Grape Variety: Pinotage

Colour: Red

Pinotage is a grape variety that was created in South Africa in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University. Perold was attempting to combine the best qualities of the robust Cinsault with Pinot Noir, a grape that makes great wine but can be difficult to grow. Cinsault is known as Hermitage in South Africa, hence the portmanteau name of Pinotage.

Despite the reputation for easy cultivation, the Pinotage grape has not existed without criticisms. A common complaint is the tendency to develop isoamyl acetate during winemaking which leads to a sweet pungency that often smells like paint. Or plaster. Or boiled bananas. A group of British Masters of Wine visiting in 1976 were unimpressed by Pinotage, calling the nose “hot and horrible” and comparing the taste to “rusty nails”. Throughout its history, the grape has seen its plantings rise and fall due to the current fashion of the South African wine industry. In the early 1990s, as Apartheid ended and the world’s wine market was opening up, winemakers in South Africa ignored Pinotage in favour of more internationally recognized varieties like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Towards the end of the 20th century, the grape’s fortunes began to turn, and by 1997 it commanded higher prices than any other South African grape. Despite this, there remains a segment of South African winemakers, such as André van Rensburg of Vergelegen, who believe that Pinotage has no place in a vineyard. No fool he.

Oz Clarke has suggested that part of some South African winemakers disdain for Pinotage stems from the fact that it is a distinctly New World wine while the trend for South African wine is to reflect more European influences and flavours. Despite being a cross from a Burgundy and Rhône grape, Pinotage reflects none of the flavours of a French wine. While not a criticism itself, outside of small plantings most notably in New Zealand and the United States, Pinotage has yet to develop a significant presence in any other wine region. In the early 21st century, several of South Africa’s top producers have turned from focusing predominately on Pinotage to using it more as a blending component, or have stopped using it at all.

The vines are vigorous like their parent Cinsaut and easy to grow, ripening early with high sugar levels. It has the potential to produce yields of 120 hl/ha (6.8 tons/acre) but older vines tend lower their yields to as low as 50 hl/ha. In winemaking, controlling the coarseness of the grape and the isoamyl acetate character are two important considerations. Volatile acidity is another potential wine fault that can cause Pinotage to taste like raspberry vinegar.[Since the 1990s, more winemakers have used long and cool fermentation periods to minimize the volatile esters as well as exposure to French and American oak.

The grape has naturally high tannins which can be tamed with limited maceration time but reducing the skin contact can also reduce some of the mulberry, blackberry and damson fruit character that Pinotage can produce. Some winemakers have experimented with letting the grapes get very ripe, prior to harvest followed by limited oak exposures as another means of taming the more negative characteristics of the grape while maintaining its fruitiness. Newer clones have shown some potential as well.

The Inkawu Pinotage is a fine example of this variety.  Lovely ripe flavours with banana, lavender and red berry characters prominent.  On the palate great balance and complexity, well supported by classic oak aromas.  What you smell is what you get and the mouth feel is rich and lively with different dimensions of flavour. Drink with barbecued gazelle.