More on South Africa! This is from our friend J’nai Gaither, who shares her insights from a day with the Wines of South Africa’s kick-off U.S. tour.

By J’nai Gaither

Of all the “New World” wine regions, South Africa seems to receive the least press. But why? The country has, in fact, been making wine for the last 350 years; it has its own indigenous grapes, and the wines that are made from those grapes are often superb. This is one “minority” wine region and little-known grape varietal that needs a whole lot more attention.

Recently the Wines of South Africa touched down in Chicago to introduce us to some of the most renowned South African winemakers and innovative winery owners who discussed the intricacies of their wine. They intelligently discussed vineyard aspect, climate, soil and geography to a group of thirsty wine professionals and other eno-topics that got our juices flowing.

There were many gems from the tasting, surprisingly, none of which were SA’s “own” varietals, Bukketraube or Pinotage. instead there was an abundance of Bordeaux blends—both red and white—that were interesting expressions of the grape. WOSA even hosted an entire seminar on Chenin Blanc, South Africa’s “adopted” grape varietal. This Loire Valley baby has practically become synonymous with South Africain much the way Sauvignon Blanc has its ties with New Zealand.

Here are some highlights of the day:

Vilafonte Series M — This wine is the only South African/American joint venture with the brilliant Zelma Long at the winemaking helm. The Series M is Merlot based, with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc sprinkled throughout. Though it has a substantial amount of Cabernet, it’s surprisingly light on the palate with hints of pears and peaches on the nose.

Bruwer Raats Cabernet Franc — From the king of Cabernet Franc in South Africa, Bruwer Raats has managed to craft a wonderful expression of the grape. It definitely had that five-spice characteristic, as well as the signature green pepper that’s so telling of Cab Franc. His 2007 boasted green pepper notes on both the nose and the palate, as well as some dark cherries. Surprised? So were we — and pleasantly so. The 100% Cab Franc had great structure and soft tannins.

This too was one of the wineries that Thaddeus visited when he was in South Africa and became an instant fan of. (Read his post!)

Ken Forrester FMC 2009 — A legend was in the house this day. Ken Forrester sat before us and gave us a marvelous introduction to Chenin Blanc, and its roots in the South African wine industry. Then he introduced us to his “F****** Magnificent Chenin.”

What a way to start off the seminar. And you know what? He wasn’t joking. The Chenin was superb. Immediately on the nose was a hint of toast and on the palate, slightly buttery and a modicum of sweetness. Though you may associate that with many California Chards, the Chenin had a bit more character and acidity and minerality not often abundant in many new world Chards.

Kanu Kia-Ora Nobel Late Harvest 2006 — LIke many of you out there, we get  weak in the knees when a dessert wine is present — and this one was no exception. The beautiful honey color was the first indication of what we were about to experience in the bottle. On the nose, floral notes abound. Its syrupy sweetness on the palate was redolent of honey, with an almost port-like texture. Hints of golden raisins danced on the palate and then surprised us with a quick bow at the finish. Though not all dessert wines are made of botrytis grapes — the notble rot that “infects” grape — but leaves behind high concentration of sugar.

An honorable mention would have to go to the owner of Thandi wines. Vernon Henn is more than a winery owner. He’s a philanthropist of the highest order. He started Thandi as a way to lift South Africans out of poverty through learning winemaking and viticultural practices. In 2003, Thandi became the first wine brand in the world to become a fair trade brand. A noble brand, indeed. As for the wine, the standout was the Thandi Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2010. On the nose, stone fruit—peaches, apricots. On the palate, crisp with acidity—citrus notes.

The WOSA seminar opened our eyes to a new world — the evolution of South African winemaking in the U.S.  is still just beginning. If the 35-plus wines that we tasted are any indication of future success, then we know that they have a beautiful life ahead. They are certainly one of our favorite winemaking regions, and if you try any of them, we’re sure SA will become one of yours, too