South Africa yields tasty wine

It has been a while since I visited South Africa in this column, but with the mercury rising fast, we need to chill out with something as delicious as this Makulu Moscato.

I have to admit that the last thing I expected to see when unveiling this bottle after a blind tasting was a moscato from South Africa. Normally, moscato wines are from northern Italy, where they tend to be much sweeter, but perhaps that is what I find so attractive about this one. It isn't overly sweet and it has a nice minerality going for it.

Since this is the first wine from the 2007 vintage, it has to be a good one, and at less than $6, it is not a disappointment. Makulu Moscato is definitely refreshing and just perfect for this time of the year.

In the glass, this lightly fizzy, sweetish moscato wine is a fine, very pale, clean citrine-yellow color with a clean, clear appearance from the core going out into a glass-clear rim definition with sticky, fizzy viscosity.

On the nose, there are lovely forward sweet honeysuckle, stone fruit, citrus rind, dragon fruit, pretty floral notes, good minerality and subtle fizziness.

In the mouth, the soft white fruit overtakes the palate in a delicate way with light prickliness on the tongue, but nothing like a Champagne or sparkling wine. There are supple honeydew melon, golden delicious apple, lychee and pear sparkler notes through the midpalate into the very soft and delicate finish, which lingers for a minute with nice white fruit and good complex minerality that give the wine a light, yet serious structure.

This is a delicious moscato wine from South Africa and should make a wonderful aperitif wine for almost any occasion this summer. Sporting low alcohol and refreshing characteristics are obviously big pluses here. It will drink well for the next couple of years. Serve it chilled to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wine: Makulu Moscato

Grape: Moscato D'Frontignan

Region: Western Cape Region, South Africa

Vintage: 2007

Price: $5.99

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.