LCBO Sale Pick of the Week: June 25

The Grinder 2013 Pinotage (Paarl, South Africa)

Sale $12.95, Regular $13.95
Discount (until July 19): $1.00
LCBO # 269076 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Dark, super ripe fruit like plums, blackberry and — get this — toasted marshmallow, with some lovely sweet spice.
Pairs with: BBQ of all sorts, the smokier the better. Also chocolate fondue.
Good for: All manner of meaty summer fare; best with charcoal barbecue. A nice sipper too.
Alcohol: 14%
Drink: Now.

Why we're drinking this
Pinotage is a very particular beast. Most wine drinkers love it or hate it. To be fair, it can be a challenging wine. But lovers of big Merlot, Zinfandel or Baco Noir should be attracted to its big, ripe fruit and generous texture. Pinotage was developed at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University in 1915 by crossing Pinot Noir with Cinsaut. Let me say right now it has none of the qualities you might typically enjoy in Pinot Noir. Rather, it’s a big, rich wine laden with complex black and red berry notes and a huge dose of chocolate. It has none of Pinot’s lightness or delicacy. It’s a forceful wine, and perfect for big, smoky barbecue flavours.

Tasting note
This is really well-made Pinotage. The grape can be a big pain to manage, but this Grinder version is clean and super fragrant. In the nose, tons of ripe plum, mulberry, black berry and sweet spice. There’s some menthol in there, reminds me of Crème de Menthe, coffee and milk chocolate. Though the wine is not sweet, its nose sure is. What’s cool about this wine is that it’s truly like no other. Wine writer Oz Clarke points out that Pinotage can exhibit “the November scents of marshmallows toasted over a Thanksgiving fire.” That’s so nice! And perfectly unique; you won’t find that nose anywhere else. It’s got nice, full weight, a nice measure of acidity, and lovely texture. There’s even some meatiness here, making for a perfect match with juicy burgers and ribeye steaks. It’s a truly unique wine at a great price—do yourself a favour and give it a whirl.

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This week's selection by kwäf Taste Bud Dick Snyder