While I'm reminiscing about my trip to Namibia, I'll add another note about some South African wines that I tried. Namibia was run by the South African government as a protectorate after World War I when Germany ceded control of its former colony. Lots of politics and bad history there, but even after Namibia gained independence in 1990, South Africa has remained as strong presence. Namibia gets most of its tourists, fresh produce, infrastructure, and wine from South Africa. Pretty much from the moment I stepped on the Air Namibia flight where they were serving a South African pinotage to the flight home, I was drinking South African wines. Fortunately, South Africa makes some pretty good wine, so it was all good! The first night in Namibia, my brother wanted to treat me to a traditional brai. Normally that word is simply translated as BBQ, but brai is not just a noun or verb, it's almost a way of life. It brings to mind visions of the early Afrikaaner settlers building a bed of charcoal in the middle of the veld and roasting hunks of fresh meat (beef or wild game). Real man stuff here--the hunt, meat, fire, beers, you get the idea... I missed my brother's big game hunt, so off we went to the grocery store to get some garlic wurst, toasties, and kebabs. To wash down our bounty, we bought some Windhoek and Tafel lagers (some of the best beer on Earth!) and a nice bottle of South African sauvignon blanc. The store did not have the greatest wine selection, but I rooted around until I found a bottle from the Stellenbosch region, one of South African's rising stars.
Spier Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Country of origin: South AfricaAppellation: Western Cape WO
Varietal: Sauvignon blanc
Stats: 12.5% ABVCost: Nam$49.40 or ~US$6.50
Appearance: Light straw yellow, crystal clear
Aroma: Tropical fruits, pineapple, melon, apricot, floral notes, and a light coconut finish
Taste: Crisp citrus and floral notes. Well balanced acid.For you wine techies, here's a link to the Spier website with the
winemaker's detailed notes. Overall a very nice welcome to Namibia and South African wines. Don't know how readily available this or other Spier wines are here in the States, but get out of the France & CA aisles and go explore the small South African section. You're likely to find a number of inexpensive, good wines.
Cheers,
a Wine Student.
