THE PINOTAGE RESTAURANT & WINE CELLAR
Family Restaurant
in Centurion, Greater Pretoria,
Gauteng, South Africa
The unique and diverse essence of South Africa is captured and expressed not
only through its people, but also in all that which makes it so proudly South
African, especially our famed wines. Pinotage wine, to be precise, is
quintessentially South African; the first Pinotage grapes are accredited to
Abraham Izak Perold who physically brushed a male Hermitage (Cinsaut) flower
against a pollen donor Pinot Noir in 1925 at the Welgevallen experimental farm
in Stellenbosch, which eventually led to today’s easy drinking berry, vanilla
and chocolate toned Pinotage wine. The first commercial planting of Pinotage was
done at the farm Myrtle Grove near Sir Lowry's Pass, and Stellenbosch Farmer's
Winery was the first to use the Pinotage name on a label in 1961, under the
Lanzerac brand. The Diner's Club Winemaker of the Year dedicated the competition
to Pinotage in 1987, and today Absa compiles an annual top 10 Pinotage list.
It is this truly South African creation that compelled hospitality entrepreneur
Allan Clingham to open the only restaurant in South Africa to proudly celebrate
Pinotage wine. One would expect the first restaurant of this nature to be in
Cape Town or in the vicinity of the winelands, but a conscious decision was made
to launch in Gauteng, as Allan realised that there is a distinct lack of
restaurants and bars in the province that serve wine (red in particular) at the
correct temperature. The Pinotage Restaurant & Wine Cellar opened its doors on
01 December 2004 in Centurion on the same premises as the upmarket Leriba Lodge,
offering its patrons much more than a superb restaurant. The Pinotage Restaurant
& Wine Cellar is a gourmet lifestyle experience and Allan invites his guests to
share in the philosophy of 'friends in good food and wine'.
A central feature of the restaurant is the walk-in glass wine cellar which has a
remarkable collection of some of the finest Pinotage wines that have been
produced. Other varietals are also stocked, but Pinotage from various estates
makes up the bulk for obvious reasons. This wine cellar is slightly chilled as
the average room temperature in Gauteng is much warmer than recommended for red
wine. The restaurant has received an official wine maker’s status, and has a
custom-built winery that holds oak barrels containing the current year's
Pinotage wine pressed on site during an annual Pinotage wine pressing festival,
the only one of its kind in Gauteng. Ten teams of ten people get to press their
own wine with their feet from grapes supplied by Meerendal Estate. This happens
on one date only each year, and has become a much-anticipated annual event. The
pressed juice is kept in the barrels for 14 months before being bottled. All the
stylish venues at The Pinotage are ideal for special occasions, intimate
weddings, birthday functions, corporate events or just for a good meal in a
relaxed environment.
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