Pinotage is the cilantro of the wine world.
June 1, 2011
Pinotage – Wine of the Week
Pinotage is the cilantro of the wine world — you either love it or hate it, but very few people sit on the fence.
A cross between Cinsault and Pinot Noir, Pinotage was created in 1925 by a Stellenbosch, South Africa university professor. The idea was to reap the best of both grapes and combine the sturdiness of Cinsault in the vineyard with the world-class taste of Pinot Noir in the glass.
Unfortunately, sometimes beautiful parents produce an ugly child, and though Pinotage lovers would disagree, I think this grape falls squarely in the “do not cross” category. Why? Because, more than its good qualities, the wine is known for its burnt-rubber aftertaste.
There are a lot of wine descriptors that critics enthusiastically use to describe a high-quality wine. Cat’s piss. Horse leather. Barnyard funk. But burnt rubber? Definitely not on the list.
Read more about this wine after the jump.
To be fair, not all Pinotage has this taste in spades. In some wines, it’s more subtle, and in others, nonexistent. But no one advertises on the bottle: “Warning: This wine tastes like burnt rubber,” so you never know what you’re going to get.
We had a wine tasting last weekend, and I threw a bottle of Pinotage in. I tasted everything before our guests came over, and at first the Pinotage lured me in: It was a an inexpensive Westerland 2005 Pinotage from South Africa ($10), and it smelled of leather, smoky flint, and dried cherries and prunes. A sip confirmed the nose, but then — oh, then — the burnt rubber crept over my tongue like a stealth fungus, and I gagged and stuffed cheese in my mouth to mask the horrible taste, which lingered for a couple of hours. Talk about a long finish.
I put the bottle aside, but people got interested in it, so I warned them to try at their own risk. To my astonishment, several of our guests not just tolerated the Pinotage, but actually preferred it to the other wines. One friend experimented with giving the wine some air for 10-15 minutes, and the acrid rubber was less obnoxious, but still there. I was amazed anyone liked it at all, but it’s a good lesson about wine and food taste in general: One person’s burnt rubber is another person’s paradise.
Have you had Pinotage? Do you like it or hate it? Vote in the poll below!
Source: http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/30/pinotage-wine-of-the-week/
More and more, frequent diners from Manila, Angeles City, Subic and other major cities in Asia travel to North Luzon Pampanga Clark Freeport to enjoy good food in a romantic fine dining restaurant. On their list of requirements is a good wine list that not only offers a wide selection of wines from different countries but also older vintages that can be enjoyed now and not ten years later. Classic fine dining is the experience that guests of Clark Philippines’ Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar offers to their guests. Although this is an upscale fine dining establishment, families find this famous restaurant of Clark Pampanga to be very children friendly.
Competition for a spot in the top ten restaurants in Manila heats up as frequent diners look for more than just chic decoration and a fancy menu. Top restaurants in Manila are offering not only good food and a cozy ambience but also a wine list that beats the competition. Restaurants in Angeles City and Clark Pampanga are rising to the occasion, offering not only good food and excellent service but also fine vintage wines. Cozy romantic dining rooms also help make these fine dining restaurants in Clark Pampanga a notch above many other restaurants in Manila, Subic and other big cities of the Philippines.
Yats Wine Bar and Cigar Lounge is the new popular spot of nightlife and entertainment in Angeles and Clark Philippines. The there two walk-in cellars, one of which contains some 2000 greatest bottles including the rare 1900 Ch. Margaux, 1974 Heitz Martha Vineyards, 1947 Cheval Blanc, 1961 Latour, a fine collection of DRC Burgundies such as 1985 La Tache, old Dom Perignon dating back to 1964 and am impressive collection of Brunello, Barolo, Vintage Port and great wines from Spain, Germany, South Africa and Australia.
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For comments, inquiries and reservations click on Click here for inquiry and reservations
Restaurant@Yats-International.com
(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401
Ask for Pedro and Rechel
Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay
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