W L
THE CURIOUS QUAFFER
SOUTH AFRICA ( BEYOND CHENIN )
South Africa , today , has become one of the most prominent wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere . It has centuries of wine making history to talk about and produces many fabulous wines . Most of these , importantly , find their way to us here , in the United Kingdom . According to recent data , the United Kingdom currently accounts for 23 % of all South African wine exports by value and is forecast to remain the single biggest export destination for South African wine in the immediate future . Whilst South Africa is only currently the ninth biggest producer of wines worldwide , it sits in fifth position when it comes to UK retail .
When we think about South African white wines I guess most of us think of chenin blanc . It is probably South Africa ’ s most famous white grape ( and , I guess , pinotage the most famous red grape ). However South Africa is now producing many other outstanding white wines . It is to some of these that we turn this month .
The South African wine industry can be traced back to the founding of a supply station at the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch East India Company . Common grape vines were first planted in South Africa by the Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck in 1655 . Today , some 366 years later , South Africa has become one of the world ’ s most exciting and dynamic wine producing countries . It ’ s warm climate is cooled by sea breezes from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans . It is this cooler climate that enables South Africa to produce world class white wines , ranging from Bordeaux style whites , cool climate Sauvignon Blanc , ripe tropical Chardonnay , Rhone influenced blends and , of course , its delightful Chenin Blanc .
Yet the journey from 1655 has not been without its problems . As we all know South Africa has a long history of social and political change . This has had a profound effect on both wine production and the wine trade in South Africa . Indeed , for much of the 20th century , the South Africa wine industry received very little worldwide attention . It became even more isolated by boycotts of South African produce in protest at the country ' s system of Apartheid . It wasn ' t till the late 1980s and 1990s , when this appalling system ended , that South African wines began to experience a renaissance as the world ' s export market opened up . Since then , South African wine has gone from strength to strength . Established winemakers re-emerged in the early 1990 ’ s . New wines and wineries appeared . Winemakers were quick to adopt new viticultural and winemaking technologies .
The wine industry in South Africa is largely distributed around the lush , yet rugged , Western Cape region . Some vineyards are also found in the Northern Cape ’ s Orange River region too . I guess that when most of us think about South African wine regions , we automatically think of Stellenbosch . A short distance east of Cape Town , this is the country ' s leading wine area , and is home to many of the country ' s leading estates . The sandstone soils in the west of the region are ideal for white grapes . However , there are many wonderful , perhaps less well known , wine regions now . The Cape peninsula , to the South of Cape Town , is home to Constantia , known particularly for its cooler climate . Here Sauvignon Blanc and the Bordeaux grapes predominate , but also we find tremendous examples of aromatic varieties too – particularly Klein Constantia ’ s elegant Riesling . Then we have Elgin ( a newish cool-climate region east of Stellenbosch ); the Franschoek Valley ( inland to the west and now laying a claim to be the gourmet capital of South Africa ’ s wine lands with its smart and trendy restaurants ); Paarl ( north-west of Cape Town and home to an increasing number of South Africa ’ s leading producers ); Robertson ( some 120 km east of Cape Town , a hot region well known for its white wines and , again , home to many leading producers ); Swartland ( a large region to the north of Cape Town ); Walker Bay ( on the Whale Coast to the South of Cape Town and another cool climate region ); Worcester ( inland from Cape Town and hot ). Keep an eye out for all these , and other , wine regions – the wines coming out of them are tremendous .
So , to this month ’ s wines . Tried and tested recently from the cellar – and to put on your shopping list are the following white wines ( not made from chenin blanc or 100 % chenin blanc ):
Lismore ‘ The Age of Grace ’ Viognier [ 2019 ] – a lovely , perfumed nose of honeysuckle and orange blossom ; stone fruit ; apricot ; pineapple ; a rich and almost exotic wine with
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