Pinotage

Abraham Izak Perold, the first professor of viticulture at Stellenbosch, crossed pinot noir with cinsaut - then called hermitage at the Cape - in 1925, hoping to get pinot's quality with cinsaut's robustness. The four seedlings were nearly lost when he left the university and his garden was cleared; they were rescued by a colleague who happened to pass. The first commercial bottling followed in 1961. Pinotage has an unusually divided reputation: badly made it develops burnt-rubber and acetone notes that gave it a reputation abroad it has struggled to shake, while carefully made examples are dense, smoky and full of dark fruit. The best come from old bush vines in Stellenbosch and the Swartland, and the difference between a good and a bad one is larger than for almost any other variety. Cape Blends, in which pinotage is combined with Bordeaux varieties, are the other common form.

What you actually see

• The 1925 cross - pinot noir with cinsaut, made in a Stellenbosch garden.
• The near-loss - four seedlings rescued from a cleared garden by chance.
• A divided reputation - burnt rubber at worst, dense and smoky at best.
• Old bush vines - Stellenbosch and the Swartland producing the strongest examples.

When to go

All year; February and March for harvest. A day of tastings.

Honest expectations

Quality varies more than with most varieties - a cheap bottle may confirm every prejudice. Tasting fees have risen steeply. Many visitors simply do not like the style. Drink-and-drive enforcement is strict; use a driver or the wine tram.

Nearby

Stellenbosch is the historic centre; the Swartland is north.