Po-faced drinkers really get my goat

Jan 17 2008 By Laurence Mccoy

A HORSE went into a bar. "Why the long face?" said the barman.

Why indeed? Some people can get a little bit too serious about drinking, especially when it comes to wine.

So it's a breath of fresh air to encounter a South African winemaker with a sense of humour. It all started when Charles Back released his Goats do Roam red and white wines, a playful nod towards French cousins in the Cotes du Rhone.

And very successful they were, and continue to be. The red is a very tasty blend of Rhône grapes, Shiraz, Cinsaut, Carignan and Mourvèdre, including a dollop of South Africa's signature grape, Pinotage. The flowery, juicy white includes little known varieties like Cruchen Blanc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Muscat Frontignac.

It might come as a surprise that the French were a bit miffed about a southern hemisphere upstart casting aspersions on their hallowed name. They may have missed the point, however, because Charles Back's wines are not just a pastiche, but a tribute to the originals. He may well have some fun with the labels but he certainly takes the winemaking seriously.

And thankfully he wasn't put off by the resulting lawsuits because there followed more excellent, but distinctly south African versions that bear a passing resemblance, both in name and character, to established classics - Goats do Roam in Villages (Cotes du Rhone Villages), Goat Rotie (Cote Rotie), Bored Doe (Bordeaux) and Goat Door (Cote d'Or).

The theme is becoming obvious, and it's based on the fact that Charles Back also rears a large number of goats at his Fairview estate, producing something like 60 per cent of South Africa's gourmet cheese.

And France is not his only influence. The latest addition to the range is The Goatfather, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot, with Italian varietals Barbera and Primitivo. It's a flavoursome, spicy red that would go down a treat with pasta and pizza.