Is Patriotism Enough: Christian Eedes

Deputy Editor Christian Eedes discusses the future of Pinotage, and explains the thinking behind the WINE magazine TOPS at SPAR Value for Money Pinotage Award.In discussing the merits of a grape variety, one must consider not only whether it is suited to a region's soil and climate but also its economy.

Following the installation of the Mandela-led government at the beginning of the '90s, producers found themselves facing a very receptive international market. After a long period of not being exposed to South African wine as a result of sanctions, foreign consumers were curious to see what was on offer. Moreover, everybody wanted the newly democratic country to succeed so were predisposed to like it's wines.

Under these circumstances, it appeared that Pinotage was destined for glory. Developed in South Africa 80 years ago by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsault, it seemed logical to position it as the country's signature grape variety. However, the situation has changed dramatically in the meanwhile.

At entry level, unscrupulous producers attempted to offload Pinotage of exceptionally poor quality, while at premium level, the wines were so stylistically diverse that a basic understanding of the grape was made exceptionally difficult. Producers also discovered that the wine was difficult to work with and was prone to a number of problems, such as unappetising chemical aromas, bitterness and bacterial spoilage.

All these factors have combined to damage Pinotage's reputation and as a consequence it should no longer be seen as South Africa's key wine offering. Its image is in need of rehabilitation, and simply persisting with the argument that its local origins are sufficient to warrant the attention of wine enthusiasts is not helpful.

So where to take Pinotage? There will always be those who attempt wines of greatness from the variety, and they have every right to do this. However, it is a pretence to suggest that there will ever be very many wines from this variety that are as distinctive and refined as the best from Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.

Pinotage, it has to be admitted, is a lesser variety, which is not to say it cannot make interesting and pleasant wines. There will always be a few that merit close consideration but most often wines made from it will have no greater role than providing an agreeable accompaniment to a well-cooked meal.

It is on this basis that WINE magazine believes that Pinotage should best be promoted not as an ultra-premium wine for the connoisseur but as an everyday wine for the people. Today, there are plenty of easy-drinking, light and fruity examples of Pinotage that are not exorbitantly expensive and this is the style of Pinotage we intend to champion by means of our annual Value for Money Pinotage Award.
Value Rating System
The factors involved in determining the value ratings are as follows:
A - the Star rating as an indication of the quality of the wine
B - the price per bottle as supplied by the wine producer
C - the price of R40 a bottle as per WINE magazine's Best Value Wine Guide*

Initially wines are ranked according to the formula A × (C ÷ B). The wine offering best value is then factored so as to receive a value rating of 10, and the other scores are indexed accordingly.

The price ceiling in the value rating formula is set at R40 as this is the figure used in WINE magazine's 2005 Best Value Wine Guide.

Wines costing more than R40 per bottle are eligible for the Value for Money Pinotage Award, even though the 2005 Best Value Guide only includes wines under R40 a bottle.

This year Wellington Pinotage 2003, rated 3 Stars and costing R22 a bottle, technically offered the best value for money of all, but was almost sold out at the time of going to press and was consequently not considered for the award.