Taste Case: Allan Mullins chooses six reds to pour with winter comfort food
How can you call it comfort food, without a great bottle of red on the table? Try these six classy, but affordable picks, chosen by Allan Mullins to warm you from the inside out
1 Ken Forrester Grenache 2018
The Rhône Valley grape Grenache can be made in different styles but mediumbodied wines like this one, brimming with strawberries, raspberries and pomegranates, are popular. Young up-andcoming winemakers have taken to Grenache but established producers are catching on, so you can expect to enjoy many glasses in the future. R79.99
2 Saronsberg SGM 2017
Saronsberg winemaker Dewaldt Heyns’ Rhône blend has Shiraz to give structure and dark fruit, Grenache for subtle red berry fruit and floral notes, and Mourvèdre to add spice and savoury elements. The resulting wine is unassuming yet rich in flavour, with a gentle tannin structure and delicate floral notes. R114.99
3 Bellevue Malbec 2018
Now for something completely different. The Malbec from Bellevue is a quirky, happy wine with an enthusiastic cult following that can’t get enough of its fruity wildness. Look for herbaceous notes and flavours of black plum, mint, buchu, fynbos and watercress. It’s a good kind of crazy! R99.99
4 Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Twenty-eight years ago, Jeremy Walker made his first wines in his father’s squash court on the Helderberg mountains. Ever since, he has been making classic reds in his “handcrafted, traditional, unhurried” way. This 2015 is his tenth exclusive Woolworths Cabernet Sauvignon and it is a spectacular vintage. There are flavours of black and red berries, vanilla, mocha and subtle oak and a mouth-filling, velvety palate. R159.99
5 Kanonkop Kadette Cape Blend 2017
Kanonkop’s reds are kings in the spectrum of South African red wine, and their Kadette range is worth adding to your wine rack for prime quality and remarkable value. This 2017 Cape Blend is
37% Pinotage backed up by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Look for flavours of blackcurrant, cherry, plum and mocha, and a firm but juicy palate with an uplifting twist of spice. R114.99
6 Neil Ellis Groenekloof Bush Vine Shiraz 2017
Neil Ellis pioneered the Darling wine region and discovered a clutch of super Shiraz vineyards. Some of the best have gone into this wine, characterised by bewitching spice, white pepper and dark red forest fruit. Your first glass will inevitably lead to another. R114.99