Uncorked
South Africa takes pride in its bright, vibrant white wines. Most of the country's top wine-producing regions are a bicycle ride away from the ocean, so it is unsurprising that their white wines are excellent matches with succulent seafood and grilled fresh fish. South African winemakers frequently tinker with classic international varieties, such chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, but the country enjoys a special relationship with chenin blanc, a bracingly vibrant variety, known in the local parlance as steen.
Chenin blanc is considered a workhorse grape in many countries but South Africa is one of the few places that has managed to harness the spirit of this variety outside its native Loire Valley, in France. Sauvignon blanc is another South African eye-catcher but don't expect upfront gooseberry, herbal New Zealand-style sauvignon. When made in South Africa, it has a voice of its own. White grape varieties thrive in cool climates and South Africa's finest sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc vineyards benefit from cooling sea breezes and ocean fogs, such as those found in Walker Bay, Constantia and Stellenbosch.
Steenberg sauvignon blanc 2009 (pictured)
A full-bodied, plush and weighty wine with a citrusy, grapefruit sense on the palate, accented with grassy hints and lifted by tangy acidity. Mouth-filling, yet refreshing: everything we ask of a jaunty sauvignon blanc.
Available for HK$189 at Africa2Asia (tel: 6690 0203)
Vergelegen sauvignon blanc 2008
Weighty, ponderous, round and mouth-filling with juicy acidity. Citrusy fruit palate with smoky hints followed by a dried-herbal wave of the hand at the finish. This is no breezy, grassy number. Serve this robust and lovely wine with Mongolian lamb.
Available for HK$108 at Watson's Wine Cellar (tel: 2606 8828)
Reyneke chenin blanc 2008
Deep-gold colour with lanolin, beeswax candle, cooked apple, apple crumble and nutty aromas, this organic wine is complex and layered, if a touch oxidative. Savoury palate with jasmine-tea-leaf accents and fine acidity for support. A hint of residual sweetness makes it an interesting match with yang chow fried rice, Yunnan ham or smoked tea dishes.
Available for HK$158 at Watson's Wine Cellar
Diemersfontein Carpe Diem chenin blanc 2008, Wellington, South Africa
A quiet wine with kumquat notes, white fruit blossoms and a restrained minerality. Medium-bodied, fresh acidity and a chalky finish. Serve on its own or with delicate scallops.
Available for HK$138 at Watson's Wine Cellar
Debra Meiburg is a master of wine
