Happy Birthday South African Wine!
The wines of South Africa have been around a lot longer than you might think. On 2 February 1659, more than 150 years before the first wines became commercially available in Australia, Dutch colonist Jan Van Riebeeck noted in his journal that “wine was made for the first time from Cape grapes”. This success would launch one of the most important wine industries on the planet, with some of the most dramatic history.
Initial cuttings were sourced from the Rheingau in Germany, but a host of vines from across Europe were soon to follow. These days the South African wine industry finds itself centred around predominantly French varietals; Chenin Blanc (Loire) for whites, Syrah/Shiraz (Rhone) for reds, and sweet wines from Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains (Alsace). It is no surprise that the enterprising Dutch would bring these domestically-successful vines to the new world, and the vines found themselves right at home among the peaks and gullies of South Africa’s highly variable landscape, sheltering and moderating the aggressive low-latitude sunshine.
While wine is produced across the country, South Africa’s premium wine industry is concentrated in its South West corner, around the Cape of Good Hope. This is perhaps no surprise, as this was an advantageous location for the VOC to set up a trading and supply post all those years ago, but this region has geography on its side too.
South Africa is so close to the Equator that the baking sun is oppressive in its heat. Most of the country takes the full force of this heat, but the Cape region is moderated by Earth, Wind, and Water. Cool currents from Antarctica and the Atlantic bring with them plentiful rain and temperature-moderating sea breezes. These winds are funnelled and concentrated by the dramatic mountain ridges that define the landscape, some six times older than the Himalayas, themselves providing diverse soils which can vary from village to village or even vineyard to vineyard. These mountains also provide much needed shade, ensuring the harsh sun doesn’t bake the vines for too long.
While the land may seem perfectly suited to this migrant plant, the wine industry’s social history has not been without its difficulties. As a European colony, export markets were closely tied to the whims of colonial powers such as Great Britain and France, who functionally dictated the price and demand for wine. South Africa found itself repeatedly subjected to boom and bust economic cycles, as these two powers warred, made peace, and warred again. Colonial politics at home also hampered South Africa’s attempts to grow and modernise. The horror of Apartheid subdued the local population and decimated local industry, as well as hampering the ability for even large companies to trade overseas.
The end of Apartheid and welcoming of Flying Winemakers from France and Australia has seen South Africa take huge leaps in its viticultural capabilities. South Africa has been something of a pioneer regarding environmentally-conscious practices, and the influx of talent has seen vineyards work to preserve quality where it already exists. Over 38% of vines in South Africa are considered Old Vine (more than 20 years old); this maturity of vine coupled with the unique soils, climatic conditions, and traditions of the wine industry have led to an astounding number of high-quality wines, benefitting people at all levels of the value chain. We recently made a documentary focussing on one particular region, the Swartland, presenting their rise to winemaking royalty as a blueprint for our own struggling wine regions.
South Africa has also had success developing its own grapes to better suit its unique conditions. The cross-pollination of Pinot Noir and Cinsault (formerly known as Hermitage, after the region in the Rhone Valley) saw the emergence of high-yielding, low maintenance vines which became known as Pinotage. While the popularity of Pinotage has ebbed and flowed with the rhythm of any trend, prestigious examples can now be found not only in South Africa, but across the globe.
From plantings made out of necessity, to the development and premiumisation of a nascent industry, through political turmoil and radical global change, South Africa has managed to stand tall and weather the storms of its past. It seems the sky is the limit for South African wine, and as their industry continues to evolve there will continue to be important lessons for winemaking regions across the globe. I for one am excited to see what comes next.