What you need to know…

Imagine dipping dark fruits like cherries and plums into coffee and dark chocolate and then barbecuing it all in late summer – now imagine that in a glass!

Coffee style has its origins in South Africa where winemakers experimented with use of yeasts and toasted oak to accentuate the ‘barrel ferment’ style.

Because of the South African roots the real ‘coffee’ styling is often linked to the indigenous Pinotage grape.

I first discovered it when I worked with Diemersfontein, a beautiful Estate in South Africa. The wine had a huge cult following and the winemaker, Bertus, said it was like gunpowder in a glass and recommended pouring it over vanilla ice cream!

It’s difficult to find as its not branded as coffee style.

Top tip – Amaze your shiraz loving friends, this is big but different