South African red wines

South African red wines – Episode #321

September 26, 2007

Gary Vaynerchuk tastes through 3 South African red wines and gives you his 2 cents!

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Comments on this episode(214) Leave a comment ›

“Another good episode with an excellent topic. I need to try slightly …” by Phredd
“Never had a wine from South Africa but aside from over-oaked wines the…” by Dessert Wine Nerd
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2005 Peacock Ridge MerlotSouth African Merlot
2005 Seidelberg Pinotage Roland’s ReserveSouth African Pinotage
2004 Rustenberg John X MerrimanSouth African Red Meritage

214 Responses

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September 27, 2007

onemore
Heh, the 90+ point wine shopper story might’ve been mine. I wanted to explain to the shopper why he shouldn’t pick wines solely on point merit (while slapping him upside his head) but the wine consultant had already whisked him and his girlfriend to another aisle of the store, and I figured it’d be creepy-stalkerish of me to pursue and follow them around the store just so I could explain the error of ways and all.

Anyway: Good episode. I’ve had only 2 South African wines, I think. One was off a restaurant’s wine list and the other was at a friend’s dinner party. Maybe I’ll give South Africa another shot sometime this year.

QOTD: Product 19. I eat it dry, by the handful. Love that stuff. Dunno why.

But if we’re talkin’ addictive breakfast food, then the answer is steel-cut oats. I put all kinds of stuff in my steel-cut oatmeal. My favorite concoctions are (1) lots of ginger, juice + pulp of half a lemon, honey, & sometimes pure mango syrup and (2) a little kosher salt, black pepper, red bell peppers, sauteed carrot slices, extra virgin olive oil, and sometimes a crumble of cheese (usually toscanello). Oatmeal is one of the most versatile foods on the planet. A little oatmeal as a side dish for steak is tasty.

Back to in-a-box cereal: There are days when my palate regresses to elementary school and craves sugarbombs. Rice Krispies Treats cereal didn’t exist when I was a kid, but it’s great (and so bad for my teeth) on those sugarbomb days. Other days, I crave Alpha-Bits. And then, some days I just want a bowl of Rice Chex with peach or nectarine cubes. The yogurt-covered Cheerio varieties make nice dry snacks; I keep a box at the office, and my coworkers laugh at me because hey, it’s the crazy lady with cereal in her cabinet and she doesn’t even eat it with milk, oh my!

Ellen: I finally got to see both episodes very early yesterday morning. (Insomnia’s good for something after all.) That producer segment was hilarious. Good times, man.

And: The editor in me wants to correct your chalkboard but I’m sure some other commenter has already done it. The editor side of me constantly fights with the writer side of me, in case you’re wondering. Maybe that’s why I ramble so much. Har-dee-har.
September 27, 2007

Pardus
I have had a lot of Pinotage from South Africa AND Zimbabwe. There are some decent ones, though Mukuyu Pinotage from Zimbabwe also is dominated by the oak monster. With the trouble there these days I am not even sure they are still producing.

One of the great things about visiting South Africa is that South African wine is very inexpensive in South Africa. I would highly recommend a vacation in SA wine country. Stellenbosch is incredible place and if you go around September – October time frame you can see the whales in Hermanus. Cape Town itself is the most happening city in Africa.
September 27, 2007

Jason DiMambro
Gary,

Speaking of South African wine, I’d still like to get my hands on some Stormhoek South African “Geek Wine”! You should do an episode of WLTV with Hugh MacLeod. From what I understand, he visits NY city often. You guys could even organize a Geek Dinner which Stormhoek sponsors…

Website: http://www.stormhoek.com

QOTD: Kellogg’s Apple Jacks and Honey Nut Cheerios
September 27, 2007

radarmatt
Gary, I loved this episode! The backstory on Pinotage was great — always wanted to know more about it. Rock it homie.
September 27, 2007

jack
qotd: special k vanilla almond!
September 27, 2007

Ken
Palette = a range of colors
Palate = the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities or as it pertains to wine; the feel and taste of wine in the mouth.
September 27, 2007

bundydb
Still no “Sniffy Sniff” lol

QOTD: Frosted Mini Wheats and Frankenberry!!!
September 27, 2007

1855class
fancy new intro!
south african wines are interesting, but don’t seem to be widely distributed in my area.
i once had a bottle of fluer du cape merlot that i hung onto for about a year and a half and when i opened it it smelled and tasted exactly like green bell peppers-nothing more and nothing less. one of the oddest wine experience ive ever had.
qotd-right now im rocking the natures path organic optimum zen. it sounds like it should turn you into a superhero; but its just ok.
September 27, 2007

P-Higgity
QOTD: Frosted Flakes. After they’ve been sitting in milk just a little while, before they’re soggy, when you bite down on them they get stuck on top of your molars all compacted. When you scrape them off they taste like the inside of a Butterfinger. Now that’s a cereal that delivers on the finish.
September 27, 2007

Rice
QOTD: I’m addicted to GV Cereal (I’m not making this up) Sold at Walmart, under the “Great Value” label Bran Flakes. LOL!!! (Really)
September 27, 2007

soyhead
box cereal in general is not good qpr
September 27, 2007

Flavio
Thanks for the episode. You now owe us another one, with the $40 wines that are as good as $100-200 ones.

QOTD: Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Oreos cereal all the way… and the new All-Bran with yogurt clusters when I want to feel like I’m eating well.
September 27, 2007

Ferrigno
“PASO” means “(I) pass” in spanish HOHOHO!
QOTD: MAIZE! HOHO, DIDN’T EXPECT THAT DID YOU?
September 26, 2007

SacramentoCharlie
Thanks for the SA episode. Def like learning about wines from different regions.
QOTD-
6-12 Count Chocula
12-19 – Apple Jacks
19-32 – Cinnamon Toast Crunch
30-Present Kashii Go Lean
September 26, 2007

Matt
QOTD: Grape nuts!
September 26, 2007

Jeff D.
QOTD: Life cereal. All the way. Even better than Life is Cinnamon Life. That is cereal heaven right there. If I die and go to heaven, my cereal of choice is Cinnamon Life.

I picked up a new wine today. Never tried this type of wine before. It’s a 2005 Galus Costieres Denimes from the Rhone Valley. Super excited about trying it.
September 26, 2007

avwineguy
I don’t know about the show yet, but someone got the lighting really dialed in. Looks good!
September 26, 2007

Vinsant
QOTD: Raisin bran crunch with a nice WA Merlot!
September 26, 2007

KyleLikesTies
QoTD: My co-op has some sort of hippie organic strawberry-hemp granola … Delicious!
September 26, 2007

Pat Mc
Arrowood steelcut oatmeal. Only the real deal. If I’m healthy for breakfast, it gives me leeway with wine, ya know?
September 26, 2007

Harley Stan
WOW, what a timely topic today. I just got home from going to eat at an Ethiopean restaurant, and wouldn’t you know it, I had a glass of South African red wine with dinner. I don’t know the varietal of the wine, but the name caught my attention, “Goats do Rome”. It was not the best effort but name was cool, and seeing my wife roll her eyes at me when I made the oak monster sound at her was also pretty cool too. Anyway great show today.
QOTD- Lucky Charms, been on this kick for about a year now.
September 26, 2007

Carl V
Frosted Flakes
September 26, 2007

Hugh
cocao pebbles….
September 26, 2007

Pastafari Pirate
oh yeah, I forgot – and Grape Nut Flakes, when it’s a day for a flake blend.
September 26, 2007

Tom (vtjones)
QOTD: Honey nut Cheerios (but I do have the Captain Crunch once and a while)