It’s safe to say that most of us go through some interesting phases in life. At 16 I thought it was a good idea to wear head to toe black and quote Nine Inch Nails lyrics. Then there was my weird penchant for buying varying shades of pale pink lipstick, followed by an obsession with those speckled eggs from Woolies.
A few years ago I went through a Pinotage phase, which admittedly is not a bad phase to go through at all. The only problem is that I became a bit bored of it and have consequently neglected SA’s signature grape, tsk tsk.
This changed when I found myself at Stanford Hills for lunch a couple of weeks ago. The restaurant is a renovated farm cottage that’s perched on very purdy mountain slopes, offering views of the Stanford valley from an outside seating area. The South-Easter was nuking, so we huddled on the sheltered stoep and cocooned ourselves in blankets provided by the restaurant. The staff were super friendly and it was not long before we were sampling the estate’s wines and enjoying the warmth from two fireplaces.
The view from the restaurant
I ordered aubergine parmigiana (which was just smashing, by the way) and chose a fat glass of the Jacksons Pinotage to accompany my meal. Boom! All of a sudden I was reminded why Pintotage can be be so good. Full flavours swooshed onto my palate: rich, toasty, oaky yumminess with a dash of coffee and spice. Lordy, it was just the ticket on such a nippy and windy day.
Stanford Hills Estate has a peachy location for producing wine: cool sea breezes, good soils and a mild climate. All the grapes used for the estate’s wine are produced on the farm itself, so you’re getting pure Stanford goodness in each glass.
Unlike tie-dye or gym attendance, my like for their Jacksons Pinotage will not be a phase. Here’s to Pinotage!
Images courtesy of Stanford Hills
The lowdown
Name:  Stanford Hills Jacksons Pinotage
Winery: Stanford Hills
Price: From R85.00 a bottle
The verdict: Really full, generous and toasty flavours. A delicious Pinotage.