International Pinot Noir Day: August 18th
For those looking to celebrate Pinot Noir in a different way this year, South African producer Villiera offers two outstanding examples of the grape’s versatility, both available from Ocado.
Pinot Noir has long been admired for producing some of the world’s finest red wines, from Burgundy’s vineyards to cool-climate wine regions across the globe. Yet few realise the grape is also a secret ingredient in many of the world’s finest traditional-method sparkling wines.
The award-winning Villiera Cap Classique Brut blends Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to create a beautifully balanced traditional-method sparkling wine, with crisp citrus freshness, subtle brioche notes and a rich, creamy texture. Pinot Noir adds body and complexity beneath the vibrant fruit.
The award-winning Villiera Cap Classique Brut
Pinot Noir adds body and complexity beneath the vibrant fruit.
£16, Ocado
Villiera Cap Classique Rosé showcases another facet of the grape, with Pinot Noir lending its delicate salmon-pink hue and vibrant strawberry and raspberry flavours, balanced by refreshing acidity and a fine, persistent mousse.
Villiera Cap Classique Rosé
Pinot Noir lends its delicate salmon-pink hue and vibrant strawberry and raspberry flavours.
£16, Ocado
Founded in 1983 and family-owned, Villiera has become one of South Africa’s most respected sparkling wine producers, helping to establish Cap Classique as a flagship wine style in the country. Made using the traditional method, with a secondary fermentation in the bottle, Villiera’s sparkling wines blend generations of winemaking expertise with the cool-climate conditions of the Stellenbosch region to produce wines renowned for their elegance, finesse and exceptional value.
For Pinot Noir, the winery’s winemaking philosophy is simple: allow the grape to express its purity while using Chardonnay to enhance freshness and balance. The result is sparkling wines that are vibrant, refined and beautifully food-friendly, making them perfect examples of why Pinot Noir deserves to be celebrated far beyond the red wine glass.