I submitted an entry for the Wines of South Africa (WOSA) Wine Professional Competition in October, which consisted of a wine and food pairing suggestion, along with an essay. Unfortunately, I didn’t win, but as I was proud of my essay entry, I am posting it here.
Today, there are more than 60 countries producing wine worldwide, most of which export their wines globally. With this increased globalization, current wine consumers have access to wines from around the corner to those from across the globe and have greater diversity in that selection. Included among this diversity is the emergence of South Africa as a growing wine producing country. While South Africa has only recently entered the global wine market after decades of isolation during apartheid, it has taken the market by storm, presently ranking 9th in overall production, by volume.
In this proliferation of wine production, wines are frequently assigned to one of two categories – Old World (generally those produced in Europe) or New World (namely the U.S, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia). Yet, South Africa defies this simple categorization, instead straddling the wine world with both Old World sentimentality and a New World sensibility in the creation of its wines. With this blended approach, South African wines possess a unique character that differentiates them from other wines in the worldwide market.
In fact, despite its recent arrival on the wine scene, its roots, literally those of its vines, go back to the Dutch East India Company, which, sought to establish a water route to India in search of spices and other exotic merchandise. For the Dutch, South Africa proved to be a good way station for ships en route to India, which necessitated the cultivation of grapes to make the requisite beverage of the day, wine. Accordingly, South Africa has a long history and tradition of viticulture. This history and tradition has been both a starting point and a point of departure, serving to guide winemakers in their quest for quality. Steeped in history, the first vines were cultivated in Constantia, just outside of Cape Town. This area was the birthplace of the famed Vin de Constance, which was coveted by Napolean during his exile and has recently been revived by producer Groot Constantia. With such historic origins, the Dutch influence can be seen throughout the regions with many of the wineries featuring classic Dutch architecture and Dutch names abound.
Additionally, given its European heritage, the wines of South Africa make extensive use of classic grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. In this regard, many of the South African wines are balanced in structure with vibrant fruit, but marked by a more restrained use of fruit and an overall elegance, similar to "Old World" wines hailing from Europe (notably Italy, France, Spain and Germany).
However, the South African tradition of vititculture is not as restrictive as it is for their European counterparts. For example, one of South Africa’s signature wines is the Cape Blend. The Cape Blend is a true merging of tradition and modernity. Modeled after the time-honored Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and/or Petit Verdot, South African winemakers substitute their indigenous grape, Pinotage, for one of these grapes to produce their own distinctive interpretation of these multi-varietal wines.
Further, South African winemakers are not bound by the rules and regulations that often tie the hands of their French, Italian and Spanish colleagues. Accordingly, South African producers have the freedom and flexibility to grow what they want, how they want to and where they want to. For some, this means producing a Syrah similar in style to those produced in France’s Rhone Valley, while for others, it means a bolder Australian-style, which will likely be labeled as Shiraz to connote this stylistic difference to the consumer.
Similarly, South Africa’s Wine of Origin scheme puts strong emphasis on place of grape origin, as does Europe’s appellation system, but unlike this system, also permits varietal labeling, making the wines familiar and easily recognizable on the wine shop’s shelf. These wines are also accessible to consumers in that they are ready to be consumed upon purchase rather than requiring several years of maturity to be enjoyed.
Some of this hybrid approach to wine production can be attributed to the South African climate, which provides sufficient sun and warmth to fully ripen the grapes, which differs from many areas of Europe. This means that wines can be full in their fruit flavors, particularly those from warmer, more inland regions such as the Breede River Valley. However, for the coastal regions, the cool Benguela current, which blows off the ocean, tempers the heat and prevents the grapes from becoming too baked, ensuring elegance and complexity in the wines.
Consequently, the wines of South Africa represent significant diversity in permitting consumers to find wines in a multitude of styles from the fruit-forward New World style to more restrained Old World renditions. They also represent tremendous value in the marketplace; with many high quality South African wines available at the $20.00 and under price point, they are affordable options for everyday drinking. Overall, while South Africa’s Old World heritage serves as an important influence, this point of view is also informed by New World wine production, conspiring to produce wines that are well balanced and perfect for today’s wine consumer.