Out of South Africa

When it comes to reds, it's the shiraz/syrah as it relates to the French version that is the best of the lot, while sporadically, blends and other grapes can sometimes rise above the ordinary. It doesn't help to have so many commercial offerings in Canada, perhaps obscuring the best SA has to offer. Syrah, as we are learning here in the Okanagan, appears to better suit the vagaries of the many SA appellations or districts, and if South Africa is to move ahead in this market, it may well be that its syrah offerings will lead the red wine charge.

I think I said that 10 years ago, but like most emerging wine markets that come to Canada, wineries and their agents are determined to try to sell us chardonnay, cabernet and merlot first, even if it's not the best wine they make.

It's been a tough road for post-1994 SA wine in B.C. where California, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Chile and France have pushed the quality bar at light speed, not to mention the intense competition from local B.C. wines.

Ordinary, and often unclean, wine has been the biggest problem in SA, and while wineries routinely slough off such talk, consumers do not. I'm often asked what that foreign "flavour" or "taste" is in so many commercial SA reds. My guess is consumers are detecting various amounts of burnt rubber, game, and or unripe tannins in the wine, flavours not seen in decades in most other wines.

That said, there are some good bottles out there and, during the month of May, BC Liquor Stores will highlight the diversity of wines from South Africa. In all, some 50 stores will feature South African wine displays covering a variety of labels.

There is also an added incentive to get to know South African wine this month -- a trip to the land of the springboks. As part of the month-long celebration, anyone is eligible to win a trip to South Africa. You can enter the contest online at www.winesofsouthafrica.ca until June 15. The offer includes round-trip, economy class tickets to Cape Town, South Africa, leaving from Vancouver; luxury accommodation in South Africa for six nights, as well as transport to and from the airport in Cape Town.

Today, we look at six labels currently available in BC Liquor Stores.

Lindemans South Africa Chardonnay 2006 is an inexpensive, tasty, floral, peach-scented chardonnay with cantaloupe, spicy lees and buttery notes made by Australians. It has a round, ripe, fresh, clean palate with buttery, orange creamsicle, melon, peach, buttery flavours and a touch of sweetness on the finish. A fruity, fresh, easy sipping-style white that is well balanced and represents good value.

Similar to last year, Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2006 from Stellenbosch has a pleasant aroma that mixes floral notes with ripe peach and pear. The entry is smooth with ripe, almost sweet, flavours of honey, pineapples melon flecked with minerals. A good wine that needs a spicy dish to tame the sweet notes. Think Indian or Thai.

Year 3 of the Saxenburg 2003 Guinea Fowl, a fresh 68/32 blend of chenin blanc and viognier, is a delight to drink. The nose is an enticing mix of lees, tropical pineapple fruit and honey aromas. The viognier definitely fattens up the skinny, fresh chenin blanc fruit, giving the white wine all the balance it needs. Sip all summer with seafood or solo on the patio. This one is a winner.

We like consistency, and the Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2006 is almost a carbon copy of the '05 with its smoky, savoury nose and rich roasted peppers and game notes. The entry is soft and warm with plenty of ripe, supple fruit and peppery, licorice, blueberry fruit with meaty gamey notes in the finish. A serious barbecue red you don't just want to leave on the counter for everyone else to drink. Good value.

Graham Beck Shiraz 2004, from the warm Robertson, Breede River Valley region, is similarly consistent each year, offering up a friendly nose of meaty, floral notes with bits of tobacco. Cleaner than usual, the entry is soft, mouth-filling with supple textures and a mix of peppery, meaty, savoury, mulberry-plum fruit flavours. This is a big, showy, almost noisy shiraz that should have fairly wide appeal. Try it with barbecued ribs.

New to me is the Graceland Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from Stellenbosch. It gets full marks for its nose that sports a mix of cran-cherry and black fruit with some smoky oak notes underneath. On the palate, the entry is supple with mocha cherry-chocolate flavours and a streak of acidity and minerality. It's young and will need a bit more time to become fully knit, but it's certainly well made and worth trying.

LINDEMANS SOUTH AFRICA CHARDONNAY 2006, South Africa

Price: $13

UPC: 089819937721

Score: 86/100

Remarks: A fruity, consumer-driven style but well-balanced. Great value.

SIMONSIG CHENIN BLANC 2006, Stellenbosch

Price: $14

UPC: 06002123103006

Score: 86/100

Remarks: A solid wine best consumed with a spicy dish to tame the sweet notes.

SAXENBURG 2007 GUINEA FOWL CHENIN BLANC VIOGNIER, Stellenbosch

Price: $20

UPC: 6002461000333

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Sip all summer with seafood or solo on the patio.

PORCUPINE RIDGE SYRAH 2006, Coastal Region

Price: $18

UPC: 746925000786

Score: 88/100

Remarks: A serious barbecue red that is good value.

GRAHAM BECK SHIRAZ 2004, Breede River Valley

Price: $20

UPC: 699446000028

Score: 88/100

Remarks: A big, showy shiraz that should have fairly wide appeal.

GRACELAND CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005, Stellenbosch

Price: $30

UPC: 06009648990968

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Supple with mocha cherry-chocolate flavours.