Wine Review: Pongracz Methode Cap Classique Brut NV

Today David Allen MW, our Wine Director, tastes a bottle of Pongracz Brut NV sparkling wine. Pongracz is a one of the leading Methode Cap Classique (bottle-fermented sparkling wine) producers of South Africa. For the money this is a very well-made sparkling wine.

The brand is named in honor of Desiderius Pongrácz, who was a Hungarian viticulturist. Pongrácz graduated from the Hungarian Academy in 1944 and rather than returning to the family estate, he promptly joined the cavalry to serve in World War II. He was unfortunately captured by the Russians.

Pongrácz was a prisoner of war for almost a decade. Later, he would credit those years for instilling a zest for life prompting a prosperous viticultural career. He arrived in Stellenbosch in 1958 where he completed a Masters of Science in Agriculture at the university prior to an appointment as Chief Viticultural Advisor at Distillers Corporation in 1973.

Pongrácz had a major influence on the South African wine industry throughout his career through lobbying for new grape varieties to writing the monumental book Practical Viticulture - which is still consulted by students even today.

Discover more about this sparkling wine and where to purchase it on wine-searcher.com:
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/po...

#chardonnay #pinotnoir #sparklingwine #methodecapclassic #winelover #winesearcher #masterofwine #southafrica #tastingsparklingwine #pongracz #distell #desideriuspongracz