Tuesday, May 19, 2015

KWV 2013 Concordia White Blend, Western Cape

During our South African wine trip, our first oh-so-brief stop was Johannesburg. We had started the day at the Detroit airport, flew to Atlanta, and then boarded a 16-hour Delta flight for “Joburg.”
It was a bit disorienting. We touched down in a new continent, new country and had an unhealthy dose of jet lab. After making our way out of OR Tambo Airport we caught a shuttle to Southern Sun hotel. The hotel is on the airport property, so we were there in a flash.
We were delighted to walk into a modern, stylishly decorated hotel. Even more welcome was the table set with complimentary wine! Our first sip of South African wine in its native land came here in the lobby of Southern Sun.
The white wine being offered was KWV 2013 Concordia. In South Africa they call their different tiers of wine “ranges.” The Concordia range, which includes a red and white blend, is designed to be an easy drinking, accessible wine.
It is a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Chenin Blanc. I had previously believed that Chenin Blanc was the signature white grape in the country, but I was extremely impressed with the Sauvignon Blanc we tasted.
KWV dates back to 1918 when it was founded as a wine cooperative. In 1997 it converted from a cooperative to a company structure.
Concordia, although not a premium wine, had luscious flavors of green apple and lime with acidity to give it a nice structure. After our marathon flight from the US, this wine washed away the road weariness in refreshing fashion.

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