September 27, 2023 – In a world where “globalization” is often associated with adverse implications for food and drink, Travis Braithwaite, a South African wine entrepreneur, has embarked on an audacious and innovative endeavor with Pangaea, a luxury wine that reimagines the classic Bordeaux red blend. What sets Pangaea apart is its unique approach, utilizing grapes sourced from five countries across four continents.
The Bordeaux blend, a revered tradition in the world of winemaking, has inspired vintners worldwide to replicate its excellence. However, Braithwaite recognized that not all five grape varieties traditionally employed in this blend thrived in the local terroirs where they were cultivated. This realization sparked an intriguing question: What would a Bordeaux blend taste like if each grape variety had the opportunity to flourish in its ideal terroir?
This unconventional concept challenges the prevailing trend of celebrating hyper-localized wines, epitomized by the growing influence of Burgundy. The latter has led to the fetishization of wines produced from increasingly localized sources, a phenomenon humorously portrayed in the film “The Menu,” where a pretentious sommelier extols the virtues of a Chassagne-Montrachet made from “a single row of vines.”
