05/23/06 – South Africa part 2
Swingers,
This week we’re representing the ethnic minorities and doing “South African whites.” Perhaps it’s ironic that although the Boers of South Africa were for so long intolerant, a word rarely used to describe their bottled counterparts is “intolerable.” Nicely done, huh?
White wine in South Africa was generally regarded with more praise than reds (although in recent years the reds have been gaining a lot of respect). The top grape was traditionally Chenin Blanc, a varietal that we’ll recognize from our trip to the Loire. It’s also interesting to note that before the rise in popularity of Chardonnay during the 70s, Chenin Blanc was the most widely-planted white grape in California. It’s got a long history in South Africa and hopefully we’ll have a few of those to taste. Several other South African whites are worth tasting, notably Chardonnay and apparently some good Sauvignon Blanc as well. Riesling is also grown in small quantities. Most South African wines will say the grape type on the label, although not all of them… therefore, when buying your South African white, try to find one that does list the varietal on the bottle so we know what we’re drinking.
This week we’re returning to Regan’s apartment in the former “vat room” of the old Pabst brewery. Bring a coat, because if the weather’s decent, there’s a patio on the roof with awesome views. Here’s directions: (censored)
Chill those whites and bring your best Dutch colonial accent. We’ll see your bad asses on Tuesday night.
Jesse