Swill or Swell: Episode 9

Mbali Chenin Blanc + Viognier

WATCH THE EPISODE HERE

Welcome to Swill or Swell, a weekly series where I taste grocery store wines and let you know if they’re worth the buck or just meant for the drain!

​CAVEAT! As you read this, please keep in mind that wine is subjective! This means that everyone enjoys different things and something I like might not be something you like and vice versa. I’ll be as objective as I can with facts about the wine’s quality, but in the end if your opinion differs from mine...that’s perfectly fine! Wine is only worth drinking if YOU like drinking it!

LET’S INTRODUCE THE WINE

Today I’ll be tasting the Mbali Chenin Blanc and Viognier White Blend from California. I saw this at Trader Joe’s for $5, so I couldn’t pass that up! I’m excited about this wine because I don’t drink a lot of South African wine, and I thought it would be fun to compare it to the Pine Ridge I showed you all a couple weeks ago.

MBALI CHENIN BLANC + VIOGNIER FUN FACTS

Let’s start by talking about the Western Cape, South African region.

• Dutch East India Company used Cape Town as a resupply stop on route to India during the 1600s
• Settlers planted wine grapes to quench thirsty sailors
• Wine was not good until the second Governer of Cape Town focused on making a better vineyard. He began producing a dessert wine called Constantia, a dessert wine that rivaled top dessert wines like Hungarian Tokaji and French Sauternes
• It took a turn for the worst after phyloxera
  
  

Now a little bit about the terroir (the natural environment where this particular wine is produced)

• Most of the Cape’s wine growing regions are influenced by one of the two mighty oceans which meet at this southernmost tip of Africa: the Atlantic and the Indian oceans.
• Regular coastal fog and cooling sea breezes, moderate Mediterranean climate, distinctive and varied topography, and diverse soils
• The top grapes in this terroir include Chenin Blanc & Cabernet Sauvignon

WINE TASTING NOTES

Look: Light yellow/straw, hint of green
Smell: Very fruit forward. Tropical: pineapple, kiwi, mango; Stone fruit: peach; Green apple. Hint of something else...maybe almond or marzipan?
Taste: Medium acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, dry
Think:
Food Pairing - Roasted white meat with some sort of fruity sauce; but also snacky foods like pretzels, chips, fresh fruit
Occasion - 100% a summer pool party wine!
Rating - Not my favorite style of wine, but overall there’s nothing off-putting about the wine. If you like fruity wine, this is for you! I give it a swell!

Want to learn more? Check out my Instagram every Thursday at 5PM PST for a new episode of Swill or Swell! Have a wine you’d like me to taste? Write your request in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram!

Cheers!