Affordable quality is what I look for in everyday wines and, for this, South African wines have attracted my attention lately. This country produces only 3.1 percent of the world's wine and ranks ninth in overall volume production, but you will find some worthwhile selections at your favorite Hawai'i wine store. Most of the wine in South Africa is made in the southwestern part of the country, within 300 miles of Cape Town. The climate is cooled by sea breezes from the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Stellenbosch and Paarl are considered the top two wine districts, especially for red wines, along with Constantia and Franschhoek Valley.

The end of apartheid in the mid-1990s invigorated the South African wine industry, which had previously been controlled by government-backed cooperatives and was known only for fortified wines. Fairview Estate's Charles Back is a pioneer among South African winemakers, playing a leading role in the Black Economic Empowerment program, which helps black South Africans get into the white-dominated wine world. He caused a stir by naming a syrah (shiraz) blend, Goats Do Roam, a play on the French Cotes du Rhone region, inspiring unsuccessful lawsuits by the French who feared consumer confusion with their famous appellation. In addition to the arguably amusing name, Goats Do Roam, Goat Roti, is on my recommended list; it goes well with pork and lamb dishes.

Sauvignon blanc is the best-known South African varietal, and I recommend trying a Brampton, one of the top producers. It pairs nicely with a simple fish dish or shellfish. Chardonnay is as adaptable here as anywhere, and I suggest the Glen Carlou with grilled or sauted fish or roast chicken. Syrah has great potential but most vineyards have been producing it only for about 10 years. The Warwick "Three Cape Ladies" is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinotage, and would be a nice match for beef dishes or osso bucco. Pinotage is a hybrid of pinot noir and cinsault created in South Africa in 1925, but these are inconsistent and there are not enough world-class examples. Cabernet sauvignon can be top-notch, especially the Bordeaux-style blends. Merlot is a pleasant surprise with many plush and balanced examples.

"We're halfway between old and new," says Robin Back of The Wines of Charles Back (an umbrella term that encompasses Fairview and Spice Route wineries owned by the Back family). "Nice New World fruit and Old World structure."

You may find these wines spicy and earthy compared to the more fruity style of some the wines of California and Australia, and not as lean as some of the European wines. They are food-friendly and the price is right.

I've called around to give you suggestions on what's available in Hawai'i: