The first red wine released by Simonsig in 1970 was a Pinotage - a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut first developed by Professor Perold in 1925. Grapes are grown on weathered shale soils, which makes deliciously perfumed wine. It is lightly wooded, with only a small portion of the wine spending time in second- and third fill French oak, accentuating the raspberry fruitiness of the Pinotage grape.