Paarl

**Paarl** is a warm inland district in South Africa's Western Cape, set around a large granite outcrop north of Stellenbosch and long a hub of the country's wine industry. **Wines & grapes** — It makes a wide spread of styles: full reds from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Rhône varieties, versatile Chenin Blanc, and other whites, plus some fortified wines. **Character** — The climate is notably warmer than the coastal districts, so the wines are typically ripe, generous and full-bodied, though cooler, higher slopes add freshness. Soils range from granite to shale across the valley. **Good to know** — Paarl was historically the home of the KWV, the giant cooperative that once shaped South African wine.

Wines

• Duwweltjie — Thistle & Weed
• Impossible Red — Laborie
• Jonty's Ducks Pekin Red — Avondale
• Vintage Port — Glen Carlou