Winery of Good Hope Pinotage

It sounds scarier than it really is to say that Pinotage is sometimes called a Frankenstein grape. In reality, Pinotage is just a grape that was created by cross-breeding two existing grapes – Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (which, in South Africa, used to be called Hermitage). The grape was created in South Africa and it has primarily remained a South African grape, bearing interesting similarities to Shiraz, even though it is related to Pinot Noir.

It should come as no surprise then that the Winery of Good Hope makes a truly superb Pinotage, seeing as they are one of the country’s leading winemakers. Their goal in making a Pinotage is to make a wine that truly expresses the nature of both grapes that make up the so-called Frankenstein.

The Pinot Noir part of Pinotage lends the fruit notes that lead on this wine, manifesting in nice notes of cherry. The Cinsaut brings a pleasing amount of spiciness to the wine, which is what gives this wine more of a Shiraz kind of feel. This wine can be enjoyed slightly chilled and provide a superb sipper that you can easily enjoy a bottle of without too much thought.