The Wines of South Africa

At the southern tip of Africa, where two mightyfew large companies doing business there and
oceans meet in the shadow of landmark Tablemost of the best wines come from farmers who
Mountain, lies the finest Cape in the world. Knownown the vineyards and make the wine. My first
locally as the Mother City, Cape Town is thestop after getting off the plane in Cape Town
gateway to the South Africa wine lands and onewas to the new Arabella Sheraton Hotel
of the great wine capitols of the world. Here theconnected to the convention center. There I met
cultures of Africa, Europe and the East have metJabulani Ntshangase who has opened Grand World
and mingled for over 350 year’s,of Wines in the hotel lobby. He came to America
shaping a city both ancient, rich in colorful historyover 25 years ago to learn the wine and liquor
and culturally diverse. Archbishop Tutu describedbusiness from my brother Michael. He returned to
the new South African nation as “theSouth Africa to train black South Africans in the
rainbow people of God”, and thewine & spirit trade. He has over 20 of his pupils
“rainbow nation” was born.working in the industry and is about to open
The Cape wine-growing areas, situated in theanother shop in Stellenbosch. In addition, he
narrow viticulture zone of the southernexports a wonderful brand called Thabani.
hemisphere, have a mainly Mediterranean climate“Madame Bordeaux”
with the mountain slopes and valleys ideal forotherwise known as May Eliane de Lencquesaing,
wine grapes. Long, sun-drenched summers givethe owner of Chateau Pichon Comtesse de
the grapes enough sugar and wet winters withLalande, has purchased Glenelly farm in
cool sea breezes, contributing to ideal conditionsStellenbosch in 2003 and planted Bordeaux red
for grape growing. South Africa is 9th invarieties with the focus on Merlot and Cabernet
international wine production with 3.1% (comparedSauvignon. She has been visiting the Cape since
to France & Italy with around 20% each). The1986 and liked that story of the French
co-operatives which process grapes for theirHuguenots coming here 300 years ago.
members press about 80% of the total wine“Maybe this can be a kind of pilgrimage
harvest. But it is in the estate wineries, whichfor the French, a return to the
make wine only from grapes grown on their ownbeginning.” The South African golfer
land and independent cellars, which make wine forErnie Els has opened a winery in 2004 under his
bottling under their own brand names that are thename and has been promoting his wine at every
future for the wine industry.tournament he has entered.
Vineyards were first planted at the Cape in 1655.I visited or tasted wines with a dozen of the top
The arrival of French Huguenots (religiousSouth African wineries and winemakers. I asked
refugees) and their knowledge of wine makingWines of South Africa through their US marketing
helped develop the industry. Other importantarm and their headquarters in Stellenbosch to set
dates include: 1861 when Phylloxera hit (insect thatup my program. I only asked that all the wineries
feeds on grape roots); 1918 with the creation ofare imported into the USA and that I visit and
KWV (cooperative that regulated the industry astaste with small, medium and large producers. The
an umbrella body); 1925 saw the cross-pollinationfirst night I was dropped off at Ken
of Pinot Noir & Hermitage (Cinsaut) to createForrester’s winery where he had
Pinotage. In 1935 the Stellenbosch farmersassembled representatives from Meinert Wines,
formed a cooperative- SFW that in 2001 mergedThe Winery, Raats Family Wines and Kleine Zalze
with Distillers Corporation to form Distell, a top 10(the only winery not yet in the USA). Our
liquor company in the world. 1971 saw the startdiscussion centered on Chenin Blanc and I was
of the Wine Route; 1975 the Nederburg Winechastised for referring to it as Steen. These
Auction began; 1999 the South African Industryproducers believe the grape has a great future
Trust was formed and Wines of South Africawhen properly made. The Winery has the first
began to market the wines abroad. In 2000 thedual-continent winemaking arrangement with their
Cape Wine Show began.Riesling being produced in Australia and their
In keeping with the spirit of renewal in the SouthChardonnay in South Africa. The Raats Family
African wine industry over 40% of the vineyardsWinery was named one of the best new wineries
have been replanted to noble cultivars and qualityby Food & Wine Magazine. Kleine Zalze has the
wines. The industry had formerly been dominatedTerroir Restaurant voted one of the top 10 in the
by white grape varieties including: Chenin Blanc,country, plus resident lodges on their golf course.
also known as Steen, the most widely cultivatedI began my second day at Cape Legends/Plaisir
variety in the Cape, Sauvignon Blanc andde Merle, one of 11 wineries owned and marketed
Chardonnay. Today, red wine vineyards (45% ofby the Distell Corporation which resulted from the
the total) are mainly under 10 years old andmerger of the Stellenbosch Farmers Winery and
include Cabernet Sauvignon (the most widelyDistillers Corporation. Here again the concept of full
planted red varietals), Shiraz and Pinot Noir anduse of the land results in the building of five
Pinotage.private residences on the grounds. Waterford
Viticulture in South Africa takes place in an areaEstate Shiraz was served at Oprah
with a mild Mediterranean climate. TheWinfrey’s 50th birthday party. When I
winegrowing areas are along the coast not farvisited Warwick Wine Estate I learned that the
from the ocean. Rain falls mainly between MayWine Spectator had named their Three Cape
and August and frost is rarely a problemLadies the #71 wine of the year for 2005. Wine
(don’t forget the seasons are reversed& Spirits Magazine named Warwick one of the
in the Southern Hemisphere with harvest timetop 100 wineries of the year for 2005. If that
February/March). There is a constant interactionwasn’t enough Vilafonte (Mike Radcliffe
between the Cape mountain ranges and valleyhas an ownership role in both) has a joint venture
slopes along with the proximity of the Indian andwith the well known American winemaker Zelma
Atlantic Oceans. Cooling breezes blow in from theLong. I was in South Africa at harvest time (mid
seas during the day, fog and moisture ladenFebruary) so I was lucky to get a few minutes
breezes are prevalent at night. The three main soilwith Adi Badenhorst, the winemaker at
types are Granite, Table Mountain Sandstone andRustenberg Cellars on the most beautiful wine
Shale.estates I visited. There were fruit trees, dairy
In 1973 the Wine of Origin System wascattle, a community center, housing and a school
introduced (similar to the AC system in France)for the workers and best of all a barbeque dinner
using a series of regions, districts and estates.at Adi’s home.
You may be familiar with Constantia, the sourceHaving an afternoon plane to catch to
of the world famous dessert wines popular duringJohannesburg and my return business class flight
the 19th Century. Also Paarl, about 30 miles fromon South African Airlines I had time for two visits.
Cape Town and home to KWV and the venueDouglas Green/Bellingham is one of the largest
for the world renowned Nederburg Auction.wineries in the country. In perspective E&J Gallo
Stellenbosch, also about 30 miles from Capemight bottle in one day what most wineries
Town, is the center of the premiumbottled in a year. Their facility at Boschendal
wine-producing district and Stellenbosch Universityreceives almost 200,000 visitors a year. Will Tall
(18,000 students in a town of 85,000) has theHorse (nickname for giraffe) be South
only viticultural and oenological department in theAfrican’s version of Yellow Tail? They
country. This is where I spent two nights andcertainly hope so. I finished my winery visits at
served as the center point for all my wineryHidden Valley where I lunched and tasted in the
visits. I stayed at the Life & Leisure Studio 3vineyard since their winery was under
which is one of 20 apartments scattered withinconstruction. The vineyards are on a steep hillside
the historical center of town (two blocks fromright past Ernie Els new winery.
the university) which have kitchenettes, a smallWith a winemaking history dating back more than
pool, and all the luxury amenities of a boutique300 years, the industry reflects the classicism of
hotel without all the traffic. I only saw someonethe Old World but is also influenced by the
when they came to announce my breakfast wascontemporary fruit-driven styles of the New
waiting out by the pool. At $90-$100 per night itWorld. This rare combination makes for wines
was a bargain.which are complex yet accessible, refined yet
Why will South Africa be the “next hotpowerful, eloquently expressing the unique terroir
country” for wine? There are only aand people of the Cape.