SA wines impress visiting TV presenter
TV presenter, wine expert and British newspaper columnist Olly Smith was bowled over by the quality of South African wines when he visited recently.
In his weekly column Live for Wine in The Mail on Sunday, Smith named the five wines he enjoyed the most. He was impressed with the pioneering sense of adventure exhibited by local winemakers and rated 2009 as one of the best vintages ever for South African whites and reds.
Smith selected the 2009 Raats Original Blanc as his Top Tipple of the week. He said he thought that this vintage is one of Raats' best chenin blanc wines and recommended the wine as a magnificent partner to mildly spiced dishes such as stir-fry noodles or as a refreshing, top quality aperitif.
Other wines that made Smith's list included:
The Jem 2005, Waterford
Eben Sadie Palladius 2007
Springfield Life From Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Kanonkop Pinotage 2007
Smith highlighted South African syrah and chenin blanc as his two favourite grapes. He enjoyed the stylistic differences in wines from different terroirs and climates and believes that South African wines will be a hit during the World Cup.
According to Bruwer Raats, the timing of the article could not have been better for the South African wine industry.
"Obviously I am absolutely delighted that Olly picked one of my wines, but it is also a great opportunity to draw the attention of the British public to the diverse quality of South African wines. With the imminent arrival of thousands of visitors for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, it is important for our wines to share the limelight with soccer."
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.