South Africa Wine Tour in France.

What was a wine aficionado from Portugal, writing a column for a newspaper for foreigners, doing in a Chateau in France, tasting some of the best wines produced in South Africa? "

I asked myself this question when I arrived at the Chateau Mont Royale hotel in Chantilly, transported from Charles de Gaulle airport accompanied by a sommelier from one of the most famous three Michelin-starred restaurants in Portugal. This was an unexpected invitation I received from Prime Wine importers and distributors from Loulé.

I am the first to admit that my knowledge of South African wine is limited, in fact most of the South African wines I have tasted are sold here in Portugal by Prime Wine, but I am slightly familiar with the excellent red wines of the Kanonkop winery from Stellenbosch. It turns out that this highly lauded winery is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with events in France, the UK and the US, and Prime Wine asked me to join the aforementioned sommelier in representing Portugal at the French event. They didn't talk me down much!

Connockop, according to many connoisseurs, is one of the best red wine producers in South Africa, producing wines that in many ways (except for price) are close to the first growths of Bordeaux in the southern hemisphere. One of the most famous wines is the Paul Sauer brand, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. But the winery is also well known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine I soon learned has outstanding aging potential, as well as its excellent varietal wines from Pinotage.

The highlight for me, almost on par with the excellent hospitality and fine food, was a master class with vertical tastings of Connocop wines from the past 50 years. Technically speaking, it was actually 49 years old; the oldest wine in our collection is a 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon.

But my most significant discovery was the Pinotage varietal wines from Connocop. I have previously tasted wines from this grape variety and was still not impressed, given that it is a hybrid created in South Africa from Pinot Noir and Cinezo. Brothers Paul and Johann Krige, fourth-generation owners of the winery, were in attendance, along with their cellarmaster Abri Bislar and other members of the team. In his presentation, Johann Krige talked about how many consumers bypass Pinotage wines simply because they have never tasted a really good Pinotage, and I can say that I am now a convert.

This was a 24-hour event, including a fascinating visit to a nearby oak forest that resulted in another masterclass, this time conducted by experts in converting the best French oak trees into wine barrels along with representatives from France's national forestry authority. When I returned to the airport the next day and headed home, I was already planning my long-awaited trip to South Africa with a visit to Connockopee on my priority list. And the good news for readers is that a range of wines from Connocop is available at Prime Wine in Loulé.

Patrick Stewart.