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WSET Diploma D3 > South Africa > Flashcards

South Africa Flashcards

1
Q

quick history of sa wines

A
  1. origins 360 years ago when europeans are settling in the cape of good hope
  2. start in 94 first democratic election won by the African National Congress (both bulk and premium) mostly dominated by the co-op KMW
  3. export boom of last recent years with 85% of grapes used for wine and not spirits
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2
Q

general climate of sa and latitude

A

warm mediterranean
climate 32-35 (similar to california and istrael)

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3
Q

influences of sa

A
  1. western cape’s mountain ranges
  2. proximity of the oceans
  3. benguela current (cold north current) + agulhas current (warm from indian ocean)
  4. cape doctor
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4
Q

cape doctor, what is it?
pro and cons

A

south-eastern wind comes during spring/summer
extends effect of cold benguela current

pro: brings rains into south coast, inhibits diseases

cons: damage leaves (photonsynthesis/ripeness) affects flowering and berry set [reduce yields]

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5
Q

2 main problems in sa climate

A
  1. spring frost (not always)
  2. lack of winter freeze (vines do not rest in winter)
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6
Q

rains in sa and remedies

A

depends on the area usually in may/august

70mm around stellenbosch, north less ( reduce effect of benguela and rain shadow effect)

irrigation (usually drip) or old vines are necessary drought is a recent problem, some vineyards are dry farmed

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7
Q

most planted varieties in sa

A
  1. chenin (20% production, total is double loire)
  2. colombard
  3. cab sauv
  4. syrah
  5. sauv blanc
  6. pinotage
  7. chardonnay
  8. merlot
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8
Q

where pinotage comes from

A

cross of pinot noir with cinsault bred at Univeristy of Stellenbosch in 1925

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9
Q

pinotage specs

A
  1. early budding
  2. moderating susceptible to fungal
  3. high sugar accumulates fast
  4. deep colour (just 5 days on skin for deep)
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10
Q

winemaking techniques to make better pinotage

A
  1. avoiding water stress in the vineyard
  2. avoid high fermentation temperatures
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11
Q

three main soils in sa

A
  1. table mountain sandstone - low nutrients, water retention (careful irrigation or fertilisation)
  2. granite (mountains foothills or hills) - water retention
  3. shale (scisto) - high nutrients, good water retention
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12
Q

water retention soils can advantage what technique?

A

dry farming

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13
Q

main problem in the soils of sa

A

extremely acid - needs lime treatment to balance ph (nutrients might not be available to the vine to grow), sometimes lower density of planting

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14
Q

viruses/diseases in sa

A
  1. leafroll and fanleaf (remedy is plant virus tested vines)
  2. powdery mildew (remedy is fungicides, organic methods)
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15
Q

most common training and pruning systems

A
  1. vsp (pruning is easier)
  2. short spur pruning (mechanisation)
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16
Q

is hand harvest suitable in sa?

A

yes, as there’s enough labour

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17
Q

in sa yields are depending on what?

A
  1. presence or absence of irrigation
  2. vine spacing
  3. vine age
  4. producer style (inexpensive or premium)
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18
Q

is organic farming famous in sa?

A

few organic biodynamic high IPM (integrated pest management) and IPW (integrated production of wine)

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19
Q

IPW

A

integrated production of wine 1998 system detailed towards carbon emission, conservation of soils, riverse and wetlands 90% of exported producers are signed in

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20
Q

yield and harvesting chenin: inexpensive vs premium

A

inexpensive: high yields, spraying to avoid botrytis, no sorting at harvesting

premium: low yields, dry land/old vines, small botrytis can be allowed, careful sorting during harvesting

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21
Q

are inexpensive chenin blended?

A

yes, with colombard up to 15% or other lesser varieties

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22
Q

is acidification common in Sa?

A

yes for inexpensive, in premium is avoided

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23
Q

ageing chenin in premium wines

A

lees 3-9 months old oak, concrete eggs, amphora

10-12 months oak ageing (% of new is possible)

depends on the producer

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24
Q

winemaking choices for pinotage

A
  1. cold soak (improve colour extraction)
  2. pumping over/punch down at the start of fermentation (lower alcohol level, less tannin extraction)
  3. early release for inexpensive (6-12 months), oak chips are sometimes used, premium 12-15 months in oak (50% at least new usually) and released after 2 years
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25
Q

3 main blends in south africa

A
  1. white cape blends (chenin dominant with rhone varieties, chard, semillon and sauvignon blanc)
  2. red bordeaux blends (also some whites)
  3. red cape blends (varies but usually mostly pinotage and rhone varieties)
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26
Q

production areas in sa

A

political or geographical units:

  1. geographical unit - very large areas (e.g. walker bay)
  2. region - large areas named after a major feature (coastal region, breede river valley) more terroir based:
  3. district (e.g. stellebosch like wards but defined within major centres e.g. mountain range or city centres)
  4. ward (based on terroir - soil, climate, ecological
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27
Q

estate wines - laws

A

grown, made and bottled at the estate

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28
Q

single vineyard in label laws

A

registered and planted with 1 variety not bigger than 6ha

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29
Q

what is labeling goal for wines of origin scheme

A

make sure that what is written on the label is true

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30
Q

labeling rules for WO scheme

A
  1. region 100% from the stated region
  2. vintage and variety 85%
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31
Q

coastal region % production

A

45% total area under vine in the country
25% of total south african wine yield are typically lower than other area

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32
Q

coastal region districts

A

cape town
darling
franschhoek
paarl
stellenbosch
swartland

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33
Q

most famous wards of cape town district

A

costantia
durbanville

34
Q

costantia ward specs

A
  1. vineyards planted on east-facing slopes of costantiaberg (south of table mountains)
  2. false bay brings cooling sea breeze
  3. granite soils above a layer of sandstone
  4. rainfall 1000mm
35
Q

most important producers in costantia ward

A

vin de costance - klein costantia steenberg

36
Q

durbanville ward specs

A
  1. vineyards planted on tigerberg hills facing east
  2. altitude 100-300
  3. 500mm rainfall
  4. shale soils with high water holding capacity (dry farming)
  5. cooling breezes from false bay
37
Q

most planted variety in durbanville and top producers

A

sauvignon blanc bloemendal diemersdal

38
Q

stellenbosch is famous for being…

A

business and educational hub of south africa, school of oenology and oldest wine region after costantia

39
Q

largest wine and spirit producer in south africa

A

distell (wine and spirit) backed by investments from home and abroad and growers who sells fruit from co-ops, merchants and wineries

40
Q

stellenbosch specs

A
  1. cooler mountains slopes
  2. various soils types (A valley floor clos to false bay with sandy alluvional soils, B slopes of simonsberg, bottelary hills and stellenbosch mountan and helderberg granite and shale soils)
  3. rainfall 600-900mt
41
Q

varieties in stellenbosch

A

cabernet sauvignon
merlot
pinotage
sauvignon blanc
chenin blanc
chardonnay

42
Q

most important thing for stellenbosch wine styles

A
  1. picking time - picking early
  2. yields - low yield
43
Q

most famous ward in stellebosch and specs

A

simonsberg-stellenbosch lower slopes of south-west-side of simonsberg

  1. warmer (away from false bay)
  2. open to ocean breezes (high diurnal range)
  3. cab sauv, single or pinotage blend
  4. producers are kanonkop, rustenberg
44
Q

paarl specs

A
  1. warmer than stellebosch
  2. many soils and aspects
  3. 800-900mm rainfall
  4. berg river (irrigation)
45
Q

plantings in paarl (varieties)

A

chenin cab sauv shiraz pinotage viognier mourvedre tipically more fuller body

46
Q

famous wards paarl

A

simonsberg-paarl
voor paarderberg

47
Q

famous producers in paarl

A

nederburg (distell group) villafonte

48
Q

simonsberg paarl ward specs

A
  1. warmer side of simonsberg
  2. higher elevation that normal paarl (higher diurnal)
  3. chardonnay/shiraz
  4. producers are glen carlou, plaisir de merle
49
Q

franschhoek district specs

A
  1. covered on three sides by mountains (shelter, warmth)
  2. 300 mt altitude valley floor till slopes 600mt
  3. 800mm rainfall, still irrigation is used
50
Q

franschhoek planted varieties

A

sauvignon blanc cab sauv shiraz old vine semillon home of cap classique sparkling

51
Q

franschhoek top producers

A

boekenhoustskloof (chocolate block)
cape chamonix

52
Q

darling district specs

A
  1. range of hills parallel to cold west coast (different aspects)
  2. breeze from the atlantic
  3. granite soil (high water retaining content than other areas) = dry farming/bush vines
  4. top producers: neil ellis, groote post
  5. most famous ward: groenekloof
53
Q

swartland district specs

A
  1. warm dry climate
  2. 500mm rainfall (mostly during growing season) = irrigation
  3. old vines, low yields
  4. low fertility granite and shale (paarderberg)
54
Q

2 kind of producers in swartland

A
  1. co-ops - perderberg and riebeek valley
  2. growers - spice route (charles bacl), eben sadie, chris mullineux
55
Q

common rules for growers in swartland

A

dri farming low yields organic/biodynamic old vines ambient yeast old oak

56
Q

tulbagh district specs

A
  1. warm dry sheltered valley (no coastal contact)
  2. altitude (450-500mt)
  3. cold morning air
  4. soil water holding capacity - rain falls from the upper slopes in pounds used for irrigation
  5. chenin blanc and colombard, premium cape blends (pinotage and shiraz)
  6. saronberg top producer
57
Q

wellington district specs

A
  1. shiraz, red blends (full body powerful)
  2. vine nursery 85% comes from here
  3. bosman family top producer
58
Q

wellington 2 main sides

A
  1. alluvial terraces around swartland hills
  2. foothills of the hawequa mountains (different aspects soils)
59
Q

breede river valley is famous for

A

high yield inexpensive wines produces most grapes in SA, both ine and distillery

60
Q

breede river valley key specs

A

breede river (source of irrigation)

61
Q

famous districts in breede river valley

A

breedekloof
worcester
robertson

62
Q

breedekloof specs

A
  1. upper area of breede river, warm continental climate (late harvest)
  2. adequate rainfall (no irrigatio needed)
  3. winter/spring snow delay budbust/spring frost risk
  4. cool summer south-east winds (moderate, reduce fungal)
  5. chenin. colombard, chardonnay, pinotage, shiraz, cab sauv
  6. co-op du toiskloof, deetlefs
63
Q

worcester specs

A
  1. low rainfall (400mm) - rain shadow effect of surrounding mountains - irrigation is needed
  2. loamy soils - fertile, high production (mostly brandy)
  3. colombrd, chenin, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, viognier, shiraz
64
Q

robertson geographic specs

A
  1. warm, low rainfall (irrigation necessary)
  2. south east winds (cooling, mouisture from indian ocean)
  3. flat plains - fertile - high yields (brandy)
  4. limestone soils in some parts (chardonnay, still and sparkling)
  5. shiraz, cabernet mainly
  6. producers co-op robertson, graham beck and de wetshof (chardonnay pioneer)
65
Q

olifants river specs

A
  1. most northernly of western cape
  2. below 200mm rainfall (irrigatin from olifants river)
  3. historically high yields for distillation now quality is emerging
  4. 450-500 mt
  5. cooling influences from Atlantic ocean
66
Q

quality areas of olifants river region

A

citrusdale mountain district
lutzville valley district

bamboes bay ward
piekenierskloof ward

dry farmed, old vines

67
Q

olifants river top producers

A

sadie family alheit vineyards

68
Q

cape south coast region influences and grapes

A
  1. atlantic ocean cooling 2. sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir 3. plantigs are recent from the 90s
69
Q

districts and wards in cape south coast

A

walter bay district (hemel en aarde and bot river ward) elgin district

70
Q

walker bay district main specs

A
  1. close to the atlantic ocean 2. chardonnay/pinot noir (tim hamilton russell planted in 1975)
71
Q

hemel en aarde three wards

A
  1. hemel en aarde valley (lowest, close to atlantic, original planting area, pinot gets up to 14%) 2. upper hemel en aarde (higher elevation, north-west aspect) 3. hemel en aarde ridge (inland, coldest and highest 400mt, south-east facing, babylonstoren mountains traps clouds and shade)
72
Q

hemel en aarde specs

A
  1. cooling winds (reduce vigour and over ripeness) 2. north aspect 3. clay soils (up to 55%), water holding capacity 4. cover crops to reduce water evaporation 5. also some viognier and albarino are planted here
73
Q

what are the big six varieties of south africa?

A

chenin sauvignon blanc chardonnay cabernet sauvignon shiraz pinotage

74
Q

bot river ward specs

A
  1. bot river lagoon funnels cold winds 2. warmer thn hemel but cooler than paarl/stellenbosch (long growing season) 3. sauvignon blanc, chenin, rhone, pinotage 4. top producer beaumont
75
Q

elgin districts specs

A
  1. inland plateau 200-400mt 2. cooler (altitude, cloud cover, oceans, cold summer breeze) 3. 1000mt rainfall 4. botrytis might be present 5. chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinor noir, merlot, shiraz 6. producers paul cluver, richard kershaw
76
Q

production in klein karoo region

A

semi-arid region 1. port-style from portuguise varieties 2. fortified muscat 3. chenin colombard from brandy 4. small table wines (sauv, chard, shiraz in coller sites)

77
Q

why the reorganisation of KWV is fundamental to south african market

A

MWV right went private business in 97 they were before controlling prices, approval of export (no direct selling for producers), quotas for planting and control, with the re-organisation the market switched from quantity to quality

78
Q

wine sold in domestic market

A

mostly 1litre brick is famous low consumption distell accounts for more than 40% wine sold half of total production is consumed locally other half exported

79
Q

notable export markets for sa

A
  1. UK 2. Germany 3. now usa, china and other african markets
80
Q

problem of sa wine business

A

switch from inexpensive (bulk) to quality (packaged) is hard bulk is powerful and cost of grapes/must/wine is low, many lost their jobs in finishing and packing - high level of unemployment

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