There is something about winter that calls for slowing down and enjoying a good glass of wine. Whether you’re cooking a hearty stew or curling up by the fireplace in your favourite slippers, I’ve rounded up four perfect South African red wines for the season.
Vergenoegd Löw Amalie Merlot
Winner of the VinLog Merlot Trophy at the prestigious 2024 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits awards the Vergenoegd Löw Amalie Merlot is something special. Each sip of this full-bodied, ruby-red wine tells a story of terrior and time. The farm’s low-lying location in Stellenbosch, just 3km from the Atlantic Ocean, means their vines grow in lime-rich soils infused with maritime fossils giving their wines an elegant freshness and concentration of flavour. The subtle herbal and fynbos notes beg to be savoured slowly in front of fire or with a rich beef stew.
Groote Post Salt of the Earth
Groote Post Salt of the Earth brings a delicate dance of dark, ripe plums and cherry fruit aromas, cracked pepper, and a whisper of fynbos, making it the ideal choice for warmer winter days. This wine completes Groote Post Vineyard’s Salt Collection trio alongside Seasalter and Pinch of Salt.
This new kid on the Groote Post block marks an essential shift from its traditional 60% Shiraz and 40% Cinsault composition to a more contemporary 60% Cinsault and 40% Shiraz blend. This new blend delivers a fresher, more elegant expression while honouring the wine’s established character and reputation.
Raka Biography Shiraz
Raka’s wines come with a special kind of depth that warms the heart and the palate. Their Biography Shiraz is toasty and smoky on the nose with a hint of red cherry. This smooth and elegant Shiraz is everything you want from a glass of red wine in the winter. Drinking a glass of Biography is like wrapping yourself in a wool blanket while the fire crackles.
Baleia Limitados Tempranillo 2022
Baleia’s vineyards are located on exclusive terroir a stone’s throw from St Sebastian Bay, known as the whale nursery of South Africa. Inspired by the Mediterranean climate and their love of food and superbly crafted wine, the Joubert family has been producing the Baleia range of premium wines and olive oils since 2009. The soil, that consists largely of pure, solid limestone with a very high mineral content, gives Baleia wines a very unique and particular mouthfeel, reminiscent of chalky minerality and maritime salinity.
Their Tempranillo vineyard was planted in 2009 and after more than a decade has really come into its prime. The conglomerated mineral-rich soils the vines are planted in makes for difficult growing conditions. They instinctively become more robust and yield fruit with undiluted clarity and complexity.
With these great wines available why not heed the call of the winter – pour yourself a glass and take it slow.
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Images Madison & West Lifestyle
