On Wednesday, WOSA communications director and braaimeister (or braii as Canadians GoodFoodRevolution call it) André Morgenthal presented a tasting of “South Africa’s Exceptional Red Blends” to the 34th annual conference of the American Association of Wine Educators. André is better at this than Jancis Robinson, based on audience feedback after they both presented to the educators last year. The tasting was held in the Sphinx Room of the conference venue, the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington DC.
The wines, chosen by the wine selection protocol committee of WOSA, were:
De Toren Fusion V
Waterford Jem
Badenhorst Red
Kanonkop Paul Sauer
Chocolate Block
Nederburg Ingenuity
Bellingham The Bernhard SMV
Vergelegen V
By my count, three Rhône-style, three Bordeaux, Razvan Macici’s inimitable Italian Ingenuity and Kevin Arnold’s Uncle Tom Cobbley Jem. A terrific list, but have SA red blends become a Sphinx without a secret as Truman Capote famously described American pop artist Andy Warhol?
To my way of thinking, the secret for SA red blends is Pinotage, of which there is precious little in André’s offering. Like none. Thank heavens then for ABSA who earlier this month announced a Cape Blend competition to bring a bit of authenticity and national terroir back to the debate. Red blends containing between 30% and 75% will be eligible. Now all the bankers have to do is to make sure they don’t hire the usual coffee-phobic dinosaurs for their tasting panel and SA’s exceptional red blends will have a secret X-factor.