The Wine Blokes

South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, and at one time Constantia was considered one of the greatest wines in the world. Under apartheid, the industry struggled with inferior grape varieties and industrial winemaking, but the dismantling of the old state cooperatives and access to international markets has unleashed a burst of new energy and new investment.

Production is concentrated around Cape Town, with major vineyard and production centres at Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester.

History

On 2nd February 1659 the founder of Cape Town, Jan van Riebeeck, produced the first wine recorded in South Africa. In 1685, the Constantia estate was established in a valley facing False Bay by the Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel. His ‘Vin de Constance’ soon acquired a good reputation. But it was Hendrik Cloete, who bought the homestead in 1778, who really made the name of Constantia famous, with an unfortified wine made from a blend of mostly Muscat de Frontignan (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains), Pontac, red and white Muscadel (probably clones of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains?) and a little Chenin Blanc. It became a favourite tipple of European kings and emperors, from Frederick the Great to Napoleon. But the vineyards were decimated by phylloxera, the Cloete family were bankrupted, and Groot Constantia was sold to the government as an experimental station. In 1980 Duggie Jooste bought Klein Constantia, redeveloped it, and is now selling a new version of Vin de Constance made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.

On 8th January 1918, growers in the Western Cape founded the Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Bpkt (KWV). KWV came to dominate the industry until the end of the apartheid. In the 1930s they set up the South African Wine Farmers Association (SAWFA) as a 50:50 joint venture with their British agents, Vine Products, taking full control after the Second World War.

Restrictions on the sale of “whites man’s liquor” to black, Asian and coloured South Africans were lifted in the 1960s. Production quotas were abolished in the 1990s, and KWV shed its regulatory functions to the South African Wine Industry Trust and its producing interests to the Wijngaard Co-operative, leaving a publicly-quoted marketing company.

Classification

There are about 60 appellations within the Wine of Origin (WO) system, which was implemented in 1973 with a hierarchy of designated production regions, districts and wards. More recently 3 “Geographical Units” have been declared, which may cover a number of WO Regions plus some additional districts and wards.

WO wines must be made 100% from grapes from the designated area. “Single vineyard” wines must come from a defined area of less than 5 hectares. An “Estate Wine” can come from adjacent farms, as long as they are farmed together and wine is produced on site. A ward is an area with a distinctive soil type and/or climate, and is roughly equivalent to a European appellation. A district can contain several terroirs, whereas a ward can’t, which explains why Cape Point, with just one winery, is a district and not a ward.

Varietal WO wines must contain at least 85% of the named variety (75% before 2006). About 75 varieties are currently approved for WO wines.

KwaZulu-Natal

On the east coast around Durban, the newest of the Geographical Units has little history of winegrowing but early efforts look promising.

Northern Cape

Along the valley of the Orange River, the river creates a cool microclimate that traditionally has favoured white wines. This Geographical Unit includes the district of Douglas and the wards of Hartswater, Lower Orange (Benede Oranje, home to most of the national sultana crop and a lot of Colombard) and Rietrivier Free State.

Douglas

This district near Kimberley has just one cooperative.

Western Cape

This Geographical Unit covers almost all of the South African winelands, including the regions of Breede River Valley, Coastal Region, Klein Karoo and Olifants River. It also includes the otherwise unassigned southern districts of Bot River, Cape Agulhas, Overberg, Plettenberg Bay and Walker Bay, and the wards of Cederberg, Ceres, Herbertsdale, Prince Albert Valley, Ruiterbosch and Swartberg.

Bot River (Botrivier)

There are two wineries on the bas of the ‘butter’ river, Goedvertrouw and Beaumont Wines.

Cape Agulhas

The southern tip of Africa, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean, offers a unique terroir where Sauvignon Blanc thrives, particularly in the ward of Elim.

Overberg

This district south of Paarl is cooled by Atlantic breezes and is producing some exciting cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It includes the Elgin and Klein River wards.

Plettenberg Bay

Newly declared WO that is home to Bramon Estate, who are best known for a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc.

Walker Bay

West of Cape Agulhas, this coastal district produces some high quality wines from the Burgundy varieties. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Sunday’s Glen and Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley were recently declared as wards.

Breede River Valley

This region lies about 90km northeast of Cape Town, between Paarl and Worcester. Centred on Rawsonville, this region used to concentrate on bulk sweet wines.

Breedekloof

Recently split out of Worcester, this district contains the wards of Goudini and Slanghoek.

Robertson

About 150km east of Cape Town, this offshoot of the Breede River Valley is perhaps best known for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and is establishing a reputation for quality reds. Its vineyards and orchards are cooled both by the Breede River and the on-shore breezes, so the climate is quite temperate. The district includes the wards of Agterkliphoogte, Bonnievale, Boesmansrivier, Eilandia, Hoopsrivier, Klaasvoogds, Le Chasseur, McGregor and Vinkrivier. In early June there is a Wacky Wine Weekend, with festivities and “open house” at many wineries.

Swellendam

This districts covers the wards of Buffeljags and Stormsvlei.

Worcester

The Worcester district 120km northeast of Cape Town is South Africa’s biggest producer of wine and brandy by volume, although hitherto the quantity has not been matched by quality. It includes the wards of Aan-de-Doorns, Hex River Valley, Nuy and Scherpenheuvel.

Coastal Region

This contains the famous winelands of the Cape, including the most famous ward of all, Constantia.

Cape Point

This one-winery, 30ha district was created in 1998 to recognise the achievements of Sybrand van der Spuy at Cape Point Vineyards. The ocean breezes allow slow ripening, with excellent results from Sauvignon blanc and Semillon in particular.

 Darling

This district used to be part of Swartland, but was split off in recognition of its unique climate that benefits from cooling breezes from the Atlantic. It includes the high-altitude Groenekloof ward, which is best known for Sauvignon Blanc.

Paarl

About 50km east of Cape Town lies the Paarl district, one of the most famous of South Africa’s winegrowing areas, particularly for Rhone-style red wines such as Syrah and Pinotage, and more recently Viognier-based whites. It covers the Franschhoek Valley, Wellington, Simonsberg-Paarl and Voor Paardeberg wards.

Stellenbosch vineyard

Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is a university town south of Paarl, about 50km southeast of Cape Town.  It is the heart of South Africa’s greatest wine region, notable for the number of small wineries concentrating on red wines, including many of South Africa’s best. It includes the Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch wards.

Swartland

Some 60km north of Cape Town, the ‘black land’ has traditionally produced fortified wines and some concentrated reds from Pinotage and Shiraz vines grown without irrigation. Malmesbury is the most famous ward, there is also Riebeekberg.

Tulbagh

Nestling in the shadow of the Winterhoek Mountains, the Tulbagh district has a variety of microclimates and is home to 5 estates and 2 cooperatives. Traditionally a producer of white wines and sparkling wine, it is moving towards quality red wines.

Tygerberg

Cooled by the sea, this district wants to become the Bordeaux of South Africa, with the Philadelphia ward producing Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines, and the Durbanville ward favouring Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

Boberg

Boberg is a region for fortified wines (”dessert wines” in local parlance) that overlaps most of the Paarl and Tulbagh still wine districts.

Klein Karoo (Little Karoo)

This semi-arid region in the central Cape has a range of microclimates that allow a variety of wines to be produced, including some famous Muscadels and a range of brandies and fortified wines. It includes the wards of Montagu, Tradouw, Upper Langkloof (47ha) and Outeniqua.

Calitzdorp

The climate and soil of this district is similar to those of the Douro, and it has a reputation for fortified wines made from the port grapes.

Langeberg-Garcia

This district was only defined in November 2006. It lies between the Brand River and Gourits River.

Olifants River

While some wine had always been made on the west coast of South Africa, production began in earnest with the construction of a canal to irrigate wines in the Olifants River Valley, some 200km north of Cape Town. It includes the wards of Bamboes Bay (just 6ha!), Koekenaap, Spruitdrift and Vredendal.

Citrusdal Mountain

This picturesque district includes the ward of Piekenierskloof.

Citrusdal Valley

As the name suggests, this region is best known for its citrus orchards, but grapes are also grown.

Lutzville Valley

The area around Lutzville is meant to have a particularly good climate for growing vines, with misty mornings and cooling sea breezes. It includes the ward of Koekenaap.

Grape Varieties

South Africa can claim her own grape variety in the Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (known locally as Hermitage (grape)). Pinotage was bred in 1925 by Dr. Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch.

South Africa is also notable as the second home of Chenin Blanc, known locally as Steen. However there is a lot of dreary white wine produced from some low quality clones of Steen and Colombard. The grapes known locally as red and white Muscadel are probably Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains demonstrating its variable colouring.

In 2006, SAWIS (South African Wine Information and Systems) reported that the country had 100,146 hectares of vineyards, with about 55 percent planted to white varieties. See table (right) for the major varieties planted in South Africa. Other grapes include Riesling (known locally as Weisser Riesling), Crouchen (known as Cape Riesling), Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc), Sémillon (Groendruif) and Muscut (Hanepoot).