This installment is about my favorite group of wines! The pinks! Now, this is a heavily debated subject and needs great clarification.
My last installment was about box wine, which unveiled quite a bit of controversy! No, it's not particularly glamorous, but if you pop over to that blog, you'll see why some of SA's best wine farms started putting their liquid gold in boxes.
/so, before you turn your nose up at the mention of pink wine, let's look a little closer at the differences.
One needs to understand the distinct difference between a Rosé and a blanc de noir.
A Rosé is traditionally a sweet/ semi-sweet wine and is not really what I enjoy anymore. It was all fine and well in my early 20s when we were just chugging plonk wine, but it's definitely not my thig anymore, now that I have a far more refined pallet. I also don't throw anything foreign into my wine anymore (like sprite or coke - I can't believe ever did that... eeeew) - save for the occasional ice block- especially in the summer.
@zakludick bought me this one the other day though, which was surprisingly delicious, and tasted just like strawberries!
A Blanc De Noir is - as a direct translation, white and dark. So, a Blanc De Noir can be made from a great variety of grapes, from sauvignon blanc, to chardonnay to chenin blanc, and then is usually mixed with a small amount of red grapes, especially the skins, to obtain a pink hue. Any red varietal can be used, from merlot, to pinot noir to shiraz.
My absolute favorite blend is chardonnay/ pinot noir, but there are some excellent runner-ups. This middle-ground wine is great for someone indecisive like me. I love white and red wine but each has its place and it depends on the occasion, what I'm eating and the weather. Blanc de noir is wonderfully versatile as it can be used for many more purposes than unblended/ strictly white or red wine. It's light enough to enjoy with chicken and fish, but the right blend can also be full-bodied and buttery enough to serve with red meat. You just need to know your grapes!
Here are my top picks for blended pinks - NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ROSé!
Late Bloomers: Je Ne Sais Quoi
translated from French: a quality that cannot be described or named easily.
This wine comes from a boutique winery, actually owned by the family of a close muso friend! What a perfect combination! And so is the blend of varietals. This is a Shiraz/Sauvignon Blanc blend, which is surprisingly delicious. I don't normally go for either shiraz or sauvignon blanc, but in this combination, it makes for an indescribably delicate but flavorful wine. I normally find there are two types of sauvignon blanc. After my sweet Rose phase, Sauvignon blanc was my next step. You get fresh, grassy, cucumber and then you get very fruity and zesty. Neither really agree with me anymore - except maybe on a really hot day and the fruitier the sauvignon blanc, the more hectic the heartburn. Shiraz can be lovely, but it has very distinct flavours and doesn't go down as smoothly as merlot for instance. Somehow, the combination here brings out all the best in both grapes and the result is pure magic. I stop by the winery whenever I am in the area to pick up a bottle! And speaking of bottles, how pretty is that? 🦋
My all-time favourite is definitely this beautiful blend by Haute Cabrierre - Pierre Jordaan Tranquille. This is a 70/30 blend of chardonnay an Pinot Noir grapes. Aged in French oak barrels, the chardonnay is woody, buttery, and surprisingly easy drinking. The skins of the Pinot Noir grapes give the wine the most lovely and subtle pink hue that is only really visible in the daylight. The flavour combinations mean that this wine can, served chilled, go well with seafood and even sushi. However, the Pinot Noir grapes lend the wine some superpowers that allow is to be paired with richer dishes and even red meat.
Boschendaal Blanc De Noir is definitely a close runner up if I can't find my Tranquille in our local wine aisle. This wine combines red varietals only: 32 % Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon,21.5% Shiraz, 16.5% Ruby Cabernet, 7% Pinot Noir. The appearance is achieved by removing the skins from most of the grapes. Don't let your sight fool you. This is not by any means, a white wine. This wine is bursting with flavor and, just like the above wine, can be enjoyed with a vast array of foods.
Equally as splendid and around the same price in the Leopards Leap chardonnay Pinot noir. As The name suggests it is a chardonnay/ pinot noir blend. These two varietals once again, coming together to create pure magic.
Du Toitskloof Pinotage Rose
@jasperdick proof that this wine does come in a bottle 😂😂. In fact it always did. They were one of the first "high-end" wineries to bring out their range in boxes. The boxes are incredibly difficult to find though. Most supermarkets stock all the other ones, but not the pink one! I have found that Spar always has them. Just FYI. Although this wine does say Rosé on the lable, it is not sweet. It is derived from merlot grapes which lends it a smooth and easy drinking quality. Watch it through, for some reason, even though the alcohol content is similar to the others, this wine will knock you off your chair before you know it. It's a little too easy to drink with such a serious punch!
Warwick - The First Lady Rose
This gorgeous higher-end wine is found in most good restaurants and is made from pinotage grapes (pinotage is my favourite red and you'll hear me go on and on about it when I do a segment on red wines). It's classy, very easy drinking smooth with very gentle fruit flavours. Once again, don't let the term Rosé fool you here. This is not a sweet wine.
Image source
Fynbos Rose: this one is THE ONLY one that comes strictly in a box! How odd! The box is actually embossed and super pretty. If it is available in a bottle I have never seen it. This wine is only available through Checkers and sells like hotcakes. If you see it, BUY IT. You won't be disappointed. It tastes as good as it looks!
