With the fast pace of the holiday season behind us, hopefully, you are relaxing while reading through your New Year's resolutions and trying to figure out how to manage all of these changes. We at Vino 100 think there is one resolution that is not only easy and fun, but good for your wallet too! It is simply to drink better wine without having to pay high prices for it. So let's find some hidden gems to match the style of wine you may be in the mood for today.

The Stellenbosch Region is considered the finest in South Africa. Hard to believe, but, the climate in Stellenbosch is considered Mediterranean, ideal for growing premium grapes. Most of us expect a grape growing country to have a signature grape and here it is Pinotage. The Pinotage grape was created in 1925 as a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (known in South Africa as Hermitage, thus the name). Its first notoriety came when the champion wine at the Cape Wine Show of 1959 was a Pinotage from the Bellevue Estate.

Today, the Bellevue Winery Tumara Pinotage is still a wine worthy of its history. It is a wine for those preferring a red wine with a complex nature. It is a medium to full bodied wine with black raspberry and plum like fruit, spice and vanilla and has a silky finish. Are you more of a white wine fan? Also from the Stellenbosch region is the Sizanani Chenin Blanc, a fresh white wine with loads of fruit flavors that are similar to banana, melon and red grapefruit, yet has a dry finish. A perfect wine to enjoy as a cocktail or with light chicken dishes.

Another premium growing area is Constantia, located on the southern slope of the Table Mountain range. The area is moderated by cooling breezes from False Bay and is a terrific source of premium Sauvignon Blanc. A couple of wines worth seeking out are from the Buitenverwachting Winery, (Pronounced bay-ten-fur-vachk-ting) is Dutch for "beyond expectation." The first noteworthy Sauvignon Blanc is an estate Sauvignon Blanc similar to that of the ripe New Zealand style with its ripe red grapefruit, lime and mineral sense in a rich bodied wine.

The other is the Beyond Sauvignon Blanc, a blend of Coastal Region grapes and stylistically is a little less aggressive and slightly lighter style of wine. To the North lies the Paarl Region, the wards of Franschhoek, the 'gourmet capital' of the Cape which has retained its French Huguenot character; Wellington, a burgeoning wine area producing some promising wines; and the newest wards, Simonsberg-Paarl, on the prime foothills of the Simonsberg, and Voor Paardeberg. A couple of wines of interest from the Paarl district are the Glen Carlou Pinot Noir; a style for someone looking for a meatier style Pinot Noir. It has a very deep red fruit along with a rich oak sense in the mid palate and a long, full finish. Another worth a look is the Chardonnay from Backsberg with its rich, intense flavored style. Its creamy texture and stone fruit are well balance by firm natural acids, a lovely wine to pair with a cream sauce pasta or rich seafood.

There is so much pleasure to discover in the world of wine and we have barely touched on those of South Africa. So resolve to stop by your local Vino 100 and see and taste some of the wonderful South African wines, along with many more certain to make your next glass of wine a little more enjoyable.