Graham Beck Brut sees rise in sales following Obama's toast

US President Barack Obama was no doubt paying homage to South African President Nelson Mandela when he chose to toast his election with a bottle of Graham Beck Brut NV.

Mandela chose the same beverage with which to toast his own inauguration in 1994.

According to Graham Beck Wines, Obama developed a liking for the sparkling wine back in February 2008, after he took his wife Michelle out for dinner to celebrate his intention to run for US president. On the sommelier's recommendation, the president-to-be ordered a glass for him and his wife, and was apparently so impressed with the bubbly that on election night, 4 November 2008, he had six bottles standing by.

Sales of the product have increased dramatically, according to reports. A wine merchant in the Chicago area told the Chicago Tribune that she sold her entire stock of Graham Beck Brut very quickly, once it was known that the presidential couple had developed a taste for it.

The Obama family home in Chicago is said to have a cellar capable of holding up to 1 000 bottles, according to reports in US newspapers.White House policy, however, states that only American wines may be served at state functions, but when dining privately, Obama is free to select whatever wines he chooses. Calls are now coming in for the new president to lift the ban on foreign wines in the White House, which was instituted in the 1960s by then president Lyndon Johnson.

If this comes to pass, it seems certain that there will be room for South African wine in the First Cellar.

Freshness and finesse

The family-run Graham Beck Wines is spread over four farms in Franschoek, Robertson and Stellenbosch in the Western Cape.

Graham Beck Brut NV is described by the producer as offering "light yeasty aromas, good fruit on the nose, and rich creamy complexity on the palate. Fine mousse gives freshness and finesse."

The sparkling wine is a blend of Chardonnay (54%) and Pinot Noir (46%) and is produced in the Méthode Cap Classique cellar, located on the Madeba vineyard at Robertson.

South African bubbly

Cap Classique is a method of producing wine that harks back to the time of the French Huguenots, a group of immigrants who came from France to the Cape of Good Hope in the late 17th century.

The Huguenots, many of whom had vineyards back in France, settled in the wine-producing region of Franschhoek (Dutch, meaning "French corner") and were responsible for bringing the technique of making sparkling wine to South Africa.

Cap Classique wines, therefore, are made in the champagne tradition - méthode champenoise - of secondary in-bottle fermentation, but are exclusive to South Africa - much like Cava is to Spainand Asti is to Italy.

The first bottle-fermented sparkling wine produced at the Cape was called Kaapse Vonkel (Afrikaans, meaning "Cape sparkle"). Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc have been the varieties most often used, but lately bubbly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have become popular.

According to the Cap Classique Association, only specific white and red grape varieties are selected from a number of different regions in the Cape. Grapes are pressed as whole bunches, with only the first pressing or cuveé used for the various Cap Classique base wines. Once in the bottle, Cap Classique wines ferment and mature horizontally in cool, dark cellars for at least 12 months.

Try the Graham Beck Brut for only £11.49 per bottle from SA Direct Wines