The History of Pinotage
South African Varietal Created in Early 1900s by Dr. Perold
The story of pinotage is one of somewhat unsual coincidences. Or was it Bacchus, the god of wine who decided to take a hand in matters as he saw the new wine industry at the southern tip of Africa take shape? Who knows. But it’s an interesting story nevertheless.
History of Pinotage - First, a Tiny Experiment
Dr Perold is credited with creating the first pinotage by crossing pinot noir with a sturdy but poor and distant cousin, hermitage, today better known as cinsaut, a prodigious grower able to withstand local conditions.
Perold rubbed the male cinsaut flower against the pollen donor pinot noir in his garden at his Welgevallen home. The date was 1925. A few years later he left to join the then state co-operative K.W.V. Without another look to see how his protege was doing, he left, his pinotage forgotten in his garden.
Did Bacchus Perhaps Play a Part?
Time marched on. The garden became overgrown and the pinotage was all but swamped by weeds which led to the University sending around some workers to weed and clean out the garden. And here, once again, fate played a vital part – because if it did, the world might not have sipped a wonderful wine called ‘pinotage’.
An Alert Young Man on a Bicycle
On the fateful day, in the picturesque town of Stellenbosch, a young lecturer, Charlie Niehaus, who knew about the four seedlings passed by on his bicyle as the gang of labourers were cleaning the garden. He stopped, got off his bicycle and saved the seedlings from destruction.
The seedlings were replanted on the agricultural farm Elsenburg and once again the poor seedlings were forgotten until seven years later when Dr Peroldt’s successor, C.J. Theron, propagated this plant material on the old stalwart Richter 99 and Richter 57.
Was this to be an auspicious occasion?
Of course, not all pinotage wines are up to standard, especially in the past which led to wine critics complaining about acetate-type characteristics reminding them of paint. But those who are determined oppositionists of the varietal should put a few of the top pinotage wines to the test, for instance those made by Stellenzicht, or, of course, Beyerskloof, to name but a few.
Growing in Stature
That the varietal is going from strength to strength, is attested by the fact that, for instance, Windmeul Pinotage Reserve 2007 was selected as the Best Red Wine over all at the 2008 Winemaker’s Choice Wine Competition in South Africa. It also received a Double Gold International Michelangelo Award and a Double Gold Veritas Award locally, as well as featuring in the annual Absa Top 10 Pinotage Competition. There is no doubt that pinotage has come a long way since the first seedlings lay forgotten in the garden of its creator, Dr. Peroldt.
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