South Africa Sparkling

Question 1

Background i.e. how does Mkt segment for style

History + Achievements of Premium style

Answer 1

1. Large Mkt - Cheaper, usually Carbonated, Spkl - Simple, Sweet, Fruity
2. Premium - Trad Meth (mostly) Trad Grapes
   Methode Cap Classique (MCC) - Sales x2 every 5 yrs
   1968 Simonsig Wine est, Stellenbosch starts Trad Meth, others follow
   1971 Simonsig releases 1st Trad Meth - Kaapse Vonkel (Cape Sparkle)
   1991 Graham Beck moves things forward launch 1st Vintage Trad Meth
   2016 Graham Beck stops Still wines goes 100% MCC - Full range from Chardy + PN
   2017 Tim Atkin - GB ‘Cuvée Clive 2011’ Spkl of Year 97 Points
   Colmant is another 100% MCC Producer

Question 2

CCPA?

Rules?

Answer 2

CCPA = Cap Classique Producers assn
Est 1992 by 14 Producers to promote MCC + protect common product interests
Now 100 producers accounting almost all prodn

Any Varietal* but CCPA strongly rec PN + Chardy
Few Plantings Meunier so early picked Pinotage oft used in Rosés
* De Morgenzon, Stellenbosch (+others) 100% Chenin Blanc MCC
Whole Bunch, Fractionated Pressing
Base wines + Blends tasted annually by CCPA members - ensure quality
From 2019 Vint Min 12mo lees (was 9) - 48/56mo lees not unusual
Min 3 Bar pressure but USUALLY 5/6
85% rule for Vintage - every yr not unusual
‘Special Cuvées tend to be Extend Lees

Question 3

MCC Viti
Where?
How many diff areas
Climate
Plantings - inc creative solutions to heat
Soils

Answer 3

Prod 20 diff areas of WESTERN CAPE
Warm Med - Cooled by Sea Breeze + Vineyard location
Mainly Stellenbosch + Franschoek
Up +Coming Constantia, Paarl, Breede Riv Vly Robertson, Elgin, Walk bay
Plant - Shadowed part of valley floor, Hillsides + Mntn Slopes
Oft East + SE Slopes = Sun in morning but in shadow in heat of the day
+ Cool breezes from FALSE Bay + Cape DOCTOR esp. Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl + Robertson
Southern Coastal V’yards Cooled by breezes off Benguela Current coming up from Antarctica
Soils - Varied but gen Lo Fertile + Well drained

Question 4

Vini

Answer 4

As Champs model
Pick 1~2 wks before Still
Fractionated Pressing 1,000kg grapes = 450ltr Cuvée / 200 Taille
Parcels + Pressings Most in Steel + some Oak +/- Malo
Still wine ~ 11% abv Finished ~ 12.5%
Most focus on White Brut but all styles avail

Question 5

SAWIS 2018 Numbers
Total - all up
MCC Dom / Expt / Total

Answer 5

SAWIS 2018
Total all up Sparkling 19 million bottles

MCC Total 7.5m bott / Dom 5m / Expt 7.5m Increasing x2 every 5 yrs

Main Exp Markets Sweden, UK, DE, ND

Question 6

MCC Main Regions + Key producers

Answer 6

Stellenbosch - Simonsig, Villiers, JC Le Roux
Franschoek - Colmant, Leopards Leap
Robertson (Breede Valley) - Graham Beck
Constantia - High Constantia, Klein
Paarl - Anura Vineyards
Walker Bay - Elation