South Africa

Question 1

What role did Jan van Riebeeck play in the history of South African wine making?

Answer 1

He was a member of the Dutch East India Company who founded Cape Town and its first vineyard.

Question 2

What group fleeing Europe brought with them a wealth of winemaking knowledge?

Answer 2

French Huguenots in the late 1680’s and 1690’s.

Question 3

What wine from South Africa was also known as “governor’s wine?”

Answer 3

Vin de Constance, introduced by Governor Simon van der Stel’s Constantia estate.

Made from rasinated Muscat de Frontignan (a Petits Grains) grapes.

Question 4

What 3 estates were formed when Constantia was split and sold?

Answer 4

Groot Constantia ("Great" Constance, Oldest Wine Estate in South Africa)
Klein Constantia ("Little" Constance)
Buitenverwachting (meaning Beyond Expectations)

Question 5

What events in the 19th Century caused a steep decline in the South African wine industry?

Answer 5

In 1861, the British abolished preferential tariffs, meaning that Cape wines had to compete openly with French and German wines. Export costs were also high.

Also, phylloxera appeared in the 1880s.

Question 6

What organization was formed to support the South African wine industry in 1918? What did it do?

Answer 6

Wijnbouwers Vereniging va Zuid-Afrika (KMW), which had the support of 90% of wine growers.

• Fixed minimum prices
• Determind areas of production
• Established production limits

It did, however, tend to favor larger producers and reward lower quality because it set viable prices for distillation wine.

Question 7

In descending order of size, what are the four types of production area for Wine of Origin in South Africa?

Answer 7

Geographical Unit
Region
District
Ward

Question 8

What must a wine do to receive WO status?

Answer 8

• Wine must use an approved cultivar.
• WIne must contain 85% of state variety
• Blends may list several grapes if they are vinified separately and each grape is min. 20% of wine.
• Minimum 85% of vintage
• 100% of grapes must come from stated area

Varietal, Vintage, and Area of Production cannot be used without certification

Question 9

What is the maximum size for a registered single vineyard in South Africa?

Answer 9

6ha

They must also be planted with a single variety

Question 10

What are the GIs of South Africa?

Answer 10

Western Cape
Northern Cape
Eastern Cape
Kwazulu-Natal
Limpopo
Free State

Question 11

What kind of climate does the Western Cape have?

What environmental factors affect it?

Answer 11

Mediterranean, with warm, sunny growing seasons

Benguela Current: flows North from Antarctica to cool the coastal areas.

Cape Doctor: Strong, southeasterly wind in the Spring and Summer. Inhibits disease, lowers temperatures, but also batters vines.

Question 12

What WO in South Africa has the coolest climate? What other WO’s is it located within?

Answer 12

Cape Agulhas District

located within the

Cape South Coast Region

located within the

Western Cape GI

Question 13

What is the most widely planted white grape in South Africa?

What is the most widely planted red grape?

Answer 13

Chenin Blanc (Steen), also the most widely planted grape

Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 14

Who developed Pinotage? When? From what crossing?

Answer 14

Professor Abraham Perold

1924

Cinsault x Pinot Noir

Question 15

What name is traditional method sparkling wine known by in South Africa?

Answer 15

Methode Cap Classique

Question 16

Cape Port and Sherry were phased out when? What is fortified wine more increasingly referred to by?

Answer 16

Port and Sherry were phased out in 2012

Now, fortified wines are increasingly known by their style: Cape Ruby, Cape Tawny, etc.

Question 17

What GI is the Coastal Region located within?

What districts are located within it?

Answer 17

Western Cape GI

Stellenbosch
Cape Town
Paarl
Tulbagh
Darling
Franschhoek Valley
Lutzville Valley
Wellington
Swartland

Question 18

What Wards are located within the Cape Town District?

Answer 18

Constantia
Hout Bay
Durbanville
Philidelphia

Question 19

Who are some notable producers in Stellenbosch? What are some notable wines?

Answer 19

Warwick Estate “Trilogy”
-Blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Merlot

Meerlust
-Blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot

Kanonkop
-“Paul Sauer” BDX blend, “Black Label” Pinotage

Question 20

What mountains separate the Paarl and Stellenbosch regions?

Answer 20

Simonsberg Mountains

Question 21

What regional WO was dedicated to fortified wine production?

Answer 21

Boberg

it was repealed in 2019

Included Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington, Tulbagh

Question 22

What producer makes Edelkuer dessert wine? How is it made, and how was it originally sold?

Answer 22

Nederburg in Paarl

It is a botrytized dessert wine from Chenin Blanc

It was originally sold through the Nederburg Wine Auction in 1975. It is the New World’s oldest wine auction.