Bounce Magazine May 2015

MAY 2015 | ISSUE #31 | FOOD & DRINK
Constantia near Cape Town by the 18th Century
had acquired an international reputation
mentioned by Jane Austin and also drunk by
Napoleon on Saint Helena. Furthermore it was
cuttings from South Africa that were used to start
the Australian wine industry in 1788.
Vineyards
Most vineyards are situated in the Coastal region
with famous districts such as Stellenbosch, Paarl,
Franschhoek, Constantia, Walker Bay and many
others. They all lay in the Western Cape with
Capetown being the dominant City. The grape
varieties include Chenin Blanc ( the most planted)
, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz ( also called Syrah) and
a special one called Pinotage
Pinotage
The Pinotage was
developed for South
Africa in 1925 from
a crossing of Pinot
Noir and Cinsault.
The Cinsault used to
be called the Hermitage,
thus using a half of each
name Pinotage was born. The
first use commercially was in 1941 and although
initially there were problems but by 1991 was
rated as a top grape with its rich and spicy wines.
Most harvesting is carried out by hand due to the
difficult terrain, which carries with it the benefit
of better quality control. During the ripening
season the grapes get eaten by various animals,
particularly baboons. Initially the red stains
on their hands scared them off but gradually
got used to it. Staff had to be employed to
throw stones at them to deter them. This was
dangerous as the baboons soon learnt to throw
them back.
Climate and Soils
The climate is good for grape growing due to the
cooling effect of the two oceans, The Atlantic
and The Indian. Soils vary over the area with
sandstone, granite and shale. The bedrock is shale
which has no fossils thereby indicating it must be
500 million years old.
Organisation
The Winelands are broken down into regions,(
some of which have been mentioned) smaller
districts, wards and individual estates.
The Co-operative Wine Growers Association
(KWV) was formed in 1918 to regulate the wine
industry which was suffering from massive
overproduction. This over time became a sort of
State run industry. Since the changes that took
place in 1990 and Nelson Mandela became
President, more individual Estate wines
are being produced leading to
higher qualities.
Certification
One thing to watch out
for is the seal of Origin
which is placed over
the neck of the bottle.
This guarantees the origin,
grape variety, and vintage as
shown on the label.
Enjoy South African Wine
A well known food for bush tucker is Biltong, an
air dried beef that is very strong in flavour. It is
available so worth trying with Pinotage which
should match it.
As the grapes tend to have come from France in
general try the following comparisons.
A Loire Valley Chenin Blanc like Vouvray , but dry,
compared to a South African Chenin Blanc.
A Pinot Noir from France compared to a Pinotage
and see what difference the Cinsault has made to
it. You may not find a pure Cinsault wine.
Compare any Chardonnays between France and
South Africa.
Try to have them both oaked or unoaked to make
a fair comparison.
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