Cherryflava

Jam Jar: Lekker sweet South African wine innovation

Posted on 21. Jan, 2010 by Jonathan Cherry.

We spotted this Jam Jar wine in Pick n Pay over the holidays and wondered what on earth it was. Truth be told – the words ‘jam’ + ‘jar’ + ‘red wine’ don’t exactly make us want to part with R40 for shits and giggles, but apparently this innovative Cape wine is making quiet a stir in the US.

Look…our personal wine hot list right now includes the Steenberg 1682 Pinot Noir MCC, the Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve 2008 and the classy design of the Warwick ‘Black Lady’ Syrah – so we’re hardly the target market for a sweet Shiraz called Jam Jar. But there is something to be said for wines that bank on being less ’snobbish’ and toning down the la la speak.

Our statement last year that ‘it’s not about the taste, it’s all about the branding’ drew a shocked response from certain individuals from the local wine industry [who almost literally threw rotten eggs with they eyes as we left the podium at a conference].

But here once again is proof that 95% of people don’t give at rat’s ass about whether the stuff spent 3 or 5 months on the lees or if it matured in French or American oak. They just wanna have a lekker time around the braai with something that tastes like juicy grapes and gets them mildly hammered. So although we don’t think we’ll be lifting a sweet glass of Jam Jar to our lips – well done to Cape Classics for getting their feet dirty with a product that makes wine more accessible to everybody. See the official press release…