[TAYste] KWV Classic Collection Shiraz 2021

I’ll always have a soft spot for KWV, a truly iconic South African brand probably most famous locally for their brandy. I’m not big on spirits, but wine is always a great companion of food. Much like last time, I got some frozen pizzas as an alternative to getting takeouts, and couldn’t resist pairing it with a decent shiraz. This was on special, once again – but unlike the Saxenburg Guinea Fowl, this is not an estate wine.

KWV stands for Kaapse Wijnkelders Vereniging, or in American that is Cape Winemakers Association. It started as a co-operative of winemakers who banded together during a weird time in the Cape wine industry, and is now one of the top wine and spirits manufacturers in the country.

This distinguishes KWV’s wines from an estate wine from the likes of Saxenburg – the grapes are not sourced from a single terroir but rather from all over the Cape, possibly even beyond from wine farms in the Northern Cape. This has the advantage of a more consistent quality, but some might argue that it lacks it’s own personality.

I’m calling bullshit on that. The KWV is over 100 years old, and is steeped in it’s own unique winemaking traditions. They have over the years accumulated a litany of brands and products, but the KWV icon is a mark of quality in it’s own right. If memory serves, the company was established in a time when the market was flooded with cheap wine, and the intent was for the KWV mark to essentially represent a guild of winemakers trying to make a living while producing quality wines amongst a mass market of opportunists. I stand to be corrected, it could have been another crisis in the wine industry that I am too lazy to look up. Seems legit, though.

Enough history lessons, let’s talk about the wine!

I am fond of South African Shiraz. Generally this varietal seems to do well in the Cape, and is often found in blends – it’s often a component of Cape Blend-style wines, along with the indigenous Pinotage.

KWV’s Classic Collection represents Estate quality at prices just proud of your average table wine. Admittedly these days it’s often right up there with Estate wines in price, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that they have the power of consistency. It’s also hard to argue with a 15% discount, and I thought it would pair well with the bacon and spring onion pizza I had selected.

I wasn’t wrong! The young wine is readily drinkable. The oaky tannins are pleasant and lively, but subdued, making it a good candidate for aging. Mind you, it really isn’t anything fancy – not one you’ll want to save to celebrate your winning the lottery, but if you’re looking for some decent wines to flesh out your stockpile this is a good one to have on ice for those last-minute occasions.

I spoke about the screw-top on the Saxenburg last time – KWV keeps it a little classier with pressed cork, which is a great alternative to rubbers and plastics. It also beats low-quality cork any day of the week, and you won’t have your mother-in-law turning her nose up at the signature crack of a twist-off.

In terms of taste, it’s not a heavy wine and will sip just as well at a summer barbecue as it will next to a roaring fire in the winter. It might even make a decent gluhwein! It’s fruity and easy drinking, with a gentle acidity that will be forgotten by 2023.

That wraps up this edition of TAYste. Feel free to write your own – it doesn’t have to be about wine, but about anything you can TAYste!