Why South African?
The Cape Comes Alive
"Despite numerous obstacles, South Africa is now producing reds to rival those from France and California."
— Rodger Voss, November 2006 edition of the Wine Enthusiast
America is Migrating to the Great Taste of South African Wines — James Molesworth
“Since my last report on South Africa (‘South Africa’s Newfound Value, May 2002’), I have tasted 306 wines, up from 164 from the previous year. More than 40 scored 90 points or better on the Wine
Spectator 100 point scale, a marked increase over previous years. Nearly 90 percent of the wines
scored at least 80 points, a strong showing.”
What’s behind the phenomenal growth of South African wine? Leading authorities like the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth have a simple explanation why sales have increased by an average of more than 33% annually since 2002 – world class quality that propelled U.S. sales to more than one million cases last year.
South Africa's Winelands
South Africa is the only wine growing region in the world influenced by two oceans: the Atlantic, where the icy Benguela current hugs the shore, and the warmer Indian Ocean, which create beneficial maritime conditions like regular coastal fog and cool sea breezes. These oceans converge under the shadow of Table Mountain at Cape Point, the southern tip of Africa.
Wine country extends across a substantial and varied geographic area where the climate and soils are ideal for producing world class wine grapes. Most of the vineyards are located along the west (Atlantic) coast, which is known as the Western Cape.
The South African wine producing regions are on soils that are the most varied in the world, both geologically and biologically.
These regions are known to have some of the oldest viticultural soils in the world, traceable back to the first super continent some 1,000 million years ago.
The growing season in the Western Cape is comparable to the Mediterranean climate of the finest growing regions of Europe, with dry, mild summers and clear skies between October and April. Morning fog from the Atlantic cools the vineyards and gives way to warm midday sunshine. In the afternoon, the inland warmth draws chilly breezes inland from the Atlantic, cooling the vineyards and allowing the grapes to develop optimal flavors as they ripen. Most vineyards are hand harvested, starting with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in late January and ending with Cabernet Sauvignon in April. Thus, South Africa’s harvest is about six months ahead of California, similar to other leading Southern Hemisphere producers like Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. The winters that follow the harvest tend to be cold and wet, with rainfall reaching 40 inches in some coastal vineyards.
South Africa has five wine growing regions which are widely considered to be some of the best and most beautiful in the world.
Historically, South Africa has predominantly produced white wines, however, red varietals now account for the majority of new plantings. In 2004, red wine grapes accounted for half of the harvest, matching whites for the first time in recent history.
Today, there’s a new generation of passionate and enthusiastic winemakers in South Africa, many of whom have extensive international training in both Old and New World winemaking styles. They are building on their heritage by taking full advantage of their unique terroir to produce wines that have won more international awards than those from any other country since 2004. Their vineyards are planted with some of the world’s finest varieties and clones, and most are hand harvested. Over 250,000 acres are cultivated by 4,400 growers and wine is made in more than 500 wine cellars and estates that collectively produce over 105,000,000 cases annually.
On a global comparison, South Africa is the worlds 8th largest producer of wine, contributing 2.5% share of world production. South Africa is also ranked as the 9th largest import category of wines in the U.S. market to date with a volume growth of 30% since 2004.
