Wines of the Month: Francois Janoueix Puyfoissac Bordeaux, Savanha Pinotage Shiraz and Sandeman Fine White Port Wine

I’ve been drinking a lot of wine lately and trying to get out of my comfort zone by trying out new wines. I must say, it’s been both fun and delicious! 

The first step in the journey of widening my wine taste and knowledge was figuring out where I could get a great selection. I came across Wine Gallery and I love their selection. I got 3 wines and absolutely loved working on pairings and enjoying the wines in general.

Here are my 3 wine selections of the month, Francois Janoueix Puyfoissac Bordeaux, Savanha Pinotage Shiraz and Sandeman Fine White Port Wine, and how I enjoyed them.

Francois Janoueix Puyfoissac Bordeaux

This Bordeaux Red from winemaker Francois Janoueix is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Bordeaux has a cool marine coastal climate, with mild weather and no dry season. Bordeaux reds tend to be lower in alcohol and are slightly lighter in body.

Stylistically, they exhibit more nuanced flavors and less up-front fruit. Sophisticated and elegant, they pair well with game meats, roast lamb, or hearty beef stews.

This wine is easy drinking and delicious with black berries and green pepper on the palate.

I decided to experiment with mine and pair it with a simple cheeseboard with leftovers.

Savanha Pinotage Shiraz

I love wine blends because they offer the best of different worlds. The Savanha Pinotage Shiraz, a red wine from South Africa, from Spier’s Savanha line.

It is produced with Pinotage grapes, (a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut) and from Shiraz grapes. Other than Merlot, I tend to drink a lot of Pinotage and Shiraz.

It’s an easy drinking wine with black berries and spicy notes on the nose as well on the palate. I did get a hint of chocolate on the palate as well. 

It’s full-bodied and delicious and pairs well with grilled meat or dishes like spaghetti and meatballs.

I love finger foods and thought it would be fun to pair it with a few of my favourites for an early dinner. We’ve got homemade grilled chicken wings, beef burger, fries, sausages, samosas with a chilli tomato sauce. Normally I’d have this with a beer, but it works really well with this wine. 

The Savanha Pinotage Shiraz is one of the more affordable great wines you can get (going for under Ksh 1,000).

Sandeman Fine White Port Wine

The Sandeman Fine White Port Wine is a Porto made from selected white grape varieties grown in the Douro valley in Northern Portugal. 

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced with distilled grape spirits exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, although it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. I tend to drink red ports, but white ports are also becoming a favourite.

The Sandeman Fine White Port Wine is a very delicious wine with a pale straw colour, tropical fruit aroma on the nose and vanilla notes with a hint of natural sweetness on the palate.

This White Porto is dry yet maintains part of its natural sweetness, making it a perfect aperitif when served chilled on its own. You can also enjoy this in a P&T or Porto tónico, a port and tonic cocktail. The recipe is pretty easy and is white port, tonic, fresh mint/rosemary, orange and ice.

I enjoyed mine chilled after an early dinner with a beautiful view and it was perfect.

To enjoy these wines and other great selections, check out Wine Gallery.