Wines of South Africa

 

SOUTH AFRICA

·         The establishment by the Dutch East India Company of a refreshment station at the Cape in 1652

·         Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor of the Cape, planted a vineyard in 1655

·         On 2 February 1659, the first wine was made from Cape grapes. 

·         Things improved when Van Riebeeck was succeeded in 1679 by Simon van der Stel.

·         French Huguenots settled at the Cape between 1680 and 1690 that the wine industry began to flourish.

Cape wines before the 20th century

·         The 18th century was a difficult phase for the wine industry.

·         The first half of the 19th century brought prosperity to the industry.

·         1861 brought disaster.

·         1886, the disease phylloxera was discovered at the Cape and decimation of the vineyards followed.

·         Charles Kohler 1918 - Ko-operatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Beperkt (KWV).

Soil

Granite
Found against the mountain slopes, with good water retention (Clovelly, Hutton)

Shale
Bokkeveld shale is fertile alluvial soil, situated in the warm river valleys. Malmesbury shale is crumbly, with good water retention.

Table Mountain Sandstone 

Sandy with adequate water retention (Estcourt, Fernwood, Longlands).

Climate

·         In South Africa, viticulture mainly takes place at a latitude of 34° south in an area with a mild Mediterranean climate.

·         Rain falls mainly between May and August.

·         The icy Benguela current which flows northwards up the west coast of Africa from the Antarctica - moderates the summer warmth.

·         Cooling breezes blow in from the sea during the day, fog and moisture-laden breezes are prevalent at night.

South Africa Main Grape Varieties

White wine represents 2/3rd of the vineyard

Main white grapes

21.38% is Chenin Blanc

Colombard

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Main red grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon 8.36% comprises the majority of red varieties

Pinotage (Cinsault/Pinot Noir crossing)

Shiraz

South African Legislation

·         Wine Classification in South Africa is based on the Wine of Origin system Established in 1973.

·         A numbered seal on the bottle, indicating its origin and history, but not necessarily a reflection of quality

·         Wines qualify for 'varietal' status provided they contain at least 75% of the listed varietal

Demarcation of areas of origin

·         The first and smallest demarcated production unit is an- ESTATE

·         Estate wines must come from a single demarcated property

·         The second demarcated production unit is a combination of different farms and is known as WARD, e.g. Franschhoek or Constantia.

·         The third demarcated production unit is a DISTRICT, such as Paarl, Stellenbosch and Robertson.

·         The fourth demarcated production unit is a REGION, e.g. the Little Karoo or the Coastal Region.

 

Geographical Unit

On 2 April 1993, the Wine of Origin Scheme was amended to make provision for the defining of a geographical unit. Currently two geographical units have been demarcated namely Western Cape and Northern Cape. Wine from a geographical unit may not claim 'Wine of Origin' status.

South Africa Main Wine growing Regions

Stellenbosch

Just a short distance east of Cape Town, this is the country's leading wine area, and is home to many of the country's leading estates.

Vineyards fringed by mountains

Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinotage and chenin blanc are the stars here

South Africa Main Wien growing Regions

Paarl

Well known region north-west of Cape Town, and home to several leading producers

Mediterranean climate and “terroirs”

Hotter than Stellenbosch so the very best wines come from the more elevated vineyards

Traditionally a white wine region now focusing more on reds

Cape Town

Historical region (this is where the first vineyards were planted in South Africa),

Vineyards are ideally sited on the slopes of Constantia Mountain, where they are cooled by the sea breezes.

On premium terroir , superb sauvignon blanc and semillon wines

Tulbagh

Surrounded on three sides by the great Winterhoek Mountains, the vineyards of the Tulbagh district grow alongside orchards and fields of wheat. Soils in the valley are extremely variable, from sandy soils on the valley floor to very stony soils on the mountain slopes.

Worcester

The Worcester District, with 19 co-operatives, annually contributes a quarter of South Africa's total wine production. It is also the most important brandy producing area and home of the KWV Brandy Cellar, the largest of its kind in the world.

MAJOR WINERIES

Boschendal is one of the oldest wine producers in the New World with a viticultural heritage dating back to 1685. The farm "Bossendaal" (wood and dale) was granted in 1685 to French Huguenots émigré Jean le Long by the governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel.

Kanonkop is a fourth generation family estate, which was purchased by JW Sauer. Kanonkop derives its name from a kopje (hillock) from which a cannon was fired in the 17th century to alert farmers in outlying areas of the Boland that sailing ships plying the waters between Europe and the Far East had entered Table Bay for a stopover at Cape Town.

With origins dating back to the late 1700's, Klein Constantia can reasonably lay claim to be the most historical winery in the Southern Hemisphere. The Klein Constantia estate lies some 12 miles south of Cape Town in the beautifully green and cool Constantia Mountain slopes.

Meerlust, one of the Cape’s most historic wine estates, was originally granted in 1693. Meerlust is situated 15km from Stellenbosch and at only five km from the Indian Ocean, the cool sea breezes allow the grapes to ripen slowly, thus enabling them to develop their rich varietal bouquet.

Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons is a partnership in wine production on the historic French Huguenot farm Fredericksburg, between the Rupert family of South Africa and Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, son of the late Baron Edmond de Rothschild of France.