With our Friesland Pinotage, we wanted to introduce a wine that honours that heritage while showing the fresher, more food-friendly expression of Pinotage we love to drink today.
Rooted in Stellenbosch and made from low-yielding vineyards grown in weathered granite soils, this Pinotage is crafted with an eye on balance and drinkability. It brings out the best of its parents: Pinot Noir’s elegance and earthiness combined with Cinsault’s vibrancy and red fruit flavours. The aim is not to overwhelm, but to invite: a wine that opens easily, settles into the glass, and keeps you coming back for another sip. It’s the kind of bottle you don’t save for a “special occasion” – it becomes part of the occasion, whether that’s a relaxed dinner at home, a braai with friends, or a long table in a rustic restaurant where the candles are low and the conversation runs late.
On the nose and palate, our Pinotage offers a generous core of ripe plum and cherry, lifted by warm spice – think cinnamon and clove – and that subtle, unmistakable Pinotage depth that makes the variety so compelling. The texture is smooth and juicy, with a roundness that feels generous rather than heavy. Each element is there to work together: fruit, spice, structure, and an easy elegance that keeps the wine firmly in the “pour another glass” category.
Above all, this is a food wine. Pinotage has an extraordinary ability to sit comfortably next to bold flavours – smoke, char, spice, and savoury richness – without losing its shape. Pair it with lamb kebabs, hearty curries, pizza fresh from the oven, or a simple charcuterie board and watch how quickly the wine finds its rhythm. It’s a red that doesn’t demand attention but quietly elevates what’s on the plate.
Our introduction of Friesland Pinotage is also an invitation: to explore Pinotage beyond the clichés, to enjoy it in its most versatile setting – at the table – and to rediscover why this grape remains one of South Africa’s proudest contributions to the world of wine. From Stellenbosch to your glass, it’s a wine shaped by place, made with care, and offered with one simple question:
Wine not?
Please feel welcome to visit our online web shop at www.frieslandwines.com.