Many thanks to the podcasters and bloggers attending the most recent New York Geek Dinner for a delightful evening.

I didn’t get to stay as long as I would have liked, but I did enjoy helping get things off to a congenial start, helping Dave pour the Stormhoek. And not only the justifiably famous Sauvignon Blanc, but also the oh-so-tasty Shiraz. I might be mistaken, but I believe it was the first time out in public for the Stormhoek Shiraz here in the States. After a couple minutes in the glass the wine was showing admirably.

Taste-wise, a good South African Shiraz is halfway between the varietal’s two best-known styles and regions. It’s got the ripe fruit and black pepper of the better Aussies, and the smoky, plummy, bacon-fatty goodness from the Northern Rhone (where the grape’s called Syrah). Of course, you generally pay a pretty penny for wine from the Barossa Valley, Hermitage, or Cote-Rotie. In Stormhoek you’ll find a true expression of what happens to the grape when it’s grown in South Africa. And I’m confident you’re going to love it for its taste, and for its price.