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california, chenin blanc, clarksburg, south africa, stellenbosch -

chenin blanc: not just the loire

Chenin Blanc is one of my favorite grape varieites. That's perhaps not surprising because the Loire, where Chenin Blanc originates, is one of my favorite wine regions—but it's a bit more complicated than that. It's also grown in other parts of France which are quite different from the Loire: there's actually more planted in Languedoc than in the Loire Valley, and it's found in various appellations in south-west France. In fact, until recently, it was technically permitted in Bordeaux. It's planted elsewhere too: there's more Chenin Blanc in South Africa than the rest of the world put together, and there...

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cinsault, languedoc, south africa, southern rhône -

cinsault

Cinsault (also spelt Cinsaut) is a black grape variety with a strange reputation. It's quite widely planted in southern France and South Africa, yet isn't regarded as a high-quality variety. It's planted because it produces big berries with lots of juice and therefore high yields. That makes it popular with growers, but less so with producers. Its reputation also suffered as it's one of the parents, alongside Pinot Noir, of South Africa's Pinotage. Pinotage is a variety which produces much better wines than its reputation suggests, but Cinsault, with its high yields and basic wines, was seen as part of...

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méthode cap classique, pinotage, south africa, sparkling wine, syrah -

south africa—from old to new

One of the many things I love about teaching WSET classes is the people I meet. A few years ago teaching WSET Diploma, one of my students was Peter Andrews. He's recently set up his own import business called Culture Wine Co., which is all South African wine. I was excited to taste some of the wines he's bringing into the US, and learn about the producers and their stories. South African wine is not always an easy sell in the States, so it's wonderful that the wines' reach is growing. South Africa is a country constantly undergoing a huge...

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south africa -

spotlight on south africa

Over the course of the last few weeks, I've been trying wines from South African producers both familiar and unfamiliar to me. In the US, the focus for many producers has been to get a foothold in the important East Coast market before reaching California. It's therefore exciting to see that more and more South African producers are available here in the Golden State, and the quality of the wines is beginning to make an impression on industry insiders and consumers alike. producers old and new "The Swartland Revolution" was a late-2000s movement to pioneer and promote quality wines in...

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