This year, Shawn and I spent our Valentine’s Day afternoon with the fabulous and fun iYellow Wine crew at an event celebrating South African wine (yes, I’m more than a little behind on some posts). I’ve come a long way in terms of my knowledge about South African wine in the last few years, as I’ve had many opportunities to taste and have interviewed several winemakers from the region. I’ve learned that I’m a big fan of their Chenin Blanc and that I have yet to develop a taste for Pinotage.
The iYellow event, which was packed with wine lovers, brought together great food from local vendors and several stations where you could taste and rate various South African sippers. As with many iYellow events, the afternoon was set up to encourage a fun and chatty atmosphere—no room for stuffiness or pretention at this party—and the wine was all easy-drinking and suitably casual.
Shawn and I circulated for a few minutes and enjoyed a few dishes. I liked the mac & cheese, he liked the mini steak sandwich and we both loved the mini lemon cheesecake doughnut from Glory Hole Doughnuts, which we shared. We also, of course, sampled several wines. Our favourites? We both liked the Frisky Zebra Seductive Shiraz followed by The Wolftrap Shiraz.
I was also impressed by the Two Oceans wines available. They offer some good value wines and, if you’re looking for something reasonably priced to bring to a party, they are worth considering. There’s a reason these wines are consistently popular.
South African wine is worth exploring and I look forward to continuing to taste through what this country has to offer. You can find great value bottles at the LCBO or your local wine retailer or look for higher-end offerings via agent to get even better examples of the expressive and nuanced winemaking this region is able to produce.
Thanks to iYellow Wine Club for inviting us to attend this event. While our tickets were complimentary, our opinions are our own.
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