5 Gems I have discovered

Apart from writing loads of code in PHP as you can see from my previous posts, there is nothing better than writing code while having a glass of good red wine to go with it. Hey, red wine goes with just about anything, reading a book, chilling beside the fireplace, having dinner or whatever.

If you are like me and have evolved to the point where you realise it is OK to have red wine with seafood, you would have noticed that lately it has become pricey to support a nice wine collection.

Over the past few months I had to be pretty careful with what wines I buy, I love more classical heavy red wines, and for some reasons more and more sweet, light fruity redwines are appearing on the shelf, and I cannot afford to purchase a bottle of Raka everytime I am looking for a good wine, so I started the experiment.

The five wines I have listed above are all available from Pick and Pay (Believe it or not) for R 35 or less, most of them signifigantly less.

I will give my brief opinion on all of these wines from left to right, in no particular order, and do yourself a favour, go get them and hang on to these.

1. Juno Shiraz.

Juno wines are based in the Robertson wine region, they make a basic selection of both whites and reds and are well worth a try, This is a nice drinkable Shiraz, with a very satisfying full flavour, not overly heavy, but still a classical shiraz that goes well with any occasion.

A plus is the very well designed logo, you will not only feel like you are drinking a classy artfull wine, but actually have a pretty picture to look at as well.

2. Angels' Tears

From the Franschhoek wine region, a simply divine Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, This has got to be my favourite wine at the moment, extremely well balanced. Buy a few cases of this one, as every sip is absolute heavenly indulgence with a wine that has such a full ripe body, which is yet deliciously simple and a genuine moving experience.

The logo is also a work of art, depending on your sensibilities. If you like a drinkable wine such as KWV Roodeberg you will enjoy this wine.

3. Oranjerivier Cellars - Ruby Cabernet

Oranjerivier Cellars are from the Northtern Cape, this is another one of those undiscovered classics, and one you can buy in bulk for everyday drinking, great to have around for social events such as dinner parties as it will not put you out of pocket, but no one will disagree that you chose your wine wisely.

4. Ashwood

The estate is also Franschhoek based, and as with Oranjeriviers' Ruby Cab, grab these by the case, for some time now Pick and Pay was letting these go at a buy 5 get one free setup, so pick up a few cases and just save it for your next dinner party.

The one in the Picture is their Merlot, but they also have a Shiraz and a Cabernet, all of these are nice, drinkable wines which cannot be beaten for value for money.

5. Lutzville Pinotage

The name says it all, you have got to include a good Pinotage in any wine list, Initially I wanted to include the Beyerskloof Pinotage, however, they do not quite fit in with my criteria on price anymore. I imagine Lutzville will follow the path of being discovered by some wine exporter and the prices will also be increase seriously, but get a few bottles and hang on to them.