Stephen Tanzer’s Winophilia included DMZ’s 2009 Syrah in yesterday’s “South African syrah bargains by any name” article - read more.

DeMorgenzon Estate Just down the road from Jordan is DeMorgenzon, where the love of the vineyard is so strong, they even play music Mozart for the vines. ("Although not much scientific investigation has been undertaken" into the effect on plant growth, they admit.) More concretely, the owners have cleared invasive plants from at least 12 acres, and are working to restore native fynbos plants. The wooded Chenin blanc-a native of the Loire Valley of France that has nonetheless become a distinctive South African varietal-was simply the best we tasted. Because it's made from 39-year-old wines, our pourer told us, it can-unlike many white wines-age gracefully for three or four years. If you can hold onto it that long. It's damn good-and even better (since we drained the bottles we stashed in our luggage) it's proved easy to find in the U.S. read more.

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