South Africa
The Arrival of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape, by Charles Bell
This was intended to ward off scurvy amongst sailors during their voyages along the spice route to India and the East as they passed down the Atlantic coast of Africa and around the fearsome point of the Cape of Good Hope (originally the Cape of Storms) into the Indian Ocean.
Our Wineries
Citrusdal
Stellenbosch
Walker Bay
Malgas
The roots of the South African wine industry can be traced to the explorations of the Dutch East India Company, which established a supply station in what is now Cape Town, in 1652. A Dutch surgeon, Jan van Riebeeck, was assigned the task of managing the station and planting vineyards to produce wines and grapes.
Cape Point, with the Atlantic to the west (left) and the Indian Ocean to the east.
The first harvest was made on 2 February 1659, seven years after the Cape Colony was established. The man succeeding Van Riebeeck as governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, sought to improve the quality of viticulture in the region. In 1685, he purchased a 1,900 acre) estate just outside Cape Town, establishing the Constantia wine estate. After several periods of abandonment, the Constantia estates (Klein Constantia and Groot Constantia) are in production today, 335 years later.
“South African Wine Has Never Been Better—Have Americans Noticed? “ - An article from 750 Daily
During the 18th and 19th centuries, overproduction of low-quality wines led to a severe oversupply with some unsalable wines being dumped into local rivers. To manage the industry and align supply with demand, the Government in 1918 created the Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika (KWV). While this helped the situation, continued overproduction combined with international boycotts of the South African Apartheid government and economy meant that in 1990, fully 70% of South African grape production was still either sold as grapes/grape juice, distilled into brandy, or discarded. By 2003 however, fully 70% of South African grape production was being used for wine of ever-increasing quality.
Wine Map of South Africa courtesy Wine Folly
Production is concentrated around Cape Town in the Western Cape Province, There are about 60 appellations within the Wine of Origin (WO) system, which was implemented in 1973 with a hierarchy of designated production Regions, Districts and Wards, with Wards being the most specific and with uniquely-defined terroirs. WO wines must only contain grapes from the specific area of origin. "Single vineyard" wines must come from a defined area of less than 5 hectares. An "Estate Wine" can come from adjacent farms if they are farmed together and wine is produced on site.
The main Regions in the Western Cape Province from northwest to southeast are the Coastal Region, the Breede River Valley, the Cape South Coast, and the Klein Karoo. Within each are smaller Districts such as Swaartland, Elgin and Paarl, and then finally Wards such as the Franschhoek Valley.
The Varieties
Chenin Blanc 18.2%
Cabernet Sauvignon 11.3%
Colombard 12.0%
Shiraz 10.5%
Sauvignon Blanc 9.4%
Chardonnay 8.0%
Pinotage 7.5%
Merlot 6.0%
All Others 17.5%
Interior mountain ranges divide vineyard lands into unique microclimates
South Africa works with a mix of the usual suspects, but has made its international reputation on Chenin Blanc (locally called Steen) which was introduced to the Cape in the later 1600’s, and Pinotage, a genetic cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (locally, Hermitage) developed in South Africa in 1925. Today the country is becoming ever better known for a range of quality wines sourced from unique terroirs surrounded by some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery. Terroir Wines is proud to represent some of these great wines.