So since I have about 12 bottles of wine from South Africa (That Tony brought me back from his trip ...THANKS TONY!!!) I figured it is about time to showcase this amazing wine region.

The biggest influence on the wines themselves are the two oceans that surround the area, the Atlantic and the Indian oceans. SA has a moderate Mediterranean climate, and the wines they create have unique character and are deliciously complex. On top of all this, the wines are very affordable, as the currently canadian dollar is worth 7 of SA Rands so you are really getting some bang for your buck.

One very distinct and indigenous grape variety from SA is called "Pinotage" which is a hybrid grape made from Pinot Noir and a Cinsaut (known as Hermitage), hence the name Pinotage. Pinotage is a grape variety that was created in South Africa in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold the first Professor of Viticulture and we thank him for it.

I have drank a few bottles of it. and boy is it delicious (for more information on Pinotage click here). I also really enjoy the Syrah as well, it was warm , well balanced and jammy and felt like candy in my mouth.

Tony was in SA shooting a commercial and ended up traveling to wine country on a wine tour. The small boutique wineries all produced amazing wine, extremely nice winery staff and very affordable wine (the average bottle was $10CAD or even free with some lunch purchases)

The LCBO also has some fantastic South African wines (maybe not as good as the ones directly from the winery, but great none the less!) . One of my Favourites are Goats De Roam which runs under 12 dollars, and is an amazing bottle of wine!

More cool information from the Wines of SA Website:
In 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from prison, impacting strongly on the South African wine industry and its acceptability in the international arena

In 2006 The biggest ever showcase for SA wines, Cape Wine 2006, was hosted by WOSA at the CTICC, attracting international and national wine media and buyers. This highly successful event featured the world’s first seminar on wine diversity. Some 40% of SA producers signed a pledge to farm in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way with respect for both people and the land

For more information on South African wine click here.

The three photographs above were taken in SA by Tony DiMarco