Oak Lane Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (about $11)

About The Wine:  South Africa's signature grape is the hybrid Pinotage, commonly known as "Pino what?"  The failure of that varietal to catch on in a big way means that the country might do better to invest in more widely know varietals like Cabernet and Shiraz.

About THIS Wine:  The center is dark and fades to a clear rim.  The nose is big.  There is baker's chocolate, green pepper, and an oily component that is hard to name.  Chocolate and green pepper are strong on the palate.  The tannins are pretty fierce.

Drinking This Wine:  Let it breath and then have it with steak.

Overall Impression:  This is a dry, steak wine.  At this price it would be hard to label as anything other than a good value.

Bayten Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (about $14)

About the Wine:  South Africa is best known for its Chenin Blanc, locally known as "Steen", and second best known for the horrible sweet box wine turned out by the Robertson winery, essentially the Yellow Tail of South Africa.  The region does have a unique terroir that produces wines unlike those of the same grape varietals from anywhere else in the world, including some remarkable Sauvignon Blanc.  Will this be one of them?

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is golden yellow, enough so that I wonder if the wine saw some oak.  The nose is acidic with the kind of sharp citrus I would associate with a New Zealand Sauv. Blanc.  That citrus is present on the palate but there are also interesting cream and caramel notes, which I suspect are the result of malolactic fermentation and which I have never experienced in a Sauv. Blanc before.  The finish is very clean with just a hint of citrus lingering.

Drinking This Wine:  This is good for a warm weather sipping wine and it would also do well with grilled chicken or whitefish.  I do not think there is enough body to stand up to shellfish.

Overall Impression:  This wine is crisp and delicious and could easily be a thirty dollar bottle.  At fourteen it is an absolute steal.

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz 2011 (about $10)

About the Wine:  Shiraz is usually known as a dry red.  There are two ways to make dry reds into sweeter wines.  One is to do a late harvest, leaving the grapes on the vines longer and allowing them to develop more natural sugar prior to harvesting.  The other way is to artificially sweeten the wine after harvesting.  Given the price of this wine, the later is more likely.

About THIS Wine:  A dark red center fades to a pink rim.  Sweet plum is prominent on the nose and delivers on a tart palate with a dark fruit finish.

Drinking This Wine:  No idea.  The palate is too sharp for a sipping wine, too sweet for a dinner wine, and too thick for snack foods.

Overall Impression:  The difference between this and Manischewitz is that Manischewitz costs less.  At ten dollars a bottle this is overpriced.