SOUTH AFRICAN WINES
Though it's only recently that South African wines have appeared here in the
U.S., this segment of the wine world has gone largely unnoticed by the connoisseur segment
of the world market.
South Africa does produce some very good wines. As a region, though, it
had been planted,
to a very great extent, with less-than-stellar grape varieties. This is
changing, however, and we've seen a major decrease in acreage of Chenin Blanc,
Sultana and Colombard, though those varieties still account for about 40% of
vineyard land. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc account for but 11% of
vineyard area.
Cabernet Sauvignon now accounts for about 10% of vineyard land, whereas in 1990
less than four percent of South African vineyards were planted with that famous
grape variety.
The next stumbling block, as if those weren't enough, has to do with the political
situation. I don't want to get into that here.
There are many small wineries in South Africa. The industry is experiencing a bit of
a boom period. We should be seeing a dramatic increase in quality (overall), as some
of the leaders there will put pressure on the rest to keep up with the competition.
There are more than 4000 growers in South Africa.
Latest statistics show something like almost 400 wineries are in operation.
Most wines are "varietal" wines. For the export market, these
must be at least 85% varietal.
Varieties typically exported include the usual
suspects, along with a grape considered South Africa's "own", Pinotage.
This is a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault and it's been around since the 1920s.
It was initially called "Hermitage x Pinot", but now goes under the name
"Pinotage".
There's a tiny bit of Zinfandel grown in South Africa!
Chenin Blanc accounts for almost 20% of South Africa's vineyards. Its local name
is "Steen".
CAPE REGIONS
CONSTANTIA--On the south eastern side of the Cape
Peninsula, south of Cape Town, this is a good region for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and
Cabernet. There's a legendary Muscat produced there called Vin de
Constance, a wine regarded by many as a benchmark.
PAARL--North and east of Cape Town, this region encompasses
some 20% of South Africa's vineyard land. It's well-regarded as a
good site for warm-climate varieties. Chenin Blanc accounts for a lot of
vineyards there, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut and Pinotage are widely
cultivated. . Wellington is the neighboring
region. There's more than twice as much Chenin Blanc in Wellington as
Cabernet Sauvignon!
FRANSCHHOEK--South and east of Paarl and south of
Worcester. This region is highly regarded for its Semillon. Shiraz
also shows promise.
WORCESTER--An hour's drive east of Cape Town, this warm
region produces a lot of bulk wine.
STELLENBOSCH--Some 45 minutes drive from Cape Town, this is
thought of as a fine red wine region. It has quite a range of climates and an
equally broad spectrum of soil types.
ROBERTSON--east of Worcester, this is a very hot
region and makes Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay of note.
KLEIN-KAROO--Quite inland, this region is sometimes compared
to Portugal's Douro Valley. They do make some "port-styled" wines here and
there's a substantial ostrich-farming industry there.
OLIFANTS RIVER/ORANGE RIVER--located well north of Cape Town,
this region produces some high-yielding vineyards. Very hot in the summer, much of
the fruit is destined for distillation. Vineyards are routinely subject to flooding
in the winter.
WALKER BAY/ELGIN--A relatively new region for
grapes, just to the west of the seaside town of Hermanus.
SWARTLAND/TULBAGH--Two very hot regions, Swartland is north
of Cape Town and the Paarl area. Tulbagh is a small area just east of Swartland and
north of Worcester.
Someone sent me a note:
| I would just like to inquire about some
of the wines that you produce in South Africa. I am sure they are
quite good, but how can you stomach the fact that you are part of the
cause of so many people living so poorly? How can you live with being a
big part of so many children being born with fetal alcohol syndrome. I'd
like to see you live on that kind of salary. You are a big part of the
problem so face it.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth |
I sent Elizabeth a response pointing out that South Africa's inclusion as
a trading partner with the rest of the world has brought many positive
changes. The system of paying people with "alcohol" and having
them be, essentially, slave labor, is gone.
This change has been made because South Africa is not isolated any longer.
Some French wine industry friends visit South Africa and invite disadvantaged
workers to learn how to care for vineyards in a Burgundy wine program.
Upon their return to South Africa, these people are given vineyard land which
they farm for themselves, providing an income for their families on the sale of
their grapes to wine producers. This is to be applauded and not
discouraged.
Nobody forces our customers to buy South African wines. We like having a
number of good wines represented in the shop because the quality is on the rise
and it helps stimulate the societal changes and economy so
necessary!
We feature, for the most part, wines from independent producers. Lumping
these people in with an antiquated, archaic system is unfair.
A FEW SOUTH AFRICAN SELECTIONS
TO
INQUIRE ABOUT A WINE: