Would you like to win a trip to what our world-travelling wine buyer calls “the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen?” Would you like to visit with winemakers whose vineyards plunge down mountainsides buffeted by winds from both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans? Would you like to experience a glass of sauvignon blanc in the land where it’s made? Read on to find out how you can enter for a chance to win a trip to the distant, diverse, delicious world of South Africa.Astonishing beauty. Alluring wine.
The Western Cape of South Africa is a strikingly beautiful land of drastically different topographies, temperatures and precipitation levels. These varied microclimates make for unrivaled biodiversity, as well as growing conditions that are perfect for many different grape varietals.
Wines of South Africa. Our 7 Best Picks.
Now the eight largest wine producer in the world, there are so many great wines coming out of South Africa that picking our best seven among so many great options was a challenge, but we knew we couldn’t go wrong.
The Reds
Cabernet Sauvignon from the esteemed Robertson Winery shows rich flavors of mulberry and ripe plum and a smooth, lingering finish.
The lush finish of The Wolftrap Syrah Mourvèdre Viognier was what won us over, but the pepper and blackberry mingling with floral notes kept us trying just one more sip.
South Africa’s proudly unique wine grape, pinotage, takes center stage with Flagstone’s Dragon Tree. Deeply complex with dark cherries, cigar box and the slightest hint of mint, this wine has a long, sweetly spicy finish of beautifully balanced acidity.
And the final red, Bellingham’s Small Barrel S.M.V. This world-class wine displays a mosaic of dark chocolate, bramble berries and violet notes. Intense fruit arises in the velvety finish. Allow the wine plenty of room to breathe – open at least an hour before drinking. (And you can stash this bottle away for years.)
The Whites
A delightful white wine with bursts of pear and lemon curd, Protea’s Chenin Blanc pairs perfectly with any seafood. Look for floral notes of jasmine in the brisk finish.
Indaba’s Sauvignon Blanc displays ideal varietal character with zippy citrus notes of grapefruit and lime, warming to green fig flavors in the complex finish.
Sleek and sassy, DMZ Chardonnay exemplifies the approachibility of South African wine: notes of tropical fruit move to warm peach and honey finishing with mineral-tinged flavors of toasty caramel.
Here’s Where You Come In
We’re so excited about these wines and their growing region that we’re giving away three trips for two to South Africa! Winners will spend six days in South Africa’s wine country tasting wines, meeting winemakers and visiting vineyards, and the other four days seeing the sights in beautiful Cape Town. Round trip coach airfare to Cape Town, five-star accomodations and all ground transportation is included.
Take note, the contest starts September 3rd and to enter, you’ll write an essay, from 25 to 250 words, describing which of our featured South African wines is your favorite or which one you’re most excited to try and why. Submissions will be posted online, viewers will vote on them, and a panel of Whole Foods Market® judges will pick three winners from among the finalists!
Trip details and official rules will be posted on our wine page opens in a new tab starting on September 3rd.
So fire up your imagination, start composing, and visit wholefoodsmarket.com/wine opens in a new tab September 3rd and September 18th to submit your entry.
We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!
Full information, trip details and rules will be available on our wine page opens in a new tab starting on September 3rd. Make sure to check back. This is not a blog contest. To enter you must sumbit your essay via our wine page opens in a new tab between September 3rd and September 18th.
