South Africa
South Africa
Friends who have visited recently tell me that this small nation has dragged itself out of the 1950s. Certainly in wine world terms it is growing up fast and new areas and experimental grape varieties have almost all turned out to be considerable successes. They do need to expand the number of countries to which they sell, being dangerously reliant on us, fickle lot that we are.
- SwartlandA land of old vines, young, ambitious growers and fairly few people. Because Swartland didn`t have the attention and money of Stellenbosch, fewer chemicals were used and less replanting went on so producers like Eben Sadie were able to gain a foothold there and exploit the fantastic material there. (CW 23/01/12)
- ConstantiaAlmost a suburb of Capetown itself, Constantia gave its name to a wine that a hundred years ago was one of the most highly prized in the world. Vines were planted in 1685 and the style resurrected by the Klein Constantia estate in the 1990s. (CW 23/01/12)
- StellenboschUnofficial capital of the winelands because it is home to the University offering degrees in winegrowing, Stellenbosch is also an important growing region containing many of the icon wines of South Africa. Helped by its popularity as a tourist centre, these wineries have been able to invest and many are able to compete with the best of the New World. (CW 23/01/12)
- Walker BayOn the coast, in fact right on the coast, and a great place to watch whales at the right time of year, Walker Bay/Hermanus is home to a small limestone plate which is the home of the country`s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. (CW 23/01/12)