SOUTH AFRICA PART 1 - Where the magic really happens …….

by kmsz
Mar 1, 2018
4 min read

WSET Diploma course comes with an intense package when you are learning about many regions discovering so many styles and wines that eventually it lands you in an unfamiliar territory. I landed in one, the country called South Africa. I was surprised tremendously by how much history the county has when it comes to vine and winemaking from the beginning until now, “This winding route that stretches back over a period of more than 7000 years”. Explorers in the 16th centuries accelerated the space again by 1530, the vine had spread to Mexico to Japan. 30 years later Argentina imported vine plantings followed by Peru. The real milestone of vine planting in South Africa around Cape Town goes back in 1655. During the recent years we see more regional developments which involves new winemaking methods, using advanced techniques producing different style of wine however the basic principles have changed a little.

Wine growing areas in South Africa…………..

“The Cape winelands stretch from the rugged mountains and multi-directional slopes of the coastal region to the open plains of the Klein Karoo where viticulture takes place mainly in the riverine valleys. South Africa's vineyards are mostly situated in the Western Cape near the coast. Rainfall on the coastal side, where fynbos and renosterveld vegetation flourish, measures up to 1 000mm per year. Travel over the mountains into the hinterland and the rainfall decreases dramatically with the vegetation dominated by hardy succulents, cycads and aloes. Currently around 95 775ha of vines producing wine grapes are under cultivation over an area some 800km in length."

Under the auspices of the Wine of Origin Scheme, production zones in the Cape winelands are divided into officially demarcated geographical units, regions, districts and wards. There are five regions in the geographical unit of the Western Cape – Breede River Valley, Cape South Coast, Coastal Region, Klein Karoo and Olifants River – and Boberg (for use in respect of fortified wines from Paarl, Franschhoek, Wellington and Tulbagh). Another five geographical units exist: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Northern Cape. The South African winelands encompass 27 diverse districts and some 77 smaller wards in total”

* The Wine of Origin Scheme: is an establishment of a victual station at the Cape. For a long time, this uniqueness of the South African-wine producing areas and farms was not legally protected. An official Wine of Origin scheme was only established in 1972, when legislation in this regard was formulated. This new scheme would not only protect wines of origin but also wines made from a specific cultivar or vintage. Certain basic principles were taken into consideration when the system was formulated. It was, for example, necessary to comply with EU regulations because a great deal of South African wine was exported to Europe. Principles such as honesty in business, factual terms, titles, adaptability, local marketing truths and free participation were addressed.

South Africa's Wine of Origin certification scheme was officially instituted in 1973, in accordance with the Wine, Other Fermented Beverages and Spirits Act of 1957.

Other terms: Integrated Production of Wine (IPW): Wine of Origin (WO) and Integrated Production of Wine (IPW). For WO a certification seal has been in existence for many a year, but there is no seal for the much younger IPW system for sustainable, environmentally friendly production. After wide consultation it was decided to make an alternative seal, which covers both WO and IPW, available as from the 2010 harvest year. The existing WO seal, which certifies origin, vintage year and cultivar, will still be available to producers who do not wish to make use of the new seal or who only comply with WO requirements and not IPW requirements. The new seal is an alternative seal, which will certify for both IPW and WO. This means that there will still only be one seal on a container, depending on which aspects are wished to be certified for – only WO (current seal), or both WO and IPW (new seal). Already 93.6% of wines are certified in accordance with the WO scheme and IPW scheme, meeting the requirements to carry the sustainability seal. More information on http://www.wosa.co.za

Geographical Unit: WESTERN CAPE

Region: Breed River Valley

Districts: Breedkekloof, Robertson and Worcester

Region: Cape South Coast

Districts: Cape Agulhas, Elgin, Overberg, Plettenberg Bay, Swellendam, Walker Bay

Region: Costal Region

Districts: Cape Town, Darling, Franschhoek/Franschhoek Valley, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Tulbagh, Wellington

Region: Klein Karoo

Districts: Calitzdrop, and Langeberg-Garcia

Region: Olifants River

Districts: Citrusdal Mountain, Citrusdal Valley and Luttzville Valley

Geographical Unit: NORTHERN CAPE

Region: No region

Districts: Douglas, Sutherland- Karoo

Geographical Unit: EASTERN CAPE

Region: No region and districts only WARDS: ST Francis Bay

Geographical Unit: KWAZULU – NATAL

Region: No region

Districts: Central Drakensberg and Lions River

SOIL:

South Africa has a reputation for versatile landscapes and terroir. The Soil is highly varied, mainly due to pronounced differences in topography and geology, greatly impacting on mesoclimate and vine performance.

SOIL GROUPS: Calvic, Duplex, Podzolic, Plontthic, Oxidic and Gleyic

The Three Most Important Soil Types............