The Alternative Future for South Africa
Monday 6 September
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc continue to dominate shelf space in 2010 but does that mean they are the future too?
Having judged at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show in 2008, it’s clear there is growing interest in non-international varieties in the New World, and South Africa is no exception.
The latest industry figures show Chenin Blanc still leads the planting chart with Cabernet Sauvignon, Colombard, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc completing the top five. There are still relatively few hectares of Mediterranean varieties including Sangiovese, Barbera, Roussanne, Grenache, and Mourvedre but visit many wineries in the Western Cape, and they are quite the fashionable thing to be planting or adding to a blend.
Francois Haasbroek of Waterford Estate says, “I think that more people are opening up to the fact that Cabernet and Shiraz are not the be all and end all.”
So, is the emergence of varieties better suited to Mediterranean climes a consequence of global warming? Not necessarily, claims Wilhelm Pienaar, red winemaker at Nederburg. “We are anticipating people getting bored of the traditional varieties.”
“There’s a big drive to experiment and use new varieties like Tempranillo – and we are looking at it quite intensively,” he added. The major producer has an experimental vineyard, trying out 30 lesser-known varieties.
Chris Williams, winemaker at Meerlust, has his own label The Foundry, specialising in varieties like Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne. “Yes, there’s increasing interest in Mediterranean varieties,” he said, “but I don’t think they will ever be the majority: Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon do well and always will.”
It’s good to see that there’s a willingness to experiment. Ok, so the end of Cabernet is not nigh but this is one trend that is adding interest to the South African portfolio.
South African variety: a blessing or a curse?
Friday 3 September
The strapline for generic body Wines of South Africa (WOSA), is ‘Variety is in our nature’. Until you visit the wine regions of South Africa, it’s not really clear how wide, and confusing, its variety is.
It’s easy enough to pinpoint a wine style from Rioja or Bordeaux, and explain it to consumers but how do you communicate what a ‘Stellenbosch style’ is? The answer appears to be you can’t. The sub regions of the area like the Jonkershoek Valley and Simonsberg have certain stylistic styles but trying to find a common thread across the region’s diverse vineyards with their vast range of varieties, from Sauvignon and Chardonnay to Barbera and Shiraz, is virtually impossible.
Wine producers admit other visitors have the same problem.
James Dare, sales and marketing manager at Warwick Estate says, “It’s very difficult to get foreign journalists to get a grip on South Africa because it is so diverse; trying to get a handle on Stellenbosch is just as hard – there’s no regional style.”
So how can you communicate this, I wonder? Francois Haasbroek, winemaker at Waterford Estates claims it’s virtually impossible to provide a ‘This is Stellenbosch’ guide to the outsider. “This is our problem,” he said.
“The only thing you canll sell in South Africa is your own brand and it’s enormously frustrating” “We have amazing potential but I can’t go to Stockholm and say this is our example of Stellenbosch Cabernet; it is our Cabernet. We can’t talk for the region or country,” he added.
While I only had two days to get a handle on Stellenbosch, I’m not sure a lifetime would be enough.
Waterford Estate’s wine range impressed including its 2009 Sauvignon Blanc with a friendly 12.3% alcohol (18.5/20 rating) and the fresh, lean 2008 Kevin Arnold Shiraz (19/20).
Raats 2008 No 1 Chenin Blanc was also a star with apple, marzipan and musk on the nose, zippy freshness, linearity (if that’s not too much of a snobby wine word) and lovely minerality (19/20).
South Africa: Safari so goodie
Tuesday 31 August
So I’ve finally made it to South Africa after eight years working in the wine industry and this being Africa, day one meant safari.
I’m not sure what I was expecting as I boarded the Big 5 Wine Safari vehicle at Warwick Estate in Stellenbosch but it wasn’t a comparison between a white rhino and Sauvignon Blanc, that’s for sure. But life is full of surprises.
Wrapped in a fuchsia pink blanket to stave off the cold spring day, our tour guide Ivan took us around the wine safari, also known as a vineyard tour.
“Cabernet Sauvignon,” he said “is like a lion. The lion is the king of the jungle. When Cabernet is young, it is aggressive on the palate; as it becomes older, the tannins calm down, just like when a lion ages.”
Hmm, a bit tenuous, but I see what you’re driving at Ivan and I’ve never heard a wine compared to a wild animal before. It’s refreshing for a wine journalist who has seen enough stainless steel tanks and barrels to last a life time.
Sauvignon Blanc…which of the Big 5 safari animals would it be? The white rhino, of course. The link was fresh green grass: the rhino eats it; the wine smells like it.
Cabernet Franc is apparently like an elephant because they both have thick skin and you can keep the wine for a very long time. Warwick does a single varietal Cab Franc, a relative rarity in South Africa, but I couldn’t see any relation to Dumbo or Nelly.
The buffalo is another safari favourite but it’s unpredictable and wild hence the comparison with Pinotage. And last but not least Merlot gets likened to a leopard – because it’s smooth. For wine connoisseurs, it might seem a bit silly but the wine industry needs a bit of fun injected into its rear end. It’s a great way to educate the consumer, link the wine trade with a successful tourism industry - and make wine seem less elitist.