South African Wine

       Bianco  Pinotage 2002

           Ripe banana and vanilla with undertones of liquorice. A full bodied wine followed by a delicate lingering palate.  

           Pinotage  is a wine grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (called Hermitage in South Africa and parts of Europe,
          hence the portmanteau name of this grape variety).  Pinot Noir makes the classic highly-prized wines of Burgundy,  while Cinsault is a  
          prolific cropper that makes relatively undistinguished wines in the south of France.  Pinot Noir is very difficult to grow successfully,
         whereas Cinsault is sturdy and resistant to most vine ailments.  Initial tastings did not sufficiently impressed, so Pinotage was largely
         ignored until 1961, when a 1959 vintage Pinotage won the Grand Championship at the Cape Young Wine Show, South Africa's  
         long-running and uniquely-themed wine competition.

                                                           $23.35 each, plus tax and shipping.  Case of 12 bottles.  
           
          Bianco Shiraz 2002  

              Classic Shiraz with spice and fruit on the nose rounded of by a smooth lingering palate.  

             Although cultivated since antiquity, competing claims to the origin of this variety gave credit to it either being transplanted from Persia,
            near the similarly-titled city of Shiraz or to being a native plant of France. Starting in 1998, combined research of the University of
           California at Davis and the French National Agronomy Archives in Montpelier proved syrah is indeed indigenous to France. DNA profiling
           proved syrah to be a genetic cross of two relatively obscure  varieties, mondeuse blanc and dureza.

                                                          $27.77 each, plus tax and shipping.  Case of 6 bottles.  

            Bianco Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

             Black cherry and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla. Cabernet in a traditional Italian style with a full body.

                 Cabernet Sauvignon makes the most dependable candidate for aging, more often improving into a truly great wine than any other single
                 varietal. With age, its distinctive black currant aroma can develop bouquet nuances of cedar, violets, leather, or cigar box and its typically
                 tannic edge may soften and smooth considerably. It is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in the
                 Medoc district of France's Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California.


                                                          $25.15 each, plus tax and shipping.  Case of 6 bottles.