My birthday is at the end of May, and since this year was a big one, Hubby suggested that we head to Walt Disney World to spend the week forgetting about age and just being big kids.  I thought it sounded like a great idea, but it wasn’t until we started planning that I realized how perfect the idea really was.  As it turned out, our week in Disney coincided with one of the Star Wars weekends, and anyone who is a Stars Wars fan knows that this year was also a milestone birthday for the first movie, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.  Yes…Memorial Day weekend, 35 years ago (in a galaxy not far far away), Star Wars and I were both introduced to the world!  And, what better way to celebrate 35 yearsthan with Darth Vader and Pirate Goofy in the land where dreams come true?

So, Hubby and I went all out.  We spent 7 days/6 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL), which is in the middle of Disney’s wildlife preserve.  The resort was African themed, so the restaurants at the hotel served African-inspired food and there was a plethora of South African wine in the restaurants, at the gift shop, and during the Kilimanjaro Club happy hour.

One of the main reasons we decided on the AKL was because we could stay in a room that overlooked one of the savannahs, and the idea of waking up to giraffes before heading out to ride Space Mountain or coming home to zebras after dinner and the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks seemed to sum up the fantastical experience we were looking for.

I won’t bore you with all of the details of our trip.  However, even on a vacation to Walt Disney World, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to do some wine tasting.  Our room overlooked the Arusha Savannah, so I spent our downtime before dinner out on the balcony having happy hour with the giraffes.

The 2010 MAN Vintners Pinotage (winery) was from the Agter-Paarl region of South Africa and had a dark purplish ruby color.  On the nose, there were strawberries, cinnamon, and a touch of vanilla and band-aid.  In the mouth, there were strawberries, raspberries, vanilla, and hints of band-aid and nutmeg.  The wine had a light-to-medium body and tannins with medium acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely!  If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed.  At $13, this is a perfect everyday wine.  It’s not expensive, it is good quality, and it offers something a little unique.  Granted, I opened it after spending a hard, 8-hour day of playing at an amusement park in 95+ degree weather, which isn’t quite the same as drinking it after a hard, 8-hour day of work, but I think it would be perfect for that.  I also think it would be food-friendly, particularly with pizza or curry dish.  All in all, this is a nice Pinotage and offers something a little different from the everyday wines that many of us drink.

Question of the Day: When you’re on vacation do you tend to drink wine or other types of alcohol?

Price: $13
Purchased at Animal Kingdom Lodge Gift Shop
Overall: 4 Corks