South Africa Flashcards
What grape is vital to the Cape Blend?
Pinotage
What is Cape Riesling?
Crouchen Blanc
What crossing created Pinotage? How did this grape get its name?
Pinot Noir x Cinsaut
Cinsaut used to be called Hermitage in South Africa and thus the name is a compound of both Pinot and Hermitage = Pinotage
What are the 9 districts of the Coastal Region?
Lutzville Valley Swartland Tullbagh Darling Wellington Paarl Franschhoek Valley Stellenbosch Cape Town
Who revived the iconic Constantia wine style and produces Vin de Constance and what is the grape and region of its production?
Klein Constantia
Produced from Muscat de Frontignan (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains)
Produced in the Constantia Ward within the Cape Town District of the Coastal Region
In what region is the Elgin district located and what are the top three performing grapes there?
Cape South Coast Region; Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir.
What is the southernmost wine growing ward in South Africa? In what district and region is it located?
Elim in the Cape Agulhas district located within the Cape South Coast Region.
What defines an estate wine in South Africa?
Term for a wine that was grown, made, and bottled on a single geographical unit registered with the Wine and Spirit Board.
What is the name of the cooling ocean current that influences viticulture in South Africa and where does it flow?
Benguela current; flows north along the western side of the African continent and at its southern tip where it meets the warm Agulhas Current.
Where do the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet?
Cape Agulhas
What are dessert wines in South Africa called that are produced from botrytized grapes? What is a late-harvest wine produced from unbotrytized grapes called?
Edel Laat-Oes; Laat-Oes is the name for late harvest wines produced from unbotrytized grapes.
What is the name for noble rot in South Africa?
Edelkeur
What is Frontignac in South Africa? What is it in Australia?
In South Africa it a sweet wine produced from Muscat de Frontignan.
In Australia it is a synonym for Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
What is the traditional synonym for Muscat of Alexandria in South Africa?
Hanepoot
Which cooperative with close political ties dominated the South African wine industry during the time of apartheid in the 20th century?
Ko-operatieve Wijnbouwers Veriniging van Zuid-Afrika (KWV)
When did the Dutch first settle in South Africa and for what reason did they establsih a settlement there?
1652; to establish a an outpost halfway between the Netherlands and India where the Dutch merchant ships could replenish supplies along the trade route.
Who was responsible for planting South Africa’s first grape vines?
Jan van Riebeeck
What was the role of the free burgher in South Africa’s early days?
These were old members of the Dutch East India Company that worked in the vineyards for land and who along with slave labor were the backbone of the labor force in South African vineyards in the early days.
What iconic wine of Cape Town was first known as the “governor’s wine”? Who was responsible for growing the estate that would produce this wine?
Constantia; Simon van der Stel
When did the French Huguenots arrive in South Africa and where did they settle? What influence did they have on viticulture?
1680s through the 1690s
They settled between Stellenbosch and Paarl in what would become the Franschhoek Valley (French Quarter).
They brought with them technical expertise in both viticulture and vinification that would boost the quality of wine being produced though some believe this influence was overstated.
What grape of South Africa was historically called “Greengrape” and what was the most significant export produced from it in the 1700s?
Semillon; brandy
When was the Cape Colony ceded to Great Britain and how did this influence viticultural development in South Africa?
1814; under British control tariffs on South African wine were reduced encouraging vineyard expansion particularly around the areas of Stellenbosch, Paarl, and the area immediately surrounding the cape.
What advancement led to the development of Robertson and Swartland’s vineyard areas?
The expansion of the South African railway system.
In what year did the British abolish slavery in South Africa?
1834
What are three actions by the British resulted in a cascade of events that would greatly reduce the quality of wine being produced in the 1800s?
Further reduction of tariffs resulted in a surge in grape planting increasing the grape glut problem in South plummeting quality as export of quantity was favored over quality.
British abolishment of slavery in 1834 did away with the unrighteous free labor estates enjoyed prior to that time.
The 1861 treaty between Britain and France that reduced tariffs on French wine.
Between 1886 and 1902 what two catastrophic events unfolded in South Africa?
Phylloxera devastated over a quarter of South African vineyards (though this partially alleviated wine glut)
The Boer War (1899-1902), a struggle between British-controlled South Africa and Dutch-controlled South Africa which resulted in economic depression which opened the door for the cooperative era of South Africa.
When was the KWV founded by Charles Kohler and why was it founded?
1918; As original cooperatives floundered in the first years following the South African government’s recommendation of cooperatives as a solution to combat economic hardship, Charles Kohler believed that only complete centralization could fix South Africa’s wine industry.
One measure introduced by the KWV in South Africa was to set minimum pricing for grapes. Why did this fail? How did the KWV attempt to resolve this?
This was beneficial to the farmers but it led to overcropping and overproduction.
The KWV in response set production maximums and agreed to purchase surplus for distillation.
The KWV would issue quotas to winegrowers in South Africa between 1960 and 1970 but very few others were issued after that. How did this impact the wine industry of South Africa?
This curtailed the development of new wineries and vineyard areas freezing the industry in its configuration at that time which with the exception of Stellenbosch was centered around the hotter interior regions of the country where lower quality wines were frequently produced.
When did apartheid begin? When did it end?
Began in 1948 and ended in 1994
In what year was South Africa’s Wine of Origin Scheme introduced?
1973
What was significant about the 1979 release of a the wine named “Hofmeyr” in South Africa?
It was the first Cape Bordeaux blend released.
Daniel de Wet and Peter Finlayson are associated with what in South Africa?
Smuggling in “suitcase clones” in the 1970s and inadvertently bringing in Auxerrois when attempting to bring in Chardonnay. Because Auxerrois had never been cultivated in KWV nurseries it prompted an investigation into these illegal acts which counterintuitively led to a relaxation of quarantine laws in the 1980s.
What organization founded in 1986 led to the introduction of higher quality plant material for vineyards?
Vine Improvement Association
Within what ward of the Walker Bay District is Hamilton Russel located? When were these vineyards planted?
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley; 1970s
How did Hamilton Russel’s expansion of vineyards beyond the boundaries set by KWV control lead to development of new vineyard areas?
Hamilton Russel’s wine was of such high quality but was being produced illegally as it did not hold a quota from the KWV. When the KWV began dumping thousands of liters of their wine this was met with a strong public backlash leading to the KWV allowing the purchase or transfer of unused quotas to other areas, though the stranglehold the KWV had on distribution networks made it difficult for these producers to sell their wines.
When was the Platter’s South African Wine Guide launched and what information did it disseminate?
1980; This publication rated wines, discussed trends and vintage characteristics, and provided much-needed critical perspective that favored producers that eschewed quantity for quality.
The Platter’s Guide acknowledged high quality producers and this led to the founding of what organization of members acknowledged in the Guide? When was this?
Cape Winemaker’s Guild in 1982
What ultimately led to the expansion of vineyard area to the cooler coastal areas of South Africa?
The elimination of the KWV quota system in 1992
When did Apartheid end and what scheme of the KWV ended the same year?
1994; minimum pricing scheme
What are 5 social initiatives in South Africa that have been created to help right the wrongs of the Apartheid era, giving more land and leadership harmed by the era’s policies?
Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
Wine & Agricultural Ethical Trade Association
Fair Trade
Black-Owned Brands
Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme
What does the Wine & Agricultural Ethical Trade Association work to ensure in South Africa?
Proper working conditions, compensation, and treatment of workers
What percent of the world’s Fair Trade wines are produced in South Africa?
65%
What is a “producer cellar” in South Africa?
cooperative
Why have the number of vines being pulled up in the 2010s far outweighed the number of vines being planted during that decade?
Many wineries struggled to break even which is largely due to the still very strong bulk wine industry which takes up the lion’s share of export, bottles that are often selling under the price of water.
Which producer accounts for roughly 30% of South Africa’s total still and sparkling wine?
Distell
What two South African districts account for the highest number of private wineries?
Stellenbosch and Paarl
Which three districts of South Africa have the highest number of cooperatives?
Breedekloof, Robertson, and Worcester
What is the name of the cool ocean current that runs up from the Arctic and influences the vineyards of the Coastal Region of South Africa?
Benguela Current
What wind blows in from the southeast and is cooled by the Benguela Current and Agulhas Current cooling the vines in the Cape?
Cape Doctor
What can the climate of South Africa’s wine growing regions largely be classified as?
Mediterranean
In what two recent vintages was there a severe water shortage in South Africa?
2017 and 2018
What are the dominant soil types of the mountainous areas of South Africa’s vine growing areas?
Granite capped by sandstone with quartz and pockets of slate and shale in the major wine regions.
Why have for the longest time white grapes dominated plantings in South Africa?
Due to the major roles that brandy and dessert wines played in South Africa’s history.
What is the most planted white and red grape planted in South Africa?
Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon
What is the South African synonym for Chenin Blanc?
Steen
What was Rosa Kruger’s main contribution to South African viticulture?
She compiled a list of old vine vineyards with the assistance of SAWIS and established the Old Vine Project (OVP) which works to raise awareness of the special qualities of old vine fruit but also to raise prices to incentivize growers to keep these vines.
What is the minimum vine age for wines to achieve the Old Vine Heritage Vineyard Seal in South Africa?
Min 35 years old
What South African red grape was historically known as Hermitage?
Cinsault
When was Pinotage first created? Who is credited with its creation?
1924 by Abraham Perold
When were the first varietal Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines bottled respectively in South Africa?
1977 for Sauvignon Blanc and 1979 for Cabernet Sauvignon
Who were responsible for smuggling in suitcase clones that eventually led to an inquiry by the KWV ultimately and counterintuitively leading to a relaxation of quarantine laws?
Peter Finlayson and Daniel de Wet
What does the South African acronym MCC stand for?
Méthode Cap Classique
What are three top places in South Africa for world class Chardonnay in the Cape South Coast?
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley ward of Walker Bay
Elim ward of Cape Agulhas
Elgin district
Where is De Wet Cellar located?
In the Breede RIver Valley in Worcester
Who produced the first bottle of Méthode Cap Classique and in what year?
Simonsig in 1971 when it produced a 100% Chenin Blanc traditional method wine labeled “Kaapse Vonkel” or Cape Sparkle
What is the prized soil type of the Robertson Valley in South Africa?
Limestone
Where is Simonsig’s winery located?
Stellenbosch
Where is Graham Beck located?
Robertson Valley
What are three quality producers of Méthode Cap Classique?
Graham Beck
Le Lude
Charles Fox
What are the grape and aging requirements for MCC?
Can be made from any varietally and must be aged for a minimum 9 months on the lees though more quality-oriented producers use traditional Champagne varietals and age on the lees for longer.
What is a top producing region for Méthode Cap Classique in South Africa?
Robertson Valley
What is the most widely planted grape in South Africa?
Chenin Blanc / Steen
What is Lieberstein as it applies to South African wine?
This was the first successfully mass-marketed still white wine in South Africa. It was a semi-sweet natural wine that debuted in 1959. Its success led to a surge in planting of Chenin Blanc from the 1960s onward leading to its status as the grape being South Africa’s widely planted.
What three events led to Chenin Blanc becoming South Africa’s most widely planted grape?
Phylloxera and the replanting of vines that followed.
The introduction of refrigerated tanks in the 1950s.
The widespread success of Lieberstein
What is the contemporary producer of Vin de Constance?
Klein Constantia
What is the South African synonym for Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains?
Muscadel
What is the South African synonym for Muscat of Alexandria?
Hanepoot
What is the difference between Muscadel and Hanepoot in South Africa?
The former is a synonym for Muscat Blanc and the latter is a synonym for Muscat of Alexandria.
What is Jerepigo as it applies to South African wine?
Jerepigo is a mistelle produced from Muscat of Alexandria
When was the first varietal Sauvignon Blanc bottled in South Africa? When did the first Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon blend appear in South Africa?
1977 for Sauvignon Blanc
2001 for Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon Blend
In what South African district is 1/3 of the country’s Sauvignon Blanc planted?
Stellenbosch
What is the most-planted variety in Constantia?
Sauvignon Blanc where it is often blended with Semillon.
What is the unusual red mutation of Semillon present in South Africa?
Semillon Gris
What are the top three districts in South Africa for world class Cabernet Sauvignon?
Stellenbosch
Paarl
Franschhoek
What district is considered the Napa Valley of South Africa in many respects due to its wine styles and commitment to tourism?
Stellenbosch
What are two reasons that South African Cabernet Sauvignon is typically much less oak-influenced and restrained when compared to other regions’ expressions that champion this varietal?
Due to South African tasting panels deeming wines that are “over-oaked” as flawed and to the fact that the weak Rand makes it more difficult to justify the use of new barrels.
When was Cinsault introduced to South Africa?
1880s
What is the name of one of the founding members of the Cape Winemakers Guild who made wine at Hamilton Russell back in the early 80s?
Peter Finlaysson
Who was the first winemaker at Hamilton Russell?
Peter Finlaysson