South Africa turns a corner

'New world fruit, old world structure.' That was the shorthand phrase I learned for my MW studies in order to identify South African wine. As far as generalisations go, it was usually pretty helpful, describing an overt fruit character which is uncommon within Europe, but tannin and acid levels that are uncommon without.

There was one South African wine in my exams this year. I said it was a Pauillac. So much for shorthand phrases.

At least that speaks well of its quality, if not of my tasting prowess. Indeed, it has been a recent bugbear of the Institute...