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EDITORIAL<br />
PHILIPPE GAILLARD - EDITORIAL DIRECTOR<br />
SOUTH A<strong>FR</strong>ICA AND ITS SAUVIGNON BLANC ERA<br />
Sauvignon blanc has long appealed to many wine<br />
regions around the world, from the Loire Valley to<br />
Bordeaux, New Zealand and Italy via Chile. It has also<br />
gained traction in South Africa and birthed extremely high<br />
quality wines in vineyards virtually across the Cape, both<br />
in the Northern Cape and in every corner of the Western<br />
Cape, in Robertson, Stellenbosch and Breedekloof. From<br />
here, it gravitates towards the coast and the cool slopes<br />
of the undulating valleys (Cape Town and the Cape South<br />
Coast), then climbs in altitude in the continental Cederberg,<br />
where it foils the hazards of the heat and drought,<br />
and the dangers of the wind. This myriad of vineyard sites,<br />
elevations and exposures elicits multiple personas from<br />
Sauvignon.<br />
The varietal has been grown in South Africa since 1880, at<br />
Groot Constantia, and has successfully continued to play<br />
a significant part in the wine industry with 9,987 hectares<br />
under vine. It is the country’s second most widely planted<br />
grape variety. A trade association that focuses on showcasing<br />
and promoting the varietal – Sauvignon Blanc<br />
South Africa – was established at the turn of the 2000s.<br />
Its primary mission is to support the local wine industry,<br />
and it also organises the annual FNB Sauvignon Blanc Top<br />
10 annual competition to award innovation and excellence.<br />
The event does not just establish a hierarchy – the ten best<br />
wines are analysed at length and the information is shared<br />
through technical seminars and workshops as part of an<br />
outreach approach promoted by the association. The aim<br />
is to enable all its members to benefit from all types of<br />
information that can help them to move forward. Read<br />
our fascinating report from within the country on page 70<br />
to find out everything you need to know about ‘Sauvignon<br />
mania’ in the Western Cape.<br />
SUMMER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE <strong>FR</strong>ENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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