Grape variety
Pinotage
Pinotage, South Africa’s signature red grape, a Pinot Noir and Cinsault cross from around 1925: its origin, style, regions and what to eat with it.
- Colour
- Red
- Origin
- Pinot Noir × Cinsault (called Hermitage at the Cape), crossed by Abraham Perold in Stellenbosch, usually dated to 1925
- Main regions
- South Africa, about 6,500 hectares (over 7 % of vineyards); chiefly Swartland, Paarl and Stellenbosch
- Typical aromas
- Blackberry, plum, smoke, earth; firm tannins
- Classic pairing
- Braai: boerewors, lamb chops, ribs, game
- Cape Blend
- A blend in which Pinotage makes up at least 30 % by convention, usually with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Pinotage is South Africa’s own grape and is found elsewhere only in small quantities. It began as a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, which was then called Hermitage at the Cape; the name is a blend of the two. It was bred by Abraham Izak Perold, the first professor of viticulture at Stellenbosch University; the crossing is usually dated to 1925. Perold wanted to combine the quality of Pinot Noir with the hardiness of Cinsault, which thrives in the Cape heat.
The grape’s first years are a story full of chance. Perold later moved to the KWV co-operative, the few seedlings were left forgotten in the garden of his former house in Stellenbosch, and they were nearly lost when the overgrown plot was cleared. A colleague, Charlie Niehaus, recognised them and rescued them; C. J. Theron grafted them in the mid-1930s. The first wine was made in 1941, and around 1960 the first commercial Pinotage reached the market.
Today South Africa has about 6,500 hectares of Pinotage, a little over 7 per cent of its vineyards, which makes it, after Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the country’s third most planted red; the largest areas lie in the Swartland, Paarl and Stellenbosch. In the glass Pinotage is very dark and shows blackberry, plum, smoke and earth, with firm tannins and good acidity. The grape’s reputation is divided: where careless or overly warm fermentation produces isoamyl acetate, the wine smells of banana or solvent. Carefully made and aged in oak, Pinotage gives dense, spicy reds instead. There are also fruity, easy wines, rosé and even a coffee style with roasted notes. The Cape Blend, a blend of Pinotage with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or other grapes in which, by convention, Pinotage makes up at least 30 per cent, is regarded as typical of the Cape.
Outside South Africa, Pinotage is grown in small quantities in New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Israel, Brazil and the United States. At the table it is a wine for the South African braai, the barbecue: boerewors, lamb chops, ribs and game such as springbok. Hearty stews and spicy curries also stand up to its smoky fruit. Because of its firm tannins it suits fatty, grilled meat best; serve it at about 16 to 18 degrees.