Minimum Order 12 bottles

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Pinotage is the quinessential South African grape variety. It was created in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first professor of viticulture at Stellenbosch University by crossing Cinsault (known locally as Hermitage) and Pinot Noir to give the portmanteau "Pinotage". Perold planted the four seeds that he had crossed in his garden where they were then forgotten for several years until they were rescued from a "tidy up" after Perold had moved. The seedlings were replanted and later grafted onto Richter 99 and Richter 57 rootstocks. The healthiest was selected for propagation and named Pinotage. It wasn't until years later, in 1941, that the first Pinotage wine was made and only in 1961 was it truly recognised as a varietal on a wine label. Since the 1960s the reputation of Pinotage has grown for good and bad! It has often been misunderstood and mistreated, with too much oak, too much sugar and generally too much manipulation. We believe Pinotage is a gentle soul which benefits from a light touch and careful handling, like its Pinot parentage.