What a pity the Independent ceases printing at the end of the month as yet another deadtree marketing opportunity for SA wine shuts up shop and goes digital. But lets make hay while the sun shines and celebrate two out of three Fairtrade wines coming from the Cape.

wine

A curious choice: the first wine is a Rousanne “a grape not normally associated with South Africa” from Charles Back. It is “excellent with prime fish” whatever prime fish is. Let’s hope its on the green list unlike the King fish Wine Spectator irresponsibly recommends, or do they mean kingklip, soon to be back on the green list, we hear? The second wine is a Sainsbury’s buyers own brand Pinotage, described as “a very typical rendition of South Africa’s finest red grape, with its distinctive smoky vegetal, coffee and red fruit flavours.”

How ironic that the day after Barclays, deep pocketed sponsors of the Pinotage Association, announces divorce proceedings, Pinotage is hailed as SA’s “finest red grape.” And how telling that typical Pinotage is associated with smoke, veg and coffee. If this is the profile of SA’s finest red grape, heaven help us all.