Herding Cats, South African Pinotage Merlot

I'd tried some South African wines previously, and I was Not Impressed.  So when I saw Herding Cats 2010 at Sprouts last week, seeing South Africa AND the "cutesy label" (for which I usually hold disdain), I was initially skeptical. But they were asking only $5 a bottle, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised. 

Herding Cats is a "Western Cape" South African wine, imported by Underdog Wine Merchants - Livermore CA.  The makers say it has vanilla, black berry, and wild truffle.  Well... I don't know about wild truffles, I'm not a wild boar who can sniff them out, and the one time I over paid $38 for a "white truffle" soup at the overly inflated Bergamo restaurant in Greenville SC, I will never do that again... but it was drinkable, and smooth, and not too fruity.  The wine makers say that it is best served with pizza or red meat dishes, and the organic pasture raised sirloin steak I grilled with shallots / peppers / mushrooms & butter with which I paired it complimented well.

The cheetah is also an endangered animal... and if I ever have grand children, they'll probably read about cheetahs (and Polar Bears) the same way I read about dodo birds and great auks.