South Africa’s wine growing region is situated amongst the scenic, breathtaking beauty of the Western Cape, uniquely located at the confluence of two oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic. This area, steeped in a richly diverse history of Dutch and French influence, produces wines often referred to as “the bridge between Old and New World wines.”

The climate of the Western Cape is cooler than its position - 35 degrees south of the equator – might suggest. Blessed as one of only three Mediterranean winegrowing climates in the world – mild, wet winters with cool breezes from the sea, followed by dry, sunny summers – the ideal conditions are created for wine growing; poor growing seasons are rare. Temperatures are moderated by the cold Benguela Current, flowing northward up the Atlantic Coast of Africa from Antarctica. All of the main vineyard areas are in the Western Cape, no further inland than 100 miles from Cape Town. The viticultural year begins in September, with the majority of the harvest occurring in February.

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

The first European settlement in the Cape of Good Hope was created in 1652, when the Dutch East India Trading Company established a victualling station, to provide fresh food for their merchant ships on the long voyage between Europe, India and the Far East. Jan van Riebeeck, the first Commander of the Cape and formerly a ship’s surgeon, cleverly convinced his skeptical employers that the Cape would be ideal for growing grapes, as he believed wine held medicinal properties which treated scurvy, a common affliction amongst his sailors. His request was granted, and by 1655, vineyards were planted with vine cuttings sent from France. On 2 February, 1659 Jan van Riebeeck’s diary records recorded the following: “Today, praise be to God, wine was pressed from Cape grapes for the first time . . .” This declaration placed South Africa as the 11th country to cultivate the vine, following just behind California’s initial grape crops in 1600.


Another event influencing the evolution of South African winemaking was the immigration in 1688 of some 200 Protestant Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France. The settlers colonized at the upper end of the Drakenstein Valley, an area now known as Franschhoek (meaning French Quarter in Afrikaans). It was here that they introduced their skills of winegrowing and the art of winemaking. Many of the names of their farms are still in use today, serving as nostalgic reminders of the settlers’ French origins. In 1973, the winelands were divided into groupings of official regions, districts, wards and estates. Two main wine regions are recognized: the Coastal Region, located northeast of Cape Town, is cooler and receives more rain than its counterpart, the Inland Region (including Worcester, Robertson, Olifants River and the Klein Karoo), located further to the east. These regions are separated by the Drakenstein Mountains, which keep the generous rainfalls localized in the Coastal Region, making for dryer conditions in the Inland Region.

WINE MARKET TODAY

South Africa has over 100,000 hectares under vine, with about 60% of the crop going into wine production. Production is handled mainly by 82 estates and 70 co-operative cellars. Regarding white grape varieties, Chenin Blanc (also known as Steen) is the most widely planted grape variety in South Africa, comprising 28% of the vineyard. Also planted is Colombard (10%), Sauvignon Blanc (5%), and Chardonnay (4%), Hanepoot (Muscat d’Alexandrie), Rhine Riesling, and Semillon. Regarding red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon comprises 5% of the vineyard, Cinsaut (4%), Pinotage, a varietal developed in South Africa in 1924 crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (3%), Merlot (2%) and Shiraz (1%), Pinot Noir, Ruby Cabernet, Tinta Barocca and Pontac. For quality imported wines, South Africa’s are refreshingly inexpensive. Unlike California, South African wineries are not taxed for each year that the wines are held for maturation, either in the barrel or the bottle. This affords a later release, offering a more mature wine at a less expensive price. The U.S. Dollar has appreciated considerably against the South African Rand during the last few years, giving the American consumer a significant price break as well. South African wines dried up in this market, after economic sanctions were levied in the early 1980’s by the U.S. government. During this time, South Africa focused on the European markets, where they are now in high demand. With the removal of sanctions in 1993, their wines are seeing a resurgence in popularity, re-opening the US market to the unique and highly reputable wines of South Africa.