Controversy Brewing over South African Tea Wines

Granted, negotiating the wilderness of the north plus a three-day full-moon trance party has had me off the map for a while. But am I missing something re this week’s Western Cape Provincial press conference concerning the adulterating of South Africa’s vinous heritage through the legal adding of tea to our wines?

This is true. Background: The Western Cape Government this week hosted a talk-shop where the slick marketers of Audacia Wines in Stellenbosch punted their latest gimmick. Following on the Estate’s release two years ago of a Merlot flavoured with rooibos tea, the Audacia Natural Red wine infused with honey-bush was launched with the rapturous support of the Provincial authorities. Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde was on hand to label the tea wine as an example of how “South Africa is constantly breaking new ground in wine innovation,” followed by an embarrassingly incorrect assumption that “we are the only country to produce Pinotage”.

My question is: where are the wine authorities on all this?

Or is the South African wine industry really going to allow and support the production of wines flavoured with things rooibos and honey-bush tea?


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