Country
The international reputation of South Africa’s wine industry has continued to grow since the end of apartheid in the 1990s. Today it is the world’s eighth largest producer and amongst the most prolific wine nations in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s diverse viticultural offer includes first class wines from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay grapes as well as from the signature Pinotage variety.
91
Viticulture in South Africa dates back to the middle of the seventeenth century when grapes and subsequently wines began to be produced at a Dutch East India Company refreshment station on the Cape of Good Hope. When the nation came under British rule in the nineteenth century, a new international market opened up and for around half a century, the wine industry prospered. However, this good fortune was halted first by a devastating Phylloxera epidemic which led to the destruction of many vineyards, and second by the overproduction of high yielding grape varieties that ensued.
In 1918 the Kooperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika (KWV) was established and its various restrictions had a massive influence on the industry for the majority of the century. The boycott of South African products on account of its political regime meant that it wasn't really until the end of apartheid that the true spirit of the nation’s innovative winemakers was able to flourish. Today the country boasts a dynamic, forward-thinking industry with almost one-hundred-thousand hectares of vineyard and hundreds of premium cellars producing wines from a diverse range of international and indigenous grapes.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and the native crossing, Pinotage (Pinot Noir and Cinsault) are the three most prevalent dark skinned varieties, whilst Chenin Blanc (also called Steen), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are amongst the principal whites. Single varietal wines are produced in a range of styles demonstrating the versatility of the South African terroir and the creativity of its winemakers. Many of these elegant, well-balanced and complex wines are making a name for themselves internationally, and often represent excellent value for the consumer. Blends - particularly those in a Bordeaux style - are also important to the industry here.
Wine classification in South Africa is governed by the Wine of Origin (WO) system, established in 1973 to protect and define geographical provenance. WO is not a quality hierarchy but a certification of origin, with designations progressing from broad geographical units through regions and districts to wards, the most precise level. The system focuses on accuracy of origin, vintage, and grape variety, allowing producers stylistic freedom while giving consumers clarity about where a wine comes from.
