South Africa Flashcards
What are the major challenges to South African wine production?
water shortages,
virus problems such as leafroll,
poor clonal and rootstock material
What is the vector for leaf roll virus?
mealy bugs
causes green-ness in wines, lower yields
Who proved it is possible to eradicate leaf roll using systemic insecticides and uprooting / replanting ?
Vergelegen
When was the first crush in South Africa and who commissioned it?
1659
Jan Van Riebeek - Dutch East India Company
Who developed the Constantia vineyard as the governor?
Simon van der Stel - 1691
When did the French come to South Africa and where did they settle?
1680s the Huguenots came to settle in Franschoek (between Stellenbosch and Paarl)
British took over control of the Cape from the Dutch in what year?
1814
in 1902 the British defeated the Dutch in the Boer War to unify the colonies to one nation
When did South Africa become a democracy?
1994
True or False : Up to the mid-90s, 80% of the vines planted in SA were white grape varieties
TRUE!
When did the WO system debut?
1972
administered by the Wine & Spirit Board
guarantees vintage, varietal, origin
1973 - UK enters the EEC
When was the debut of the IPW (Integrated Production of Wine Scheme)
1998
administered by the Wine & Spirit Board - seal for sustainability and integrity (97% of wineries are sealed)
What is the BWI
Biodiversity & Wine Initiative est. in 2004
housed within the World WIldlife Fund - conservation and preservation of natural habitat over 130,000 ha (1.3 ha for every ha of vineyard land)F
What was the effect of the KWV?
Overproduction (set minimum prices, vineyard quotas) and stagnation of the wine industry,
no new vineyards being developed, no advances in technology or quality
Who are some producers that rebelled against the strict laws of the KWV?
Timothy Hamilton Russell planted pinot in Hemel en Aarde where there were no vineyard quotas,
Danie De Wet and Peter Finlayson imported illegal vine cuttings of chardonnay (and accidentally auxerrois which incriminated them)
What is the Platter’s Guide?
A critical review established in 1980
What is the Cape Winemaker’s Guild?
A grower’s association formed in 1982
What is the geology of South Africa?
generally uniform - granite capped by sandstone;
quartz, shale, and slate scattered throughout
Shale and Sandstone viticulture
low-vigor soils - helps ward off virus - more clay helps water retention
What is the Cape Doctor?
A fierce southeaster that generally alleviates disease pressure - blows from spring to late summer
What is the effect of the Benguela Current?
It is a cooling, humid current that swirls up from Antarctica - tempering the Mediterranean climate and slowing the growing season
What are the levels of the Origin hierarchy from general to most specific?
Geographical Unit,
Region,
District,
Ward
What are the most important Regions in SA for fine wine production?
(Western Cape) Coastal Region, Cape South Coast
Fruit from the Coastal Region and Cape South Coast can be designated under the WO ____
Cape Coastal
What is the first ‘subregion’ WO? (new category)
Cape West Coast - encompasses coastal districts, wards, and the western half of Swartland
What is Nederberg Edelkeur?
First intentional botrytis style wine in SA 1969 made in Paarl
later sold through the Nederburg fine wine auction (1975 first year)
What is the style of wines from Paarl?
ripe and tropical
What is the defining geological feature of Paarl?
Paarl Rock to the west,
Boland Mountains to the east
Where is the Groenekloof Ward?
Swartland > Darling > Groenekloof
(region) (district) (ward)
(Neil Ellis SB) - North up the coast from Cape Town
100% percent of the wine in the bottle must come from the WO - T/F
True!
Vintage / Varietal Rules
85% for both
Wines must pass rigorous taste analysis to receive WO designation
True!
Natural wines were not admitted until several producers lobbied that their consumers wanted this type of wine
Single vineyard rules
Must not exceed 6ha - must be planted to same grape and contiguous
Estate Wines in South Africa
contiguous parcels of less than 6ha
must be vinified on property
Cap Classique must spend how much time on the lees?
legally 9 months - 12 months for producer association (Simonsig was the seminal producer)
Who are some top producers of Pinotage?
Kanonkop, Simonsig, Chamonix, DeMorgenzon, Delaire Graf, Reyneke (biodynamic), Fairview, Meerlust
What is the name of the Vin de Liquer made from Hanepoot?
Jerepigo
The main grape in a Cape Blend is …
Pinotage
What are the best known wards of Walker Bay?
Hemel en Aarde Valley,
Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley,
Hemel en Aarde Ridge,
Bot River
Springfontein Rim
Stanford Foothills
Sunday’s Glen
What are some key producers of Bordeaux Blends in Stellenbosch?
Kanonkop, Rustenberg, Warwick, Meerlust, Neil Ellis
Who are the pioneers of Swartland - starting the Swartland Independent Producers?
SIP RULES
ambient yeast no acidification no concentration min. 90% approved varieties 25% maximum European oak Burgundy bottle vinified, matured, bottled in Swartland must bottle 80% of production under estate label
Eben Sadie, Adi Badenhorst, Mullineux family
build a regional identity and minimal adjustments in the cellar
Must be VINIFIED IN SWARTLAND (ruling out larger producers like Anthonij Rupert and Boekenhoutskloof)
Low intervention producers in South Africa
Thorne Daughters
The Vineyard Party
Key producers of Stellenbosch
Kanonkop, Morgenhof, Neil Ellis, Delaire Graff. Raats, MR de Compostela, Keermont, De Morgenzon, Rust en Vrede, Vergelegen, Thelema Mountain
The ____ mountain separates Stellenbosch from Paarl
Simonsberg
The ____ mountain range separates Stellenbosch from Walker Bay
Hottentot Hollands
What river flows through Stellenbosch?
The Eerste River
What are the wards of Stellenbosch?
Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Banghoek, Bottelary, Polkedraai Hills, Jonkershoek, Devon Valley, Papegaaiberg, Vlottenberg (2020)
What is the Climate of Stellenbosch?
slightly warmer summers than Bordeaux
rainfall concentrated in winter
Stellenbosch opens to ___ Bay to the South
False Bay
was confused with Table Bay to the North by early sailors
Notable Pinot Noir from Stellenbosch?
from Paarl?
L’Avenir
Glen Carlou
What river flows through Paarl?
Berg River
The Simonsberg Mountain to the South and the ____ to the West are the major geological features of Paarl
Paarl Rock (vineyards on lower slopes),
and northern slopes of Simonsberg
Best source of old-vine chenin in Paarl?
Voor-Paardeberg ward on Paardeberg Mountain to the North
What are the Wards of Paarl?
Simonsberg-Paarl,
Voor Paardeberg,
Agter Paarl
Key producers of Paarl
Backsberg, Vilafonte (Letters Series), Fairview, KWV = Nederberg, Glen Carlou, Joostenberg
Where is Franschoek located?
between Stellenbosch and Paarl, and Overberg to the Southeast
(cooler than Paarl, warmer than Stellenbosch)
What is the specialty of Franschoek?
old-vine Semillon
Cap Classique
Bold Reds
Franschoek has no wards T or F
True!
Franschoek is bordered by the ___ mountains in the North and the ___ mountains in the South
Wemmershoek - separates from Breede River Valley,
the Drakenstein/Franschoek mountains
Key producers of Franschoek
Boekenhootskloof, Anthonij Rupert, Alheit (La Colline semillon), Le Lude, Chamonix
What are the wards of Cape Town district?
Constantia,
Durbanville,
Hout Bay,
Philadelphia
What is the specialty of Cape Town?
Sauvignon blanc (Klein Constantia), and muscat-sweet wines
specialty of Hout Bay?
Sparklers
specialty of Durbanville?
Sauvignon blanc
Top SA sauvignon blanc producers
Lomond Pincushion
Who makes ‘Vin de Constance’?
Klein Constantia
naturally sweet muscat
picked in tries
aged 3 years in oak
Who makes ‘Grand Constance’?
Groot Constantia
