African Whisper Pinotage
¥108.88 Per bottle
African Whisper Pinotage is a classic every day red wine from Breedekloof, in the Western Cape of South Africa. Breedekloof is surrounded by mountains and the mountains have a moderating effect on the climate in this region. Afternoon shadows from the Slanghoek Mountains shorten the hot days in the region and bring considerably colder evenings. This diurnal temperature variation allows the grapes time to cool down, letting them retain their fresh acidity while still developing ripe fruit flavours.
Tasting Notes
African Whisper Pinotage has enticing aromas of ripe plum and blackberry with both reverberating on the palate. Generous amounts of fruit held together with a medium body and soft tannins.
Food Pairing
When you’re matching African Whisper Pinotage with food it makes sense to take a cue from the sort of ingredients and dishes that go with its two ancestors – Pinot Noir and Cinsault.
Pinot Noir works with dishes like smoked duck and pulled pork for example. The Cinsault heritage gives it compatibility with Mediterranean ingredients like peppers and aubergines, rustic French bistro dishes and baked pasta dishes like lasagne. It’s also not a bad wine to serve with a pizza, particularly one with a meaty topping.
Its forte, however, is with a classic South African braai where it will take almost anything in its stride from marinated lamb to Cape Malay or Cajun-spiced ‘blackened’ fish. (Like Zinfandel it loves chilli and smoke) It’s also really good with venison burgers and sausages or – come the winter – a hearty game pie.
It can also take a fair amount of spice. It successfully pairs with a hot curry (Indian rather than Thai) and it more than holds its own with spicy barbecue sauces and with chilli con carne. (In general, we think it benefits from being served a couple of degrees cooler than the ambient temperature – that is to say, cool rather than chilled).
