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ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:44
 | | 02/16/2005 5:37 PM |
| I’d like to tell you about a very unusual wine.
It is made of a grape called Pontac. And the producer is Hartenberg Estate from South Africa, Stellenbosch.
Very rare wine.
I have tasted it twice and it is quite a nice experience. Not anything bargain or so, but fun.
Hartenberg Estate is the only example of Pontac, alias Teinturier du Cher, a seldom-grown red-fleshed French grape.
‘A South African teinture [red-fleshed grape] of mysterious origins’, according to Janice Robinson).
The back label of this wine says 'Pontac is a grape varietal of French origin with a history stretching back to the time of the time of Jan van Riebeeck. Records show that a Pontac wine was shipped from the Cape to Amsterdam in 1772. Much later, the varietal was used in the blend of the famous Constantia sweet red wine.
This unique wine is the only Pontac that is commercially available in the world. It is deeply hued, mildly tannic and subtly flavoured with definite ageing potential.'
The vines were old and unreliable, and they wouldn't be replaced when they failed. A few Pontac vines were planted at the end of rows of other vines to deter baboons. Because the grape juice of Pontac is red, marauding baboons plucking grape bunches would see their hands coloured red, think it was blood and run away. Thus the Pontac vines protect the rest of the row. | | | |
| NorCalVinoLover
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2188
| | 02/18/2005 6:27 PM |
| Very interesting. Thanks for the post Pickmeup
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| ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:44
| | 02/18/2005 7:34 PM |
| You are wellcome NorCalVinoLover!
Shared pleasure, is a double pleasure.  | | | |
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