South Africa Flashcards
What is the cross for Pinotage?
Cinsault x Pinot noir
When, where and by whom were the first vines planted in South Africa?
1st vines planted in 1655; Jan Van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company founded Cape Town and established its first vineyard
What were the first vines to be planted?
German Rheingau cuttings
Synonym of Groendruif “Greengrape”?
Sémillon
Synonym of White French?
Palomino
Synonym of Steen?
Chenin Blanc
Synonym of Muscat de Frontignan/Muscadel?
Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains, Vin de Constance
Synonym of Muscat of Alexandria?
Hanepoot, Zibibbo (IT-Calabria and Sicily)
Synonym of Cape Riesling?
Crouchen Blanc, Hondarribi Zuri or Txakoli
Climate in South Africa?
Mild mediterranean; cooler with higher rainfall in coastal areas
What was the KWV and what was its impact on the SA wine industry?
- Ko-operatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika formed in 1918
- a coop of wine producers and growers. Fixed minimum prices, determined areas of production, established production limits
- powers formalized in the 1924 Wine and Spirits Control Act.
- Saved the industry from the brink of disaster but favored large producers and rewarded lower quality, as it set viable prices even for distillation wine.
- the end of apartheid in 1994 and the transformation of the KWV into a private company in 1997 spurred a great renewal in the industry
What year (and day) was wine first produced in South Africa, documented with unusual accuracy?
1659 - Februrary 2nd. From the logbook of Jan van Riebeeck
What is Jerepigo and what grapes are used?
- VDL made from any white or red grapes
- fortified before fermentation, min 160g/l RS
Highest mountain range
Drakensberg
Which winery became the first South African winery to have its wine distributed through La Place de Bordeaux?
Klein Constantia with the release of the 2016 Vin de Constance
Northernmost ward
Hartswater ward in Northern Cape
Southernmost district
Cape Agulhas district in Cape South Coast, offers the coolest climate in the country
Coldest and highest elevation vineyard
Mount Sutherland in the Northern Cape Region in the Sutherland-Karoo district (1500m above sea level)
Top 2 white and red grapes planted
White: Chenin blanc (steen), colombard Red: Cab sauv, shiraz
Pinotage discovered by whom and when
Crossed in 1924 by Abraham Perold and planted in 1925
When was the South African Wine Industry Trust (SAWIT) established and why?
1999; to speed transformation of South African wine and to empower black workers in an industry that had long relied on slave- and apartheid-era labor practices
What is the Old Vine Project and when did it start?
1997 by Rosa Kruger; mostly in Swartland. More than 2,500 ha (6,180 acres) of vines 35+ yo. Once a vineyard is certified, wine may carry an Old Vines seal with the year of planting
What is the AOP equivalent, when did it start?
1973; Wines of Origin (WO)
Min % for vintage and grape variety when each are listed on the label?
Both are min 85%
What is the +/- of the alcohol content listed on a label?
Max of 1%
A declaration of origin (GU, region, district, ward) must be produced from what % of grapes harvested in that area?
100%; blends may list several grapes, if vinification occurred separately and each listed grape comprises a minimum 20% of the wine
An ‘Estate’ wine must be approved by which governing board?
Wine and Spirit Board
What is Méthode Cap Classique (MCC), when did it start, min on lees, the levels of sweetness?
- Brut Nature: max 3g/l
- Extra Brut: max 6g/l
- Brut: max 15g/l)
- Min 12 mos lees.
- same for all as Champagne except for Brut
- any variety, and from any region
- 1992; secondary fermentation for sparkling
Which vestigial appellation in the Western Cape is restricted to fortified wines?
Boberg
What are the 6 Geographical Units?
Northern Cape, Western Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Free State
Newest Coastal Region District in 2019?
Lutzville Valley (used to be part of Olifants River Region)
Which mountain overlooks the city of Cape Town?
Table Mountain
What are the 2 major wind currents?
False Bay and the Cape Doctor
Where is False Bay located?
Bay under Stellenbosch. Cool sea breezes blow northward from here promoting a lengthy growing season
What is the Cape Doctor?
A notoriously strong southeasterly wind, blows across the Western Cape throughout spring and summer
What are the 2 major water currents?
Benguela Current and Agulhas Current
Where does the Benguela Current flow through?
Flows north from Antarctica through the Atlantic to cool the coastal areas
What is the Agulhas Current?
Carries warm and salty water from the Indian Ocean. SW of Cape Town, it makes an abrupt turn back into the Indian Ocean
First to revive Vin de Constance after phylloxera? In what year?
Klein Constantia; 1986 - 1st vintage after phyllo (legendary vintage)
Requirements for single vineyard wines?
A) Must be single varietal; B) Max 6 ha
What grapes are not allowed in Cape Port (no longer allowed since 1/2012)?
Muscat varieties
What style of wine does “Muscadel” refer to in South Africa?
Fortified white from Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains; can be made as a Jerepiko (VDL) or VDN
What is the river that runs through Stellenbosch? Hemel en Aarde?
Stellenbosch (Eerste River); Hemel en Aarde (Onrus River)
How much new oak is permitted on wines bearing the Swartland Independent Producers (SIP) seal?
Max 25%
Where can you find bush-vine Sauvignon Blanc in South Africa?
Darling (Coastal Region)
Name the top 3 vintages of the last 10 years
2009, 2015, 2017
Rainiest vintage of last 10 years
2014
More than 90% of South Africa’s rootstock comes from what district?
Wellington (Coastal Region)
Which district has the most amount of wards?
Robertson
What is Fynbos?
South African Scrubland (the garrigue of South Africa)
What Act and what year were the KMV’s powers formalized?
1924; Wine and Spirits Control Act
Districts of the Coastal Region (9)?
Lutzville Valley, Swartland, Cape Town, Darling, Franschhoek, Tulbagh, Wellington, Paarl and Stellenbosch
Largest producer in Paarl district? Product?
- Nederburg
- 1st house to produce a botrytised dessert wine in SA (40 different bottlings)
South Africa’s largest co-operative winery? And where?
Vredendal - in the Olifants River Region
Oldest continuing winegrowing area besides Constantia?
Stellenbosch (Coastal Region)
Wineries located in the Breede River Valley?
Bon Cap, Bon Courage, De Wetshof, Graham Beck, Springfield, Welteverde, Zandvliet
Wards of Overberg (4)?
Klein River, Theewater, Elandskloof and Greyton. Elgin was the 5th, became a District in early 2012
Riesling was renamed to what in order to distinguish it from Cape Riesling?
Weisser Riesling
Stellenbosch and Paarl are separated by what mountains?
Simonsberg Mountains
What winery was the first to bottle a Cab Sauv blend in 1980?
Meerlust ‘Rubicon’
Which mountains separates Stellenbosch from Walker Bay?
Hottentot Holland Mountains
Where is the birthplace of Pinotage?
Stellenbosch (Coastal Region)
Largest district in SA in terms of production and 50% of SA semillon is found here.
Worcester in Breede River Valley, in the Western Cape GU
Which district is warmer – Swartland or Stellenbosch?
Swartland – hot and dry, warmer than Stellenbosch
What does ‘Kloof’ mean in Afrikaans?
Valley
Which mountain divides the Swartland and Paarl regions?
Paardeberg (“horse mountain”)
What is the top white and red grape of Stellenbosch?
Sauv blanc and Cab Sauv
Highest proportion of pinot noir is grown in which district?
Walker Bay
Name a district that can make red, white, sparkling (cap classique), sweet, and fortified wines?
Robertson in Breede River Valley
Which is the hottest district?
Calitzdorp in Klein Karoo
What is the most northerly winegrowing area in the Northern Cape?
Central Orange River ward (no district)
Which 4 districts from the Coastal region can be used under Boberg?
Paarl, Franschhoek, Wellington, Tulbagh
This ward is known for Sauv blanc, exposed to cool sea breezes; pioneered by Neil Ellis
Groenekloof in Darling, in the Coastal Region
1/3 of Constantia’s vines are for what grape?
Sauf blanc, most widely planted
What are the requirements for Late Harvest dessert wines?
Min alc 10%; min 20g/l RS
What are the requirements for Noble Late Harvest (NLH) dessert wines?
+50 g/l RS and the wine must show evidence of noble rot
Who performed the first traditional Champagne method of 2nd ferm in bottle and disgorgement in SA?
1971; Frans Malan at Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel “Cape Sparkle”
What was the first MCC to be made from only traditional Champagne varietals?
1984; Haute Cabrière Brut 1984 (was then called Clos Cabrière)
Cape’s leader in making MCC?
- Graham Beck (Pieter Ferriera)
- in Robertson (limestone soils), Breede River Valley
If any one production area consists of less than ___% of the blend, the percentage of each production area must be indicated.
30%
“Blanc de noir wine” may be substituted by which other term?
“Vin gris”
What is a ‘Cape Blend’? (no legislation)
30% to 70% of Pinotage as a component to qualify as such, just over a decade ago. From the 2019 vintage, Pinotage should also be the major component. This term is also used occasionally for Chenin-driven white blends.
What is ‘Cape Pink’ and ‘Cape White’?
Both made with non-muscat varieties; both are aged min 6 months, but cape white must be aged in oak
‘Cape Ruby’?
Min 50% fortified wine; aged 6m-3yrs. Blend of young, fruity and full-bodied fortified wines
‘Cape Vintage’?
Aged min 1yr, vats of any size; sold in glass only! Full bodied, dark in color
‘Cape Late Bottled Vintage’ (LBV)?
Min 85% is from single vintage year; min 3 yrs in oak or bottle (of which min 2 yrs in oak). Full-bodied, slightly tawny color
‘Cape Tawny’?
Min 80% aged in wood. Tawny, smooth, slight nutty taste
RS for Natural Sweet/Sweet Natural?
+20g/l
Special Late Harvest (SLH)?
- If RS is less than 20 g/l, label must state extra dry, dry, semi-dry or sweet
- Min 11% alc
- ligher style of ‘dessert’ wine
Wine from Naturally Dried Grapes?
- Straw wine; can contain botrytised grapes
- +30 g/l RS
- Min 16% alc
Stein?
Not Steen. A semi-sweet white wine, usually a blend; majority of steins are made partly from Chenin
Most expensive cuvée for Pinotage
Kanenkop Black Label
What are “stickies” called in Afrikaans?
Soetes
The first Cape Bordeaux blend in 1979
Welgemeend Estate, Billy Hofmeyr 1979
This company accounts for around 30% of South Africa’s total still and sparkling production
Distell
Located at the southernmost tip of the African continent, the major winegrowing areas bracket the conjunction point of these 2 oceans
Atlantic and Indian
This grape enjoyed a near monopoly in South African vineyards during the 1800s
Semillon
The dominant grape of SA’s past was Cinsaut, it was known as this other name
Hermitage
Most expensive Pinotage, located in which ward and district
- Kanonkop “Black Label”
- Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch
Sauvignon Blanc accounts for over 10% of all planted area. It is grown in nearly every appellation, but about a third of it is located in this district
Stellenbosch
Shiraz has a long history in South Africa, having first been planted in ____ in the 1890s
Groot Constantia
5 WO’s/Regions in Western Cape
- “CAPE COAST”
- (1) Coastal Region
- (2) Cape South Coast
- Breede River Valley
- Klein Karoo
- Olifants River
Which region was repealed in Feb 2019, and from which district was it from?
Boberg, Western Cape district
Bottling a wine with a ward designation requires that ___% of the fruit come from that ward
100%
What is the labeling if wines from two wards within the same district are blended
- only the district can be listed on the label
- the same applies to wines from different districts within the same region.
- Ex: if a winemaker combines fruit from Stellenbosch and Paarl, then it can only be labeled as Coastal Region
If fruit from the Cape South Coast and Coastal Region are combined, what is the labeling? But if fruit from any other two regions are blended, that wine can only be labeled as _____.
- Cape Coastal
- Western Cape
- Blending between regions is more complicated
Though it contains relatively few wineries, this Region grows more grapes (34.29% of South Africa’s 2018 total) and produces more wine than any other Region
- Breede River Valley
- home to massive operations, many of which are coops
Which is the coolest District in Breede River Valley Region and home to over 25% of SA’s Chardonnay
- Robertson
- valley opens up facing coastal Malgas, allowing the influx of cooling ocean breezes
- possesses massive pockets of limestone, fairly unique in South Africa
This entirely new WO category was formed outside of the existing categories of geographic unit, region, district, and ward; the only “subregion” in the WO
Cape West Coast
Districts and Wards for Cape West Coast
- Districts: Darling, Lutzville Valley, and the western half of Swartland
- Wards: Groenekloof, St. Helena Bay, Lamberts Bay, Bamboes Bay, and Koekenaap
Largest of the three Breede River Valley districts but the least widely planted
Worcester
Top grapes grown in Cape South Coast
- Sauvignon Blanc (783 ha)
- Shiraz (333 ha)
- Chardonnay (319 ha)
- Pinot Noir (309 ha)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (185 ha)
- as of 2018
Cape South Coast wards with no district
Herbertsdale, Napier, Stilbaai East
Sole ward in Cape Agulhas
Elim
Samantha O’Keefe put this ward in the spotlight and is the first commercial grower in the area
- Greyton, Overberg, Cape South Coast
- planted sauv blanc, chardonnay, and shiraz
Wards of Overberg
Elandskloof, Greyton, Klein River, Theewater
Swellendam is also most famous for a ward drawn to accommodate this single producer
- Malaga ward, lies close to the ocean and looks down upon the Breede River
- producer Sijnn (pronounced “sane”)
- Sijnn’s vineyard soils resemble CDP’s
Wards for the Swellendam district
Buffeljags, Malgas, Stormsvlei
Hamilton Russell and Bouchard-Finlayson from which district, climate and grapes
- Walker Bay
- cool, maritime climate and unique soils of the area
- focus on pinot noir and chardonnay
Bot River ward from which district, name a producer
- Walker Bay
- Gabrielskloof, single-soil Syrah
- Beaumont, Chenin
3 wards of Hemel-en-Aarde (Walker Bay district)
- Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
- Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
- Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
Wards of Walker Bay
- Bot River
- Springfontein Rim
- Stanford Foothills
- Sunday’s Glen
- Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
- Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
- Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Coastal Region wards with no district (2)
- Bamboes Bay
- Lamberts Bay
T or F? Constantia is surrounded on three sides by chilly ocean currents and is directly in the path of the relentless Cape Doctor wind,
True!
Main grapes in Constantia ward (Coastal region)
- Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant variety
- Muscat-based dessert wines
This ward from the Coastal region shares a border with Paarl and Swartland
Durbanville
Wards in Cape Town district from Coastal region WO (4)
- Constantia
- Durbanville
- Hout Bay
- Philadelphia
Sole ward in Darling district
Groenekloof
T or F? Franschhoek Valley District
True!
The famous La Colline is located in which district
Franschhoek Valley District
This river originates in the mountains of Franschhoek, and flows through Paarl
Berg river
3 mountainous areas in Paarl that create more favorable microclimates for quality
- Simonsberg
- Paardeberg
- Paarl Rock
This ward in the Paarl district occupies the lower slopes of Swartland’s Paardeberg Mountain
Voor-Paardeberg ward
Top grapes in Paarl district
- Chenin Blanc (2,743 ha)
- Cab Sauv (2,326 ha)
- Shiraz (2,123 ha)
- Pinotage (1,304 ha)
- Chardonnay (1,208 ha)
- Merlot (1,012 ha)
- Sauvignon Blanc (929 ha)
Wards in Paarl district
Agter-Paarl, Simonsberg-Paarl, Voor-Paardeberg
The largest, most northerly, and furthest inland of the Stellenbosch wards
Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Kanonkop, Rustenberg and Warwick are producers located in which ward and district
Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch
Many wealthy estates like Jackson Family’s Capensis, Delaire Graff, Tokara, Rainbow’s End are located in this ward and district
- Banghoek ward, Stellenbosch district
aka “Banker’s” ward
This ward contain the highest elevation vineyards in Stellenbosch (up to 640 meters)
Banghoek
Famous wineries in Stellenbosch
- Beyerskloof
- DeMorgenzon
- Ken Forrester
- Meerlust
- Neil Ellis
- Raats
- Rustenberg
- Rust en Vrede
- Thelma
- Vergelegen
Wards in Stellenbosch
- Bangkok
- Bottelary
- Devon Valley
- Jonkershoek Valley
- Papegaaiberg
- Polkadraai Hills
- Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Charles Back established a winery named Spice Route in which district; which famous producer used to work there?
Swartland, Eben Sadie
The original members of “the Swartland Revolution” (3)
Eben Sadie, Mullineux, Adi Badenhorst
Top grapes planted in Swartland
- Chenin Blanc (2,553 ha)
- Shiraz (2,048 ha)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (1,836 ha)
- Pinotage (1,464 ha)
- Sauv Blanc (1,167 ha)
T or F? Most winegrowing in Swartland is concentrated in the area to the southeast of Malmesbury, the commercial hub of the Swartland, in the Paardeberg and Paardeburg South wards, which are rich in sandy granitic soils.
True!
Wards of Swartland district
- Malmesbury
- Paardeberg
- Paardeberg South
- Riebeekberg
- Riebeeksrivier
- St. Helena Bay
T or F? Tulbagh has no wards
True!
The was a ward of Paarl’s before it was elevated to district status
Wellington
The massive private company DGB is based in this district
Wellington
Wards in Wellington
Blouvlei, Bovlei, Groenberg, Limietberg, Mid-Berg River
Klein Karoo wards with no district
Cango Valley, Montagu, Outeniqua, Tradouw, Tradouw Highlands, Upper Langkloof
T or F? Both Klein Karoo districts have no wards, and what are they?
True!
- Calitzdorp
- Langeberg-Garcia
This sole ward in the Citrusdal Mountain district in the Olifants River region has been home to the single largest amount of Grenache in South Africa since the 1960s
Piekenierskloof ward
(2) districts in Olifants River, which one does not have any wards
- Citrusdal Mountain district (ward: Piekenierskloof)
- Citrusdal Valley district (no wards)
Olifants River wards with no district (2)
Spruitdrift, Vredendal
T or F? Within the Western Cape, this one district, Ceres Plateau, does not belong to a region; it contains a ward called Ceres
True!
Western Cape GU wards with no district (6)
- Cederberg
- Lamberts Bay
- Leipoldtville-Sandveld
- Nieuwoudtville,
- Prince Albert Valley
- Swartberg
Northern Cape GU districts (2)
- Douglas
- Sutherland-Karoo
Northern Cape GU wards (3)
- Central Orange River
- Harts water
- Prieska
Eastern Cape GU sole ward
St. Francis Bay
KwaZulu-Natal districts (2)
- Central Drakensberg
- Lions River
Free State GU sole ward
Rietrivier FS
South African term for noble rot
Edelkeur