurrant and jalapenos and tastes of dark berry fruits. The acidity is fresh and very appealing. A stonking wine and available from www.VintageRoots.co.uk at £6.50.
Robertson Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, which is a very reasonable £4.99 from Majestic, or £3.99 if you buy 2, is cracking value. It smells of cassis and is very obviously Cabernet in the mouth. Spier Inspire Cabernet 2005 from Somerfield smells of dark chocolate and is pleasant enough in the mouth. Porcupine Ridge, from Sainsbury’s smells of summer fruit squash but tasted very typically and appealingly of Cabernet. The Co-op’s Fairtrade Cabernet isn’t really up to the job and tasted unpleasantly rubbery. Douglas Green from Waitrose tasted of bitter almonds and was pretty tannic.