Uncorked and Curious

Decanting wine jargon into plain English

Tag: south africa

  • Pinot Noir — The Heartbreak Grape with a Sense of Drama

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    by

    Eddie

    There are few grapes that inspire such devotion, despair, poetry, bankruptcy, ecstasy, and lifelong obsession as Pinot Noir. For centuries, it has been whispered about like a rare treasure—temperamental, thin-skinned, prone to melodrama, yet capable of producing some of the most hauntingly beautiful wines known to humankind.

  • Rhône Blends: From the Rhône to the Swartland

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    by

    Eddie

    From the granite hills of the Swartland to the sun-drenched vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône-style red blends are all about harmony — Syrah for spice, Grenache for fruit, Mourvèdre for depth. Join Koos, Isabella, and Octavius as they debate the roots, the revolution, and the irresistible charm of these blends that are reshaping South African wine.

  • The Chardonnay Caper

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    by

    Eddie

    In the late 1970s, a few daring South African winemakers found a creative way to bypass KWV red tape — smuggling Chardonnay cuttings home in battered Samsonite suitcases. Detective Octavius Pinot uncovers a tale of vineyard intrigue, mistaken identity, and a gold medal that wasn’t quite what it seemed.