| The Wines of South Africa | | | | By: Ron Kapon |  Page 1 of 3 next >> |
At the southern tip of Africa, where two mighty oceans meet in the shadow of landmark Table Mountain, lies the finest Cape in the world. Known locally as the Mother City, Cape Town is the gateway to the South Africa wine lands and one of the great wine capitols of the world. Here the cultures of Africa, Europe and the East have met and mingled for over 350 year’s, shaping a city both ancient, rich in colorful history and culturally diverse. Archbishop Tutu described the new South African nation as “the rainbow people of God”, and the “rainbow nation” was born.
The Cape wine-growing areas, situated in the narrow viticulture zone of the southern hemisphere, have a mainly Mediterranean climate with the mountain slopes and valleys ideal for wine grapes. Long, sun-drenched summers give the grapes enough sugar and wet winters with cool sea breezes, contributing to ideal conditions for grape growing. South Africa is 9th in international wine production with 3.1% (compared to France & Italy with around 20% each). The co-operatives which process grapes for their members press about 80% of the total wine harvest. But it is in the estate wineries, which make wine only from grapes grown on their own land and independent cellars, which make wine for bottling under their own brand names that are the future for the wine industry.
Vineyards were first planted at the Cape in 1655. The arrival of French Huguenots (religious refugees) and their knowledge of wine making helped develop the industry. Other important dates include: 1861 when Phylloxera hit (insect that feeds on grape roots); 1918 with the creation of KWV (cooperative that regulated the industry as an umbrella body); 1925 saw the cross-pollination of Pinot Noir & Hermitage (Cinsaut) to create Pinotage. In 1935 the Stellenbosch farmers formed a cooperative- SFW that in 2001 merged with Distillers Corporation to form Distell, a top 10 liquor company in the world. 1971 saw the start of the Wine Route; 1975 the Nederburg Wine Auction began; 1999 the South African Industry Trust was formed and Wines of South Africa began to market the wines abroad. In 2000 the Cape Wine Show began.
In keeping with the spirit of renewal in the South African wine industry over 40% of the vineyards have been replanted to noble cultivars and quality wines. The industry had formerly been dominated by white grape varieties including: Chenin Blanc, also known as Steen, the most widely cultivated variety in the Cape, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Today, red wine vineyards (45% of the total) are mainly under 10 years old and include Cabernet Sauvignon (the most widely planted red varietals), Shiraz and Pinot Noir and Pinotage.
Viticulture in South Africa takes place in an area with a mild Mediterranean climate. The winegrowing areas are along the coast not far from the ocean. Rain falls mainly between May and August and frost is rarely a problem (don’t forget the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere with harvest time February/March). There is a constant interaction between the Cape mountain ranges and valley slopes along with the proximity of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Cooling breezes blow in from the seas during the day, fog and moisture laden breezes are prevalent at night. The three main soil types are Granite, Table Mountain Sandstone and Shale.
In 1973 the Wine of Origin System was introduced (similar to the AC system in France) using a series of regions, districts and estates. You may be familiar with Constantia, the source of the world famous dessert wines popular during the 19th Century. Also Paarl, about 30 miles from Cape Town and home to KWV and the venue for the world renowned Nederburg Auction. Stellenbosch, also about 30 miles from Cape Town, is the center of the premium wine-producing district and Stellenbosch University (18,000 students in a town of 85,000) has the only viticultural and oenological department in the country. This is where I spent two nights and served as the center point for all my winery visits. I stayed at the Life & Leisure Studio 3 which is one of 20 apartments scattered within the historical center of town (two blocks from the university) which have kitchenettes, a small pool, and all the luxury amenities of a boutique hotel without all the traffic. I only saw someone when they came to announce my breakfast was waiting out by the pool. At $90-$100 per night it was a bargain.
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