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• The Wines of South Africa

The Wines of South Africa At the southern tip of Africa, where two country” for wine? There are only a few mighty oceans meet in the shadow of landmark large companies doing business there and most Table Mountain, lies the finest Cape in the of the best wines come from farmers who own world. Known locally as the Mother City, Cape the vineyards and make the wine. My first Town is the gateway to the South Africa wine stop after getting off the plane in Cape Town lands and one of the great wine capitols of was to the new Arabella Sheraton Hotel the world. Here the cultures of Africa, connected to the convention center. There I Europe and the East have met and mingled for met Jabulani Ntshangase who has opened Grand over 350 year’s, shaping a city both World of Wines in the hotel lobby. He came to ancient, rich in colorful history and America over 25 years ago to learn the wine culturally diverse. Archbishop Tutu described and liquor business from my brother Michael. the new South African nation as “the He returned to South Africa to train black rainbow people of God”, and the South Africans in the wine & spirit trade. He “rainbow  nation”  was  born. has over 20 of his pupils working in the industry and is about to open another shop in The Cape wine-growing areas, situated in the Stellenbosch. In addition, he exports a narrow viticulture zone of the southern wonderful brand called Thabani. “Madame hemisphere, have a mainly Mediterranean Bordeaux” otherwise known as May Eliane climate with the mountain slopes and valleys de Lencquesaing, the owner of Chateau Pichon ideal for wine grapes. Long, sun-drenched Comtesse de Lalande, has purchased Glenelly summers give the grapes enough sugar and wet farm in Stellenbosch in 2003 and planted winters with cool sea breezes, contributing Bordeaux red varieties with the focus on to ideal conditions for grape growing. South Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. She has been Africa is 9th in international wine visiting the Cape since 1986 and liked that production with 3.1% (compared to France & story of the French Huguenots coming here 300 Italy with around 20% each). The years ago. “Maybe this can be a kind of co-operatives which process grapes for their pilgrimage for the French, a return to the members press about 80% of the total wine beginning.” The South African golfer harvest. But it is in the estate wineries, Ernie Els has opened a winery in 2004 under which make wine only from grapes grown on his name and has been promoting his wine at their own land and independent cellars, which every  tournament  he  has  entered. make wine for bottling under their own brand names that are the future for the wine I visited or tasted wines with a dozen of the industry. top South African wineries and winemakers. I asked Wines of South Africa through their US Vineyards were first planted at the Cape in marketing arm and their headquarters in 1655. The arrival of French Huguenots Stellenbosch to set up my program. I only (religious refugees) and their knowledge of asked that all the wineries are imported into wine making helped develop the industry. the USA and that I visit and taste with Other important dates include: 1861 when small, medium and large producers. The first Phylloxera hit (insect that feeds on grape night I was dropped off at Ken roots); 1918 with the creation of KWV Forrester’s winery where he had (cooperative that regulated the industry as assembled representatives from Meinert Wines, an umbrella body); 1925 saw the The Winery, Raats Family Wines and Kleine cross-pollination of Pinot Noir & Hermitage Zalze (the only winery not yet in the USA). (Cinsaut) to create Pinotage. In 1935 the Our discussion centered on Chenin Blanc and I Stellenbosch farmers formed a cooperative- was chastised for referring to it as Steen. SFW that in 2001 merged with Distillers These producers believe the grape has a great Corporation to form Distell, a top 10 liquor future when properly made. The Winery has the company in the world. 1971 saw the start of first dual-continent winemaking arrangement the Wine Route; 1975 the Nederburg Wine with their Riesling being produced in Auction began; 1999 the South African Australia and their Chardonnay in South Industry Trust was formed and Wines of South Africa. The Raats Family Winery was named one Africa began to market the wines abroad. In of the best new wineries by Food & Wine 2000  the  Cape  Wine  Show  began. Magazine. Kleine Zalze has the Terroir Restaurant voted one of the top 10 in the In keeping with the spirit of renewal in the country, plus resident lodges on their golf South African wine industry over 40% of the course. vineyards have been replanted to noble cultivars and quality wines. The industry had I began my second day at Cape Legends/Plaisir formerly been dominated by white grape de Merle, one of 11 wineries owned and varieties including: Chenin Blanc, also known marketed by the Distell Corporation which as Steen, the most widely cultivated variety resulted from the merger of the Stellenbosch in the Cape, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Farmers Winery and Distillers Corporation. Today, red wine vineyards (45% of the total) Here again the concept of full use of the are mainly under 10 years old and include land results in the building of five private Cabernet Sauvignon (the most widely planted residences on the grounds. Waterford Estate red varietals), Shiraz and Pinot Noir and Shiraz was served at Oprah Winfrey’s Pinotage. 50th birthday party. When I visited Warwick Wine Estate I learned that the Wine Spectator Viticulture in South Africa takes place in an had named their Three Cape Ladies the #71 area with a mild Mediterranean climate. The wine of the year for 2005. Wine & Spirits winegrowing areas are along the coast not far Magazine named Warwick one of the top 100 from the ocean. Rain falls mainly between May wineries of the year for 2005. If that and August and frost is rarely a problem wasn’t enough Vilafonte (Mike (don’t forget the seasons are reversed Radcliffe has an ownership role in both) has in the Southern Hemisphere with harvest time a joint venture with the well known American February/March). There is a constant winemaker Zelma Long. I was in South Africa interaction between the Cape mountain ranges at harvest time (mid February) so I was lucky and valley slopes along with the proximity of to get a few minutes with Adi Badenhorst, the the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Cooling winemaker at Rustenberg Cellars on the most breezes blow in from the seas during the day, beautiful wine estates I visited. There were fog and moisture laden breezes are prevalent fruit trees, dairy cattle, a community at night. The three main soil types are center, housing and a school for the workers Granite, Table Mountain Sandstone and Shale. and best of all a barbeque dinner at Adi’s  home. In 1973 the Wine of Origin System was introduced (similar to the AC system in Having an afternoon plane to catch to France) using a series of regions, districts Johannesburg and my return business class and estates. You may be familiar with flight on South African Airlines I had time Constantia, the source of the world famous for two visits. Douglas Green/Bellingham is dessert wines popular during the 19th one of the largest wineries in the country. Century. Also Paarl, about 30 miles from Cape In perspective E&J Gallo might bottle in one Town and home to KWV and the venue for the day what most wineries bottled in a year. world renowned Nederburg Auction. Their facility at Boschendal receives almost Stellenbosch, also about 30 miles from Cape 200,000 visitors a year. Will Tall Horse Town, is the center of the premium (nickname for giraffe) be South wine-producing district and Stellenbosch African’s version of Yellow Tail? They University (18,000 students in a town of certainly hope so. I finished my winery 85,000) has the only viticultural and visits at Hidden Valley where I lunched and oenological department in the country. This tasted in the vineyard since their winery was is where I spent two nights and served as the under construction. The vineyards are on a center point for all my winery visits. I steep hillside right past Ernie Els new stayed at the Life & Leisure Studio 3 which winery. is one of 20 apartments scattered within the historical center of town (two blocks from With a winemaking history dating back more the university) which have kitchenettes, a than 300 years, the industry reflects the small pool, and all the luxury amenities of a classicism of the Old World but is also boutique hotel without all the traffic. I influenced by the contemporary fruit-driven only saw someone when they came to announce styles of the New World. This rare my breakfast was waiting out by the pool. At combination makes for wines which are complex $90-$100  per  night  it  was  a  bargain. yet accessible, refined yet powerful, eloquently expressing the unique terroir and Why will South Africa be the “next hot people of the Cape. 1 A B C D E F 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138