New arrivals on drinks front

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And now for something completely different – interesting arrivals in the Vine Time mailbox recently have included South Africa’s first “Provençal-style” premium pink wine, the only gin in the world distilled with Atlantic Ocean seawater and a new product that promises to banish wine headaches.

Jean Roi Cap Provincial Rosé from Anthonij Rupert Wyne is named for the French Huguenot who pioneered the 300-year wine history of L’Ormarins.

What makes it specifically a premium wine, and Provençal in style?

The makers say that, unlike many other local rosé wines, here the grapes were specifically selected for their suitability for rosé, while the winemaking, focused on the first, free-run juice and minimal skin contact, is typical of Provence.

Made from cinsault, grenache and shiraz sourced from prime Swartland terroir in Riebeeksrivier, the wine also spends nine months on the lees, giving it structure – with more body and mouthfeel than expected in a pink wine – and a fine balance of fruit and acidity.

The packaging – a tailor- made bottle embossed with Jean Roi’s initials – signals a wine of substance and the contents don’t disappoint.

The blushingly pale copper wine is bone-dry (probably the most bone-dry South African pink I’ve ever tasted) with an overall delicate and elegant feel to its fresh summer fruit with underlying warm spicy tones, the qualities of the three grapes beautifully integrated into a harmonious whole. This is serious wine that just happens to be pink.

The wine is limited release, available at R280 from the Anthonij Rupert Wyne online store or cellar door.

A Mari Ocean gin adds a twist to the ever-growing craft gin trend, using Atlantic seawater in the distilling process.

The seawater minerals aid in extraction of oils from the Cape fynbos botanicals infused in the gin, resulting in what co-founder Niel du Toit calls “a gin that tastes like Cape Town”.

It does have a pleasantly salty, mineral tang about it, along with floral and citrusy notes – enjoyable straight on ice or with a good-quality tonic. It’s not widely available outside Cape Town, but can be bought through various online wine sites.

Sulphites in wine are often blamed for headaches or bunged-up sinuses. Whether this is fact or fiction is widely debated, but many people do feel that red wine affects them negatively (apart from the hangover from over-indulging, that is).

A new product on the market, Kleerwine, promises relief for those sensitive or allergic to sulphites – one drop in your glass removes the free sulphites without affecting the taste. Having tried it out on various wines, I can say that the nose and taste weren’t affected, but as I’m not sulphite-sensitive, I can’t vouch for that.

Available at various bottle stores for around R100.