We are really pleased to include the Scions of Sinai Pinotage in this month’s il Consorzio di PRIMA, another of the unique and special wines from PRIMA alum, Peter Andrews, and his new import company, Culture Wine Company.  Peter, in multiple trips over the past few years, has assembled a portfolio of South African wines, primarily small, family-owned estates that represent the new wave of SA wines.  Gone are the days of huge co-operatives and inferior vine material; replaced by passionate, quality-driven growers and producers who are utilizing the latest developments in winemaking technology and, most importantly, superior quality clonal material. 
Scions of Sinai (named after Sinai Hill, a local landmark) was established in 2017 by Bernhard Bredell, a 7^th generation grower/winemaker who polished his craft with stints in Beaujolais and the Rhone Valley of France and the Priorat region of Spain.  At one time, his family owned close to 200 acres of vines in lower Helderberg, a small area in the south of Stellenbosch, not far from False Bay.  As the property was being sold off, Bernhard managed to hold on to a small plot of very old, dry-farmed bush vines that are now part of a heritage vines programmed called “The Old Vine Project”.  The unique soil, a blend of decomposed granite, silica and sand, is unlike most of Stellenbosch and creates very distinctive wines.  Bernhard’s treasure is a small, two-acre plot of old-vine Syrah, whose wine has earned him well-deserved recognition both in South Africa and around the world.  The wine featured here, the Scions of Sinai Pinotage is sourced from an organically grown, dry-famed vineyard in the same granite-based soil described above. Influenced by cool breezes off the nearby ocean, the grapes are harvested on the early side in order to preserve freshness and to create a brighter style of Pinotage.  Older examples of South African Pinotage (a grape cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault) were often earthy and tannic, with a strong medicinal aroma. Not so with the Scions of Sinai Pinotage; the wine is delicate and fruity, with hints of ripe stone fruit, spring flowers and a touch of bramble berries.  It’s a great way to enjoy Pinotage if it’s your first encounter and a wonderful example of the stylish new wines coming out of South Africa.  – Frank Rothstein