SOUTH AFRICAN WINES(1)

READING BETWEEN THE WINES:

South Africa has attained competitiveness with the world's top wine-producing countries in terms of consistency, depth and range.
— Michael Franz, Washington Post, July 28, 2004

The end of apartheid brought many positive changes for South Africa, but one of those seemingly minimal changes in the scope of such big transformation was their launch into the global wine market. Of course, wine lovers abroad found this to be a big plus. After all, South African has been producing wine for over 300 years and is the eighth largest wine producer in the world.

Unfortunately, South Africa wasn’t making many real fans at first, but over the past few years, production has leapt up in terms of quality consistency. South African wines yield somewhat lower alcohol content than Australian or Californian wines, but have higher acidity and solid flavor patterns.

The country is known for Old World favorites like the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc but also for New World triumphs like Shiraz or South Africa’s very own grapely creation, the Pinotage.

MAJOR SOUTH AFRICAN WINE REGIONS

The southern tip of Africa’s most vital wine regions arc around the coastal regions surrounding Cape Town, and several important regions are dotted inland as well. The major regions in South Africa are Constantia, Darling, Elim, Little Karoo, Olifants River, Northern Cape, Overberg, Paarl, Robertson, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Tulbagh, and Worcester.

THE GRAPES

The top grapes of South Africa are as follows:

SOUTH AFRICAN REDS:

Pinotage

Is that? No… It can’t be… It is! It’s blueberry! South African vintners have successfully crossed the Pinot Noir and Cinsault grape to make a unique wine grape called the Pinotage. This grape delivers complex light- to mid-bodied wines with distinct blueberry aromas.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Found mostly at the Cape in South Africa, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes — sometimes blended with Merlot or Cabernet Franc, sometimes not — age into some of the best peppery reds, which display a complex range of dark cherry, cedar, and black currant flavors.

Shiraz

You say Syrah; they say Shiraz. Local Shiraz wines can express smoky and spicy wines that, like the Cabernet, become more complex with proper aging.

Pinot Noir

The picky Pinot fairs well in the cooler South African climates. This grape turns out lighter red wines with cherry and strawberry nuances.
A large portion is used in making Cap Classique sparkling wines, which are the champagnes of the area.

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