As delectable as the aroma of fresh coffee is in the morning, the temptation to replace the morning cup with a glass of Barista Pinotage was somewhat heightened after tasting it for the first time, this is a wine you could wake up to and it tastes as goods its aroma.

Val de Vie, situated on the Berg River near Paarl, has launched the maiden vintage of their ‘coffee pinotage’, the Barista Pinotage 2009. And the man who conceived and created the first ‘coffee pinotage’, Bertus ‘Starbucks’ Fourie, is convinced that the Barista Pinotage 2009 is the top ‘coffee pinotage’ he has yet produced.

The burst of intense, rich coffee and chocolate aromas with ripe nuances of mulberry, plum and Maraschino cherries are enhanced by sweet aromas of vanilla and butterscotch. This foodfriendly wine with its ripe luscious tannins is ready to be enjoyed now. “Barista Pinotage is the most controversial style of pinotage in the world. Most people crave it once they’ve tasted it.

The wine does not speak of terroir, as oak plays the dominant role, accounting for its coffee and chocolate flavours – the richness of coffee beans and the smoothness of creamy chocolate.” Bertus produced that Barista Pinotage 2009 in the Robertson Winery cellar, using pinotage grapes from the Robertson district only. In his research he discovered that the pinotage grapes from Robertson, with their vines grown in dark, deep-red soils, yield the best grapes for this style of wine.

What’s in a name?

The name ‘barista’, originated from Italian and is unashamedly pure coffee nomenclature. A barista is one who is highly skilled in coffee preparation, with a comprehensive understanding of coffee and coffee blending. Baristas are known for their signature styles of coffee. The term ‘barista’ has been expanded to one who might be called a ‘coffee sommelier’. This is most appropriate because the name coffee is derived from the ancient Arabic phrase ‘qahwat al-búnn’, meaning ‘wine of the bean’. And in ancient Eritrea, where coffee was probably first discovered, the Tigrinyan (language) word for coffee was ‘búnn’ also meaning ‘wine of the bean’.

Where do the coffee aromas come from? This is the magic and the mystery. What we do know for certain is they are a combination of the effects of a specific yeast strain, specific toasting, specific oak type and of course, pinotage grapes. Further than that he won’t elaborate because of course there are some trade secrets, which, in fact, have now been patented. But the remarkable thing is that only pinotage grapes produce these coffee flavours.”

Visit Val de Vie’s tasting room from Monday to Saturday: 09h00 to 17h00, Sundays and public holidays: 10h00 to 16h00. Cellar tours by appointment only. Walks, hikes and mountain bike trails are offered. The Sabrage Restaurant, serving Italian food, opens soon. www.valdevie.co.za