South Africa Flashcards
South Africa map
Where is most of South Africa’s viticulture?
Western cape
What is the climate like in South Africa?
Maritime on the coast
Mediterranean to hot moving inland
Cooling effect of Atlantic and Indian Ocean
What is Table Mountain
3,500ft dramatic plateau - many vineyards planted on slopes
Often gets a layer of fog on top called the “table cloth”
What is the Cape Doctor?
Strong dry south easterly wind that blows onto shore and dries out the vineyards from spring to summer.
Helps mitigate pest issues.
What is the Benguela Current?
Frigid current in the Atlantic Ocean from Antarctica that cool portions of the South African coast.
What is the objective of the Old Vines project?
Objective is to preserve old vines and promote sustainable viticultural practices to create more old vines.
What is the history of South Africa’s winemaking industry?
- First vitis vinifera planted in 1655, wine in 1659
- Use of slave labor
- French hugenots settled in 1700s, made dessert wine
- The is a history of distillation and brandy production, as well as sweet, oxidative, fortified wines.
- KWV started in 1918 post phylloxera and oidium wipe out to help save the industry.
What is Cap Classique?
- This is what they call the “traditional method” of producing sparkling wine in South Africa
- Any grape used but primarily Chard and Pinot Noir
- Required 1yr age on lees (but producers do longer)
- Can be made brut or sweet “Nectar”
What are the white grapes?
Chenin Blanc
Chardonnay
Sauv Blanc
What are the red grapes?
Syrah/Shiraz
Pinot Noir
Pinotage
What is Pinotage?
Crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir
What is the wine law in South Africa?
Wine of Origin system (WO)
Defines differing sizes of geographical areas
Requires that if wine is from a single appellation it must be 100% from that appellation.
Rigorous process for certification
What are the geological areas from smallest to largest?
Geographical unit
Region
District
Ward
What is South Africa’s primary geographical unit?
Western Cap
(surrounds Cape Town)
What regions are in the Western Cape geological unit?
Coastal Region
Cape South Coast Region
Klein Karoo Region
Coastal Region
Cape South Region
What are the districts of the Coastal Region?
Stellenbosch (Cab Sauv)
Swartland (Rhone varieties)
Cape Town
Paarl
Franschhoek Valley (Bordeaux varietals)
Constantia (historically sweet wines)
What are the districts of the Cape South Coast Region?
Elgin (cool temps/up and coming)
Walker Bay (Pinot Noir & Chard)
Cape Agulhas (Pinot Noir & Chard)
Overberg
What kind of wines are made in the Klein Karoo Region?
Sweet fortified wines and brandy
What was the purpose of the Kooperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Suid Afrika (KWV)?
- Established in 1918 post phylloxera wipe out with the intent on saving SA’s wine industry
- Produced wine/brandy and stablized grape prices
- Established quota system that prioritized quantity over quality
- Post apartheid when SA was allowed back into international trade they scrapped the quotas and focused on quality over quantity.
SA producers to know
Graham Beck
Mulderbosch
Hamilton Russell
Klein Contantia
A.A. Badenhorst
Eben Sadie
Who was Simon van der Steel?
Governor of capetown in 1700s who was the first to plant 100,000 vines in Constantia.
What was the role of wine during the Dutch settlement in 1600s?
Cape Town harbor was a mandatory stop for ships to replenish their supplies
Wine was one of the items the Cape could supply to passing ships
What caused SA to move from oxidative and fortified wine to world class wines?
- Phylloxera wiped out a lot of the vineyards
- End of apartheid/KWV quotes shifted focused to quality over quantity.
How to sell SA wine to a customer?
Emphasize quality from undervalued area.
