Week 3: South Africa

Question 1

First vineyards planted in South Africa in:

Answer 1

1652

Question 2

When did phylloxera arrive in South Africa?

Answer 2

1886

Question 3

What is Pinotage? Who invented it and when?

Answer 3

Cinsault x Pinot Noir
Professor Perold in 1925

Question 4

Two oceans surrounding South Africa:

Answer 4

Atlantic and Indian

Question 5

South African climate:

Answer 5

Mediterranean
Long dry summer, rain in winter months

Question 6

Major ocean current in South Africa:

Answer 6

Benguela: runs up from Antarctic along the west coast creating cooling effect

Question 7

What is the Cape Doctor in South Africa?

Answer 7

Strong southeasterly winds in summer months

Question 8

Important geological feature in South Africa:

Answer 8

Mountains. Create ability to play with altitude, aspect and soil

Question 9

Irrigation in South Africa:

Answer 9

Allowed, but water management and conservation important

Question 10

Vine management systems in South Africa?

Answer 10

Common in older inland vineyards but trellising increasing

Question 11

Diversity of soils in South Africa:

Answer 11

Very diverse, even in small areas

Question 12

What is the Cape Floral Kingdom?

Answer 12

Smallest yet one of the richest floral kingdoms in the world.

Question 13

When did South Africa come out of isolation? What happened?

Answer 13

1990
Huge improvements in wine making as wine makers could travel overseas to learn and “double up”

Question 14

Key white grapes in South Africa:

Answer 14

1. Chenin Blanc (Steen)
2. Sauvignon Blanc
3. Chardonnay

Question 15

Secondary white grapes in South Africa:

Answer 15

1. Colombar (d)
2. Hanepoot Muscadel
   * Muscat d’Alexandria
   * Muscat de Frontignan
   * Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains

Question 16

Key red grapes of South Africa:

Answer 16

1. Cabernet Sauvignon
2. Shiraz
3. Pinotage

Question 17

Secondary red grapes of South Africa:

Answer 17

1. Merlot
2. Pinot Noir
3. Touriga Nacional / Tinto Roriz, Tinta Barocca (port, blends)

Question 18

White wine styles in South Africa:

Answer 18

1. White blends
* CB/white Bordeaux
* Simple: CB/SB, Viog Char Colom
* Premium

2. Cap Classique (MCC)
* Any grapes
* 3 pressures
* 9 months lees, soon 12?
* Does not go sweeter than Brut

3. Dessert wines
* Special Late Harvest
* Noble Late Harvest
* Naturally Dried
* Natural Sweet

4. Fortified

Question 19

Red wine styles in South Africa:

Answer 19

1. Cape Red blends
   * Should have Pinotage
2. Chocolate / Coffee
   * Toasted staves
3. Bordeaux Blends
   * CF: big role
4. Mediterranean Reds
   * Gren, Cin, Carig, Mour, Temp
5. Dry Reds
   * Entry levels
6. Fortified
   * Red Muscadel (Muscat BàPG)
   * Port (Cape Ruby, Cape LBV, Cape Vintage, Cape Tawny)

Question 20

Fortified wines are a big part of South Africa’s history. True or False?

Answer 20

True

Question 21

What is a Meritage Blend?

Answer 21

Seeing it less and less
Typically an indicator of a Bordeaux Blend

Question 22

Wine of Origin requirements:

Answer 22

100% from stated production area

85% from stated vintage

85% from variety

Approved by a tasting panel
- Tasting Panel has a lot of power and so it criticized

Question 23

Describe a Single Vineyard in South Africa:

Answer 23

Smaller than a ward
Created in 2004
85% varietal and 100% from vineyard
Max 6ha

Question 24

5 different production areas from largest to smallest

Answer 24

Geographical unit
Region
District
Ward
Single Vineyard

Question 25

6 Geographical Units in South Africa:

Answer 25

1. Western Cape 2. Northern Cape 3. Eastern Cape 4. Limpopo 5. Free State 6. KraZulu-Natale

Question 26

5 Regions in the Western Cape:

Answer 26

1. Breede River Valley 2. Klein Karoo 3. Olifants River 4. Cape South Coast 5. Coastal Region

Question 27

Must a Ward be within a District?

Answer 27

Nope

Question 28

In what Region is Walker Bay?

Answer 28

Cape South Coast

Question 29

Walker Bay climate. Good for what grapes:

Answer 29

Cool climate Char, PN, MCC

Question 30

Walker Bay soils:

Answer 30

Varied Mostly shale with high clay content (hence Burgundy varietals)

Question 31

Cool breezes in Walker Bay do what:

Answer 31

Reduces vigour and yields

Question 32

Three Wards in the Walker Bay District of the Cape South Coast Region:

Answer 32

Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (closest to sea) Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (largest) Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge (smallest, farthest from sea)

Question 33

Three Districts in the Cape South Coast Region:

Answer 33

1. Elgin 2. Walker Bay 3. Overberg

Question 34

In what Region is Elgin? Does it have any wards?

Answer 34

Cape South Coast. Does not have any wards.

Question 35

Elgin District. List 3 notable facts:

Answer 35

Cool maritime Grapes ripen later Cool climate grapes: Chardonnay, SB, PN, Riesling.

Question 36

In what Region is the Swartland District:

Answer 36

Coastal

Question 37

Age of Swartland vines:

Answer 37

Old. Some of the oldest in South Africa

Question 38

Where are the best vineyards in Swartland?

Answer 38

Eastern side of the Darling Hills

Question 39

Swartland soils:

Answer 39

Malmesbury shale Table Mountain sandstone and granite intrusion

Question 40

Swartland vine training:

Answer 40

Used to be mostly bush vine (heat, lack of water) Increasingly trellised

Question 41

Swartland grapes:

Answer 41

Chenin Blanc Shiraz Red/white Cape Blends

Question 42

Number of Wards in Stellenbosch District:

Answer 42

1. Bottelary 2. Poladraai Hills 3. Devon Valley 4. Jonkershoek Valley 5. Simonsberg Stellebosch 6. Banghoek 7. Paregaaiberg

Question 43

Stellenbosch soils:

Answer 43

Sandy valley fllors Granite on slope

Question 44

Stellenbosch varieties:

Answer 44

All varieties Top quality red blends

Question 45

Describe Simonsberg Stellenbosch:

Answer 45

Prestigious - home to best wineries Bordeaux, Cape Blends

Question 46

Describe Banghoek Valley:

Answer 46

Relatively new: 20 years old SB and Red Bordeaux varieties

Question 47

Describe Bottelary Hills:

Answer 47

Region with 4 Wards Large variety of grapes Pinotage top producer

Question 48

Something notable about South African soils and its impact on wines

Answer 48

Very poor nitrogen Can cause smokiness

Question 49

Most expensive wines in South Africa come from:

Answer 49

Stellenbosch Swartland

Question 50

Stellenbosch producers:

Answer 50

1. Kanonkop 2. Flagstone 3. The Foundry 4. Waterford

Question 51

Famous producers in Walker Bay

Answer 51

Hamilton Russell Newton-Johnson Bouchard Finlayson | Hamilton Russell walks with Newton-Johnson and Bouchard Finlayson

Question 52

Top Swartland producers:

Answer 52

Sadie Family Wines A.A. Badenhorst