A Taste of South Africa

Yours to Discover

South Africa has a long history with wine. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when ships were travelling the globe, South Africa was a popular and much needed stop for ships to replenish and wine was a hot commodity, gaining worldwide attention. Phylloxera and the opening of the Suez Canal decimated the South African wine industry. Now the South Africa wine industry is growing again and is one of the world’s top ten wine producing countries.

Notable Regions

Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is located just East of Cape Town, it is one of South Africa’s oldest and most respected wine growing areas. The climate is hot and dry with some maritime influence from False Bay in the South. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety of the area and produces world class wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is sometimes blended with Merlot or Shiraz.

Constantia

Constantia is located South of Cape Town on the peninsula. It has a cool maritime climate with decomposed granite soils. Vines were first planted in Constantia in the 1600s. During the 18th century a sweet wine called Vin de Constance became famous in Europe, but with the arrival of the phylloxera epidemic the wine fell out of existence. The area now produces dry red and white wines as well as sweet wines.

Franschhoek Valley

Franchhoek means the French Corner. The town of Franschhoek was founded in 1688 by French Huguenots that settled in the area. The area is flanked on three sides by mountains and the annual rainfall varies from the valley floor to the higher mountain sides. Even with it’s long wine history, Franschhoek was not classified into the South Africa’s Wine of Origin scheme until 2010.

Paarl

Paarl wine district is located north of Stellenbosch and about 60kms east of Cape Town. Paarl district is edged on the West by the Paarl Rock and the East by the Boland Mountains. It is slightly warmer than the Stellenbosch district. The area produces a wide range of wines in both red and white.

Key Varietals

Chenin Blanc

South Africa’s most planted white variety. A versatile variety that can be used to make still dry or sweet wines, as well as sparkling wines. Chenin Blanc has aromas and flavours of apples, honey, citrus, melon, toffee, vanilla, ginger, nuts, and toast.

Food pairing: Chenin Blanc pairs well with roasted vegetables, salads, quiche, mild cheeses, fish, and roast chicken or pork.

Sauvignon Blanc

A popular grape variety in South Africa. A refreshingly crisp wine with aromas and flavours of lemon, lime, passionfruit, freshly cut grass, asparagus, gooseberry, and kiwi notes.

Food pairing: The crisp varietal pairs well with goat cheese, cooked vegetables, fresh salads, and seafood.

Pinotage

Pinotage is a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, created in 1925 by Adam Perold. It is South Africa’s flagship grape variety. Flavours and aromas of black cherry, blackberry, leather, tar, soya sauce, fig, menthol, and chocolate.

Food pairing: This complex and bold varietal pairs well with pizza, mushrooms, teriyaki beef, bbq, and roasted or bbq’d vegetables topped or dipped with a flavourful sauce like plum or teriyaki.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most planted red wine grape variety in South Africa, it is often described as spanning both Old World and New World wine styles. It is a rich wine that is not overly jammy. A dry wine, high in tannins that produces deep and complex wines with aromas and flavours of plum, dark berries, oak, spice, and smoke.

Food pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with braised or dried meat including beef or game, mushrooms, roasted vegetables, and cheddar or other hard cheeses.