Back from South Africa for just over a month, and the trip is still fresh in our minds. I will never forget the kindness of the folks we met while we were there. I know that there is a lot going on in that country, but humans are inherently good with just a few bad ones sprinkled in the mix. Susie and I would love to go back, but there are so many other places to visit that it may be a long while. The next time we go, it will be to venture to some of the wine lands that we missed.
South Africa has come a long way with their wines since the end of apartheid in 1994. Although known for Pinotage (I believe the only country to produce this wine), wineries throughout South Africa are producing amazing Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and of course Chenin Blanc to name a few. While dining at Ryan’s Kitchen in Franschhoek, I ordered a Cabernet Sauvignon from Lynx Winery that blew my mind! It will be interesting to watch as more and more wine drinkers start to discover the many gems that are being produced in this part of the world. If you ever decide to go there yourselves, make sure you put a visit to Franschhoek in your itinerary. It is surrounded by wineries and the small town is really quaint. Wine shops and some of the best restaurants ever, are in this small town. They even have tour buses that will take you to many of the wineries throughout the area. It reminded me a bit of Napa without the mass of people.
I have not put up much on You Tube lately due to scheduling and other issues. I am back at it and will be posting a couple of canned wine episodes this week. After resisting this trend, I have come to realize that the quality of canned wine is getting better along with more selections. The area I live in almost demands that I have some choices at the store for campers, kayakers and cyclists. I have discovered two already and found some others I like as you will see in Part 1 & 2 of my review of wines in a can on You Tube.
Next week I will be posting part 1 and 2 on You Tube featuring the wines from Maloney. Josh Maloney started a project while he was head wine maker at Milbrandt Vineyards. They are single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from selected areas throughout Washington State. The first was a 2012 Elephant Mountain Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills appellation. Josh has since left his position at Milbrandt, but is still pursuing his own brand. Recently he has released the 2015 Phinny Hill Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills, WA) Cab and has lowered the price to $45. a bottle. I review two in part 1 and 2 in part 2. They will be on my You Tube channel next week and I will let you know when they are live. Josh is also starting a second label and I am very excited to see what he is up to.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
