the south africa wine the south africa wine - Wines of South Africa

THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE
REPORTER
SPRING 2005
South African
Chenin Blanc
Constantia
Township Touring
Reuben Riffel ~ Fine
Food in Franschhoek

S O U T H A F R I C A W I N E R E P OR T E R N O R T H A M E R I C A
contents SPRING
2005
Augusta winery in Franschhoek
1 News & Views
2 South African Chenin Blanc:
On the Fast Track from om Work-
horse to Thoroughbr
oughbred
ed, by
Michael Franz
8 Constantia:Thinking Small
Pays Big Dividends, by Kim
Maxwell
10 Township Touring: Growth,
Diversity and Sense of Place,
by Suzanne Morton
12 Reuben Riffel fel ~ Fine Food in
Franschhoek, by Cinda Chavich
In our spring issue, renowned
wine journalist Michael Franz
shows us why South Africa is
poised to establish the reputation
of Chenin Blanc as a superb wine
grape. Our regional focus is
Constantia, which may be small
in size but certainly tremendous
in quality. Our new marketing
manager for North America,
Suzanne Morton, gives a
fascinating glimpse of South
Africa in her Township Touring
piece. Finally, we check in on the
South African culinary scene, in
an interview with the up-andcoming
chef Reuben Riffel.
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
a
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE
REPORTER
Editor-in-Chief: Suzanne Morton
Managing Editor: Carole Cleaver
Associate Editor: Rory Callahan
WINES OF SOUTH
AFRICA
CEO: Su Birch
Marketing Manager for North
America: Suzanne Morton
Head Office:
fice:
8 Helderberg Road,
Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa
Tel: +27 (21) 883-3860
info@wosa.co.za
www.wosa.co.za
United States Office:
fice:
c/o Wine & Food Associates
799 Broadway, Ste 306
New York, NY 10003
Tel: (212) 505-1616
info@winesofsouthafrica.net
www.winesofsouthafrica.net
Canadian Office:
fice:
c/o Propeller Communications
2255b Queen St East Ste 302
Toronto, Ontario M4E 2G1,Canada
Tel: (416) 698-8112
keenan@propellerpr.com
www.winesofsouthafrica.ca
For a free subscription to
The South Africa Wine Reporter,
please email your mailing address
to info@winesofsouthafrica.net

n e w s & v i e w s
Franschhoek
VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE WINE FESTIVAL TO
FEATURE SOUTH AFRICAN WINES
From March 14-20, The Vancouver Playhouse
International national Wine ine Festival, a fundraising event for
the renowned Vancouver Playhouse, will present its
27th annual week of special events dedicated to wine
and food. South Africa is the theme region this year,
showcasing 31 wineries from across the Cape. In
addition to the International Festival Tasting room
where all the South African wineries will be showcasing
their wines, there are 11 South Africa themed events,
including ‘Celebrate the Cape’, a Saturday afternoon
food and wine pairing event accompanied by music
and dancing from South Africa. For further
information, please visit www.playhousewine
fest.com.
SAWIS REPORTS GROWTH IN WINE EXPORTS
TO US IN 2004
Recent figures released by the South African Wine
Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS)
show an
encouraging growth in wine exports to the US for 2004.
Total exports of bottled wine went up from 539,405 9-
liter cases in 2003 to 858,860 9-liter cases in 2004, a
59% increase
ease. WOSA is expanding its presence in the
US this year, increasing funding to the same levels
allocated to the UK market, the biggest export destination
thus far for SA wines.
RECENT STUDY SHOWS SA WINE INDUSTRY BEST
SUITED TO PREMIUM WINES
A new study of the international cost-
competitiveness of the South African wine industry
shows that the decision to focus more on marketing
premium and luxury y wines is the right route to follow.
Commissioned by WOSA, the research was carried
out by business analyst James Herrick, who looked at
South African wine production costs in relation to those
in Australia and France. His findings suggest that South
Africa performs best in an environment of mediumor
high-cost wine farming, and that the country’s wines
will be globally cost-competitive at the higher end of
the spectrum rather than in the value segment, where
Australia fares significantly better.
US WINE CONSUMPTION GROWS
Last year, US wine consumption totalled 278 million
9-liter cases, according to wine market specialist Jon
Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson Associates.
Imports accounted for 26% of sales, reaching a record
level of 72 million cases. Now, an international wine
market study (International Wine & Spirits Record)
projects that total wine sales volumes in the US will
increase to 410 million cases by 2008, valued at
US$ 24 billion and making it the world’s largest wineconsuming
nation. South Africa currently has 2.6%
of the New World volume share in the US, worth
US $30 million.
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
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Chenin Blanc
ON THE FAST TRACK FROM
WORKHORSE TO THOROUGHBRED
By Michael Franz
Chenin Blanc gets more than its share of bad
press but we should remember that every
grape variety bearing the capacity to make great
wines with distinctive character must also bear the
occasional insult.
Sauvignon Blanc’s detractors call it pungent and
shrill. Cabernet’s critics chide it for being angular and
hard, and Merlot gets maligned for being gutless and
facile. However, anyone with a fair mind and an experienced
palate knows that these are great grapes,
and that their greatness is undiminished by the fact
that a partisan critic could point to plenty of poor renditions.
If you’ve tasted just one great bottle of Latour
or Petrus, no one will ever be able to convince you
that Cabernet or Merlot is a second-rate variety.
Chenin Blanc belongs in this league of great
grapes, but its greatness is underappreciated for two
key reasons. First, its reputation suffers from the sad
fact that many Chenins made around the world really
are boringly bland or downright offensive.
Second, few consumers have tasted a truly great
Chenin Blanc that could immunize their opinion of
the grape against all of those bland or offensive renditions.
Excellent Chenins have generally trickled into
world markets from only one tributary — France’s
Loire Valley.
That, however, has changed. During the past
dozen years or so, many South African vintners have
heightened the seriousness with which they craft
Chenin Blanc, and the delicious wines they are now
exporting will help teach the world an important lesson
about the heights this grape can reach.
cow. Its natural attributes suit it to these inglorious
roles (and all-too-well, for the sake of its reputation).
Vigorous in growth and abundant in yield, Chenin vines
are also resistant to heat, wind, and many maladies
and pests that afflict other varieties.
Consequently, virtually every country and region
that has planted Chenin Blanc has employed this hardy,
heavy-bearing variety as a base for vin ordinaire. This
is emphatically the case in California, where yields in
the hot Central Valley are cranked up as high as 10
tons per acre (or 175 hectoliters per hectare). Much
the same is true elsewhere in the United States, as
well as in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay,
Australia and New Zealand.
Historically, winegrowers in South Africa have also
been quite content to exploit Chenin’s productivity. It
is widely believed that
Chenin was
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MORE THAN VIN ORDINAIRE
Those who fail to recognize Chenin Blanc as a
thoroughbred can be excused on the ground that it is
most often employed as a workhorse or even a cash
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER

among the first bundles of vine cuttings imported by
industry pioneer Jan van Riebeeck in 1655, along with
Semillon (or Groendruif) and Listan, which is better
known as Palomino in Spain. Chenin has played a
major role in South African viticulture ever since.
The grape was known as ‘Steen’ from early on,
and the name persists as a synonym to this day. The
leading theory attributes this to confusion between
grapes, followed by Dutch settlers transforming the
French word ‘Listan’ to ‘La Stan,’ then to ‘De Steen’,
and finally to ‘Steen.’ Long thought to be of Germanic
origin, Steen was not reconnected to its European
source until 1963, when viticulture professor
C.J. Orffer from the University of Stellenbosch definitively
identified Steen as Chenin Blanc.
Chenin Blanc’s identity may have remained unclear
for centuries in South Africa, but its strong and versatile
performance characteristics were apparently clear from
the outset. Chenin fared particularly well once planted,
handling all the viticultural challenges thrown its way
in the broader Cape region. Its performance in the
cellar was at least as strong as in the vineyard and
enterprising South Africans found it suitable not only
for all manner of sweet, dry and sparkling wines but
also for a wide range of fortified wines and spirits.
Thanks to its resilience and versatility, Chenin Blanc
was South Africa’s most widely planted variety when
the country resumed exports to all global markets in
the early 1990s. With over 30,000 hectares (or 70,000
acres) devoted to it, Chenin claimed more than a third
of South Africa’s vineyard area.
NO MARKET FOR SERIOUS CHENIN BLANC
There was, however, one thing that South African
Chenin Blanc could not claim in the early 1990s: Greatness.
Consumers within and beyond South Africa
tended overwhelmingly to regard the grape with indifference,
with the result that no real market existed
for serious renditions of this cultivar.
Indifference among consumers is easy enough
to understand. If South Africa was guilty of treating
Chenin as a workhorse, so too were all of the other
countries working with it outside of France. One or
two vintners in each country were trying to get
something special out of the grape, but their efforts
hardly attained a critical mass that could impact global
perceptions.
Within France, serious regard for Chenin never
waned, at least among the most conscientious
vignerons. However, even in the Loire, a candid
appraisal reveals that truly great Chenins are only made
in small quantities by relatively few producers and in
favorable growing seasons — which are anything but
routine in the Anjou-Touraine region. Great renditions
are vastly outnumbered by négociant bottlings that
are correct at best and, at worst, sulfurous, sugary,
sharp or dirty.
Where global perceptions among consumers are
concerned, there is also the major problem that great
examples from the Loire do not carry the name Chenin
Blanc — much less Steen. It is only the rare connoisseur
and not the average wine shopper (even within
France itself) who knows ❂ anything substantial about
Savennières, Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quartsde-Chaume,
Montlouis or Jasnières.
Few consumers know these appellations, and
fewer still know that Chenin Blanc is the grape behind
them. More know of Vouvray, but Vouvray is made
in so many styles that it hardly helps fix Chenin’s profile
for consumers. And there is also the problem that many
of the sulfurous, sharp bottlings that drag down
perceptions are precisely négociant Vouvrays.
This, then, was the grim situation
confronting South African producers in the early
1990s. International markets were unknowing
or unenthusiastic about Chenin or Steen, and
domestic consumers regarded the wines as bland stuff
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
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unbefitting a special occasion or even a moderate price.
This depressed prices for Chenin grapes within the
wine trade, prompting some producers to compensate
by bumping up crop yields to levels that further
aggravated the blandness problem. Others cut bait
on Chenin Blanc altogether, turning their attention
toward Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
POTENTIAL GREATNESS
Chenin Blanc had nowhere to go but up in 1995. But
up it came, thanks to the fact that potential greatness
confers a certain buoyancy upon a grape that neither
historical nor commercial misfortune can deflate.
An initial impetus for taking Chenin more seriously
was exerted in 1995 when a group of British Masters
of Wine visited the Cape region. By all accounts, the
MWs expressed admiration for the best South African
Chenins — but also dismay that so many fine grapes
were being lost by inclusion in mediocre, multi-variety
blends.
Encouragement from this contingent to take
Chenin more seriously had an almost immediate effect
on several different fronts. Masters of Wine based
around the Cape organized a Chenin Blanc Symposium
in 1996 that facilitated an exchange of technical
information while also greatly enhancing general
enthusiasm for the grape among producers.
Perhaps the most significant development was the
formation of the Chenin Blanc Association, a
cooperative endeavor of more than 65 producers
devoted to enhancing both the quality and image of
the variety. By providing strategic guidance, tactics
for marketing, and technical assistance regarding
viticultural and wine-making practices, the Chenin
Blanc Association has provided a highly dynamic core
for the general effort to actualize all of the grape’s
strong latent potential in South Africa.
Several changes in vineyards and wineries seem
to provide the keys to unlocking that potential. The
most important involves recognition that yields must
be restricted. A related recognition is that old, lowyielding,
head-pruned ‘bush’ vines should be treasured
rather than spurned on account of their meager but
high quality fruit. Additionally, yields are being
restricted for younger vines by means of more rigorous
pruning. Many producers are also picking Chenin at a
later, riper stage to assure full flavor development.
In winemaking circles, a great deal of experimentation
has been undertaken with oak, including both
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THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER

new and more mature wood (used for fermentation,
for aging, or for both). Whether the effects of oak
are appropriate for South African Chenin remains a
hot topic of controversy. However, there can be no
question that these experiments have greatly diversified
the range of wines now available to consumers,
and one also senses that the controversy itself has
pushed winemakers from all camps to intensify their
efforts to provide exemplary wines as representatives
for their preferred profile.
The delightful result of all of this is that we now
have access to a broad set of wines displaying all the
different dimensions of which Chenin Blanc is capable.
The grape can make very fine sparkling wines and
these remain especially important in the domestic
market. Among still table wines, some are impeccably
dry, featuring fresh primary fruit with crisp acidity.
Others are fuller and riper but still based squarely on
character drawn from fruit rather than oak. Another
style shares the fuller, riper profile but seeks to augment
fruit notes with spicy, smoky accents from oak.
Yet another important style is based on overt but
not assertive sweetness drawn from residual sugar levels
of 30 grams per liter or less. Seriously sweet dessert wines
are also being turned out with great success and the sky
is the limit for residual sugar in these bottlings.
Almost all of the different styles now on the market
are rounder in texture and less acidic than their famous
Loire counterparts. They are certainly not inherently
inferior for this reason but rather distinctively specific to
their place of origin — as befits a great rendition of a
great grape. And with two superb sources now sending
delicious renditions into world markets, we can look
forward to a future in which French and South African
wines cooperate to return Chenin Blanc to its rightful
rank among the world’s best and most widely admired
wines.
Michael Franz is a wine writer, educator and consultant.
He has written as Wine Columnist for The Washington
Post since 1994. He also contributes articles on wine to
several international wine magazines, conducts tastings
and seminars for consumers and members of the wine
trade across the United States, and works as a consultant
for 11 restaurants.
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
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Constantia
REGIONAL FOCUS
6
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One of the Cape’s smallest and oldest viticultural areas,
Constantia is proof that thinking small can pay dividends.
Renowned for quality white and dessert wines, Constantia
also produces some red wines of distinction.
Kim Maxwell maps out the key features.
Anybody who believes that South African wines are
strictly New World should consider how Constantia
hit international headlines in the late 17 th century, with
No matter how much the modern world would want to circumvent the cultural
its sought after and acclaimed dessert wine caught television footage of Sir Mark Thatcher’s
connection ‘Constantia’. Demand of great for this wine, great it wine is a was construct driven immaculate that will always property during be part coverage of the of charm the alleged to
consumers.
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families and the notorious Napoleon. Although much reputation as a sought-after residential suburb for the
place.
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well-heeled
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and remains, more the than high quality the symbolic wines coming centre from of theit all. viticultural Put it development. this way: if With you the had area’s to have premiuma
handful of boutique cellars.
viticulture beginning on the back of Table Mountain’s
wine farm in Africa, where would you buy
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
Never far from international attention, the
Constantia area was a favorite refuge for the late
Princess Diana, and more recently you may have

Buitenverwachting, Constantia, looking towards False Bay
slopes, farms hoping to expand plantings can only
climb higher, not outwards.
Under South Africa’s Wine of Origin system,
Constantia is a ward. This valley is framed by a nearcontinuous
slope stretching from the back of Table
Mountain, through the Vlakkenberg and the
Constantiaberg ranges. The majority of vineyards are
situated on the eastern slopes of the Cape Peninsula, an
easy target for Cape Town’s legendary and beneficial
south-easter wind. It zips off the Atlantic Ocean at False
Bay, offering both a cooling and drying effect.
Although the individual farms vary, the soils are
mostly derived from granite and form the base of the
sandstone of the upper mountain formations. Sandier
alluvial soils are found in some of the valley areas and
the average annual rainfall is approximately 1000 mm,
theoretically making irrigation unnecessary.
The original Constantia farm was divided into
Groot (big) Constantia and Klein (small) Constantia.
Klein Constantia still fields international requests for
Vin de Constance, their natural sweet white from
Muscat de Frontignan grapes planted on lower slopes.
It’s recreated in a recipe similar to the original
‘Constantia’. New winemaker Adam Mason says the
grape’s thick skins are particularly suited — they resist
rot during the long sugar-boosting ripening sessions.
Mason believes Constantia is infinitely suited to
high-quality white wine production, especially
Sauvignon Blanc. The contributing factors include a
strong maritime climate, mostly south-facing slopes
and cooler temperatures in February, the hottest
month of the year. “Average temperatures don’t mean
much; it’s the highest temperatures that are critical,”
he says. “Our farm data logger showed that February
2004 only had two days over 30 degrees Celsius. It
also reports official data showing the Cape’s other
viticultural areas. Plenty of them had 12 to 16 days at
higher temperatures.”
Klein Constantia is aiming for a 70:30 white to
red ratio with their replantings. Aside from Sauvignon
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
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Things to know about Constantia
The CONSTANTIA WINE ROUTE is conveniently close
to Cape Town. Head in the direction of Cape Point
and take the Constantia exit after 25 minutes along
the M3 highway.
Some of South Africa’s most acclaimed restaurants
are in Constantia. Try Constantia Uitsig and La
Colombe (on Constantia Uitsig) and
Buitenverwachting (on Buitenverwachting). More casual
fare can be found at Simon’s at Groot Constantia
(on Groot Constantia) and Spaanschemat River Café
(on Constantia Uitsig). Buitenverwachting also serves
farm picnics on order during summer months.
In 2003, Constantia’s leading plantings were
Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay,
Merlot and Shiraz (source: SA Wine Industry Information
and Systems).
Winter morning light on Klein Constantia, Juan Espi/Cephas
as their star dry white, they’re sticking their neck
out and planting more Rhine Riesling, a variety that does
exceptionally well on the farm. Mason is even planting
Verdelho, with the hope of blending some into Vin de
Constance. He views their Marlbrook flagship red as a
Bordeaux-blend expression of Constantia terroir. Shiraz
isn’t an obvious variety for Constantia but Mason says
their cooler-climate style provides an alternative.
Boela Gerber at Groot Constantia reminds that
early ‘Constantia’ dessert wines included a white and
red version. Gerber found historical evidence that the
dessert red may have been made with Shiraz, giving
this cultivar a longer Constantia history than is
commonly thought. “Without a doubt, Shiraz performs
consistently at Groot Constantia in most conditions,”
he says. “If weather conditions are favorable, Merlot
is the pick of the crop. Sauvignon Blanc is our focus in
whites, with Semillon as a blending component with
Sauvignon.” Groot Constantia is the only Pinotage
producer in Constantia. With cooler sites at 180m
above sea level, Gerber tries to coax elegant expression
of Pinot Noir characters from this grape.
Unusual for the area, Groot Constantia is backing
a 65:35 red to white ratio, with reds planted on the
lower sections. Gerber says their vine replanting has
been the single biggest quality determinant in their
wines. Expanding the barrel program to give red wines
more skin contact and maceration time are other
changes he’s introduced. “The cooler Constantia
climate can’t be ignored if your aim is wines with
elegance and balance – I call it balagance,” he adds.
With its first bottling in 2000, neighbor High
Constantia is a newcomer by comparison. Part of the
original Constantia farm, High Constantia’s cellar is
situated 500m from Groot Constantia’s entrance. David
van Niekerk, investment banker turned winemaker,
explains that what once started as a hobby in a cow
shed and a 20-foot refrigerated container is now a
micro winery producing less than 100 tons.
Van Niekerk is punting the top-class red route. With
Bordeaux blend Sebastiaan as the flagship and an
impressive Cabernet Franc next in line, his 1000-case
offerings are outstripping demand. Sparkling wine in the
traditional Champagne method also has a following. It’s
all by hand too, from viticulture to packing and riddling.
a8
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
Blanc

Asking technical questions of Buitenverwachting
winemaker Hermann Kirschbaum won’t get you far. After
11 years at this cellar, he prefers to inspect vineyards
rather than gather detailed soil and climate analyses.
Instead, with a lift on the back of his Yamaha to scramble
up the Buitenverwachting slopes, Kirschbaum offers a
first-hand view of pre-harvest conditions. A nearly-ripe,
south-facing Sauvignon Blanc block faces the Atlantic.
“Taste that,” he says, offering a sweet berry. “The biggest
problem in Constantia is botrytis. The wind helps but
also brings humidity.” With 100ha — almost one-third
of the farm total — planted to Sauvignon Blanc, his
concern about rot potential is valid.
Kirschbaum feels grass-related varieties such as
Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc work best in
Constantia, and these grapes are blended into their
‘Christine’ blend. For new Constantia Sauvignon Blanc
converts, he warns that warmer regions’ Sauvignons
tend to show early, while Constantia Sauvignons
“The finest old Constantia wine
that was ever tasted...
recommended for its healing
powers on a disappointed heart.”
Jane Austen
generally only “jump out” after a year of bottle age.
The last two farms are on the far end of the
Constantia Wine Route, where a different mesoclimate
shows its colours. Constantia Uitsig has 32ha
planted, much of it on lower-lying and frequently
sandier valley soils. Viticulturist-turned-winemaker
André Rousseau makes their wines in Steenberg’s cellar,
with Steenberg’s winemaker John Loubser as
consultant. “Sauvignon Blanc thrives here, Semillon
does well too. Our range emphasises serious whites
because our reds work well as blends,” says Rousseau.
He backs Merlot as a single variety in Constantia but
says they’ve planted Cabernet Franc to pair with
Merlot as it offers a fantastic blending component.
Constantia Uitsig has three upmarket restaurants
on their farm, and they’ve used these outlets to gauge
customer feedback on styles and experimental blends.
Steenberg winemaker John Loubser is known for
success with Semillon, producing differing styles at
Constantia Uitsig (as a consultant) and Steenberg
respectively. He also backs Sauvignon Blanc for
Constantia, and feels Semillon-Sauvignon blends work
well too. “None of the Constantia farms have lateafternoon
sun, as Stellenbosch does. This means good,
aromatic whites with firm acidities, but the reds can
struggle in cooler vintages. They end up structured
and leaner,” continues Loubser.
“Steenberg differs from the rest of Constantia in that
the decomposed granite soils with no clay are too lean
for vigorous growth,” he says. The drawback is Steenberg
bears the brunt of the south-easter. But positively, this
wind, and the leaner soils, keeps botrytis at bay.
In reds, Loubser says Cabernet Sauvignon struggles
but Merlot is king. “At Steenberg specifically, Merlot
is susceptible to vineyard stress but our milder climate
helps. Our tannins are dry yet ripe — cool-climate
without a doubt.” Steenberg’s flagship Catharina blend
pairs three Bordeaux varieties with the unexpected
addition of Shiraz and Nebbiolo. Like Steenberg’s
excellent stand-alone Nebbiolo, the wine may not fit
the general Constantia profile. But it shows that in
Constantia, innovation comes in many guises.
Kim Maxwell is an international wine, food and travel
journalist. She compiles trade reports for WineLand and
www.winenews.co.za in South Africa. She also writes for
Harpers, Wine International and Decanter (UK) and is
South Africa’s contributing wine editor for Wine & Dine
(Singapore). Other regular slots include contributions for
Food & Home Entertaining, House & Leisure, and The Cape
Times daily newspaper.
John Loubser, winemaker at Steenberg
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
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Township Touring
Growth, Diversity and Sense of Place
by Suzanne Morton
There are many parallels in the evolution of South
Africa’s wine and tourism industries, if one
considers growth, diversity and sense of place. Much
has changed in South Africa since 1994 and the world’s
impression of this dynamic country. Gone are the days
of mass tourist cancellations due to tragic events that
occurred in north and east African countries, and we
hope the days are gone when the international wine
consumer doubts the new footing of South Africa’s
emerging wines.
Both industries reflect a strong a sense of place.
Tourism is making new strides in getting back to its
roots and enthralling the visitor with the depth of South
African culture. Much of what has been flaunted about
South Africa is the five star circuit and the big five
game parks. While these are truly amazing venues
and experiences not to be missed, what is also
beginning to feature quite strongly on
itineraries are opportunities to
meet people,
primarily people of the townships.
Township Touring is a new buzz word for both
local and international touring, whether it be in
Gauteng, following in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela
in the ‘Freedom Tours’, or in the Cape Flats in places
like Gugulethu and Langa. So popular is this experience
and study of culture becoming that a new documentary
will be released internationally in March,
called ‘Sophiatown’, with an introduction by Mandela.
The film is a who’s who of South African musicians
and singers.
What exactly is township touring and why is it an
exciting new concept South Africa’s townships have
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Economics of the Wine & Tourism Industries
• The Wine industry contributes R16.3 billion to the
South African GDP
• The Wine industry employs 257,000 people directly
and indirectly
• R4.2 billion is generated through wine tourism
• One job in South Africa is created for every
12 visitors to the country
• Approximately 2 million long haul tourists visit
South Africa annually
long been recognized as a major source of the country’s
rich culture of music, dance and craft. The townships
are the true home of South African jazz and in
particular Kwaito. The name Kwaito comes from
Kwaitaal (meaning clever language). Thus translated
and applied, Kwaito means ‘clever township jazz’. Ever
watch gum boot dancing and wonder where it
originated Think of the gold mines of Johannesburg
and the miners’ way of expressing themselves.
Township touring is all about meeting the people,
sharing the smiles and stories over a cold beer in the
neighborhood shebeen, listening to the local jazz,
exploring the history of the country.
It was in 2004 that Thandile Diniso met Su Birch,
CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA) at the biennial
wine show, Cape Wine 2004. It was a turning point
for the soft-spoken Thandile, who had a passion for
wine and a good head for business. Having a
background in wine sales but no formal education in
the subject, Thandile was sponsored by WOSA on his
first ever internationally recognized wine course, at
the Cape Wine Academy. Thandile had a vision to
cross-pollinate township tourism and wine, and thus
WOSA next sponsored his tourism course, allowing
him to become an accredited tour guide and help him
on his way.
The net result has been a wine and tourism
company with a unique twist! Township Crawling is
his touring company, offering guided tours which
normally last four hours through the historical spots
of Cape Town’s townships. Thandile also has a
restaurant, called Thuthuka Jazz Café, which is the
eating venue of choice for his tours. It offers guests a
wholesome, home-cooked meal with flavors of the
Cape and live local jazz crooning in the background.
The wine selection, of course, has been made with
careful consideration; a line-up aimed to complement
the variety of stews, curries and other traditional fare.
By chance, I happened to be at Thuthuka on an
evening when Thandile was hosting a wine tasting.
There was something quite atmospheric about tasting
through the line up of some of the country’s finest
Sauvignon and Chenin Blancs at Thuthuka. Trying not
to allow the infectious energy of the place to influence
our perception of the wines was indeed a difficult task!
Thandile’s goal is to offer a regular schedule of tastings
aimed at the international visitor but even more
importantly at the local restaurant and tavern owners.
It’s his ultimate objective to get more people drinking
wine in the townships and offering a distribution system
to the more than 1200 outlets that exist. He states, “We
needed to tap into the wine industry. Wine is not just for
rich people but is a fantastic consumer product for all. I
have outgrown other forms of alcohol and now
appreciate wine and want to introduce it in the townships
as a healthy way of life.” The task of converting any
consumer not familiar with drinking and appreciating
wine isn’t normally carried out quickly. However, through
wine education in a comfortable environment, Thandile
is certain of getting a larger portion of South Africans
drinking our own liquid gold!
Suzanne Morton is WOSA’s Marketing Manager for
North America. American by birth, she has resided in
South Africa since 1989. Having spent 10 years in the
travel industry, with Abercrombie & Kent, she began
studies in wine and moved into the industry in 2000.
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
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Fine Food in Franschhoek
By Cinda Chavich
Reuben Riffel seems a
little overwhelmed by
all of the accolades
being heaped on his new
namesake restaurant in the
pretty town of Franschhoek.
Just six months after
opening its doors, Reuben’s has
been named Restaurant of the
Year by South Africa’s Eat Out
magazine, and the young chef
behind the popular spot crowned
the country’s 2004 Chef of the
Year.
“For us to be compared with
some of the posh restaurants
that have won this award in the
past is quite amazing,” says the
soft-spoken Riffel, prepping
roasted peppers for the evening
meal in the glass-walled kitchen
which overlooks Reuben’s
contemporary dining room.
“What we do here is really
simple, bistro-style food.”
It’s not unusual that this
corner of South Africa – known
for its French history and fine
gastronomy – would spawn
another award-winning
restaurant. But receiving both
top honors simultaneously is a lot
for a 30-year-old chef to take in,
especially for his first restaurant.
“We offer simple comfort
food, the kind of food that I like
to eat,” he says candidly. “We
make fish cakes – that’s a
traditional dish – because I like
Chef Reuben Riffel will be the guest
of WOSA at the Vancouver Playhouse
International Wine Festival
(www.play housewine fest.com) in
March and will ensure a genuine
South African flavor is imparted to
the foods accompanying Cape wines
at the many events featuring a South
African theme. Highlights of
Reuben’s activities during the week
will include a cooking duet at Blue
Water Café with resident chef Frank
Pabst, a stint as guest chef at the
Sutton Place Hotel, and a variety of
other high profile opportunities.
them. And we have veal liver
with brown onions and savoy
cabbage, and risotto and roast
chicken.”
Rather than focusing on rare
ingredients like French truffles
and foie gras, or unusual flavor
combinations, Riffel says he uses
the best seasonal and local
ingredients he can find.
“I wanted to create a good
restaurant that gives value for
money,” he says, “and I wanted
to serve food that people like to
eat every day, not just for special
occasions.”
Riffel says his mother’s
Malay home cooking – ranging
from traditional bobotie and
curries to biryani – inspired an
early love of good food. But it is
his French training at top local
restaurants like Monneaux and
stints cooking in the UK which
shows in Reuben’s internationally
inspired cuisine. His menu has
two separate sides, divided into
‘contemporary’ and ‘classic’
choices, the former showing his
creative side, the latter focusing
on more familiar foods, all
presented in a sophisticated but
approachable style.
Starters range from raw
oysters on the half shell, corn and
shrimp chowder, or phyllo
packages filled with goat cheese
and caramelized onions, to
mussels steamed in a tomato
12
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THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER

Chili Salt Squid
broth scented with curry
that add to the
leaf, and a crisp array of
(provided by Reuben Riffel)
restaurant’s eclectic
Serves 4
tempura vegetables
ambiance, from the
served with a jammy
500 g whole squid (prepped)
whimsical oversized art to
mass of slow-cooked
100 g plain flour
the stained concrete
2 Tbs sea salt
ginger compote. Main
1 Tbs feshly ground white pepper
floors and free-standing
courses include classic
combinations – like
simple grilled chicken
flavored with rosemary
2 Tbs chili powder
oil for frying
Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and the chili in a
bowl and mix well. Shake off the excess flour
podiums designed to hold
ice buckets for wine.
It’s just one of the
growing number of top
and place the squid gently in the wok. Fry for
and garlic or steak frites
restaurants that has
two minutes and drain on paper towels.
– or more inventive dishes Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and a created Franschhoek’s
like quail served with
chilled Chenin Blanc.
reputation as the
creamy cabbage and
deep-fried arugula puree. Simple desserts - warm
chocolate mousse, almond maple bread pudding and
apple blueberry crumble – round out a comfortable
and satisfying meal.
The restaurant’s creative approach is not just in its
gastronomic capital of
wine country. The original stomping grounds of the
French Huguenot population.
Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar
19 Huguenot Street, Franschhoek 7690
Tel: +27 (21) 876-3772; Fax: +27 (21) 876-4464
cuisine but also in its decor ~ for example the distinctive
bar at the entrance to the dining room. The wing of a
1940s DC-3 Dakota that was salvaged from an aircraft
graveyard is mounted along one wall like a fat, silvery
shelf, where patrons can pull up a chic red leather bar
stool and enjoy a cocktail or glass of local wine from
the extensive list. And there are other design touches
Cinda Chavich is a Canadian specialist food writer based
in Alberta and was a recent guest of WOSA in South
Africa. Cinda is a freelance writer for a variety of
publications including Globe and Mail, and for magazines
including Chatelaine, Canadian Geographic, Wine
Access, Avenue, Cooking Light, and Health.
THE SOUTH AFRICA WINE REPORTER
a13