Bottle of the week: Gear from the garage

29 July 2015 - 02:17 By Neil Pendock

South African new car sales plummeted 7% last month. But rather than another symptom of economic gloom, the statistic could be a reflection of a new use for garages: as home wineries. WINE OF THE WEEK:Sonklip 2012HOW MUCH?R50WHERE?Westridge Farm, Omega Street, Stellenbosch, 083-284-3821.WHY?The SA Garagiste Movement, founded last year, is in rude health and many exciting cuvées with unexpected brand names like Giant Periwinkle and Dweller by the Oak have exited the pits and are now roaring up the main straight.A good example is the perfectly balanced blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Mourvedre called Sonklip 2012.Fresh and fragrant on the nose, the mouthfeel is as plush as a ride in a red Cadillac and at R50 a bottle, it is cheaper than the Uber fare home.Sonklip is a family affair with the minimal label, a mountain profile from the Stellenbosch farm, designed by a daughter's boyfriend.Frik Kirsten made the wine. Mom supplied the grapes for Eben Sadie's mythical white called Mrs. Kirsten, made from the oldest registered vineyard of Chenin Blanc in South Africa. Sonklip is a garagiste classic.RATING: ********* Ferrari Testarossa**** Volkswagen Beetle*** Valiant Barracuda** Hummer H3* Vespa Big Boy..

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