South African Pinotage

Again with the South Africa addiction, I know. But this one is a must. The latest wine that Justin and I are addicted to is the Pinotage. More specifically the "Chocolate Coffee Pinotage." We of course tried this for the first time at our favorite place, Tolani Wine Bar (see dofoodstuff.blogspot.com for full review). I have yet to find a red wine as comforting as this one. The Pinotage is specific to South Africa and is a blend of two grapes, Pinot Noir and Cinsault. There are Pinotages that are not coffee chocolate, these I seem to not like nearly as much.

Our first taste and favorite Pinotage was The Dark Lady from Doolhof, Wellington, South Africa. We have found it impossible to find in stores. With that said, we needed a replacement to feed our cravings. After trying a few we did not like, we finally stumbled upon Barista at the Whole Foods Wine shop. We have served it to our friends and family, all who have also enjoyed it. It pairs unbelievably with a hearty tomato sauce and pasta meal, or some delicious chocolate dessert. The bottle costs around $13 and so far we have only found it at Whole Foods. We ended up buying the last ten bottles and dishing them out to family members!