South African Wine - what does this label mean? Bargain wines in Britain and wine tasting in South Africa ...

Fish Hoek means Fish Hook or Fish Corner in Dutch. It is the name of a town in the Cape area of South Africa. When the town was first founded selling wine was banned. Times have changed.

Pinotage is a grape. It is a South African grape, a cross between pinot noir and another grape which is now called Cinsaut but many years ago when first produced was called Hermitage, hence the last four letters of the name pinotage. 

Pinot noir is a black grape. Noir is French for black.

Hermitage is a French place name and was used by various other products until the French brought in appelation controlee (control of the name) so other people were no longer allowed to use the name had to find something new.

Rose of course means pink wine. What I like about this bottle is the raised fish bones on the botle above the label. The top of the label is wavy, like the sea.

We bought this for only £5.99 from Waitrose supermarket in London, England.
If you go to South Africa the wine region has many restaurants and vineyards where you can taste wines.


For more details see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinotage
http://www.pinotage.co.za/
http://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-385-pinotage (This article tells you about how the way you grow or train the vines affects the flavour.)
http://www.fishhoekwines.com/sa
http://www.awhaleofatime.co.za/fish-hoek.php (Fish Hook area history.)
http://www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/westerncape/flagstone-fish-hoek-kumala-winery/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g312665-d1764070-Reviews-Cape_Town_Wine_Tours-Milnerton_Western_Cape.html
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1722390-d2264993-Reviews-African_Story_Wine_Tours-Cape_Town_Western_Cape.html