2019 Botanica Flower Girl Albarifio
To close-out LUSH’s April in Africa series, we return to South Africa; specifically the country’s luscious Protea Heights. That said, this week's wine is actually brought to us thanks to the efforts of a self-taught — yes, self- taught — winemaker from the United States, Ginny Povall, founder of Botanica Wines. Formerly from Massachusetts, Povall now resides in South Africa’s Protea Heights, where Botanica is now becoming one of the most unique and exciting producers of wine in the region. Unlike winemakers who honed their skills through traditional schooling or other teachings, Povall developed her abilities by purchasing grapes and vinifying them in her very own home. As a result, Botanica Wines practices minimal intervention winemaking for its Bordeaux varietals. But one of Botanica’s varietals can’t be traced back to Bordeaux, and it is the very grape for this week's Wednesday’s Word on Wine — the 2019 Botanica Flower Girl Albarifio. The high-density vineyard’s climate allows for this white grape to greatly ripen, becoming extremely aromatic and succulent in the growing process — in other words, leading to the perfect wine for the impending summertime. Zesty citrus fruits show up strongly on the nose, accompanied by hints of white peach and lemongrass. While somewhat fruit-centric in its scent and taste palate, the wine is by no means syrupy or overripe - rather, it is crisp and acidic, and pairs beautifully with grilled fish, oysters and small-plate tapas dishes. No better opportunity to see for yourself than coming to LUSH West Town’s “Buck A Shuck” happy hour and getting a bottle of the 2019 Botanica Flower Girl Albarifio to eat with our $1 oysters. The special begins 4 p.m. and goes until we run out of oysters to shuck every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.