Informazioa
- Kategoria:
- Interes komunak - Janari eta edariak
- Deskribapena:
- For everyone that loves South African wine! Updates on industry news and more!
- Pribatutasun Mota:
- Irekia: Eduki guztia publikoa da.
Kudeatzaileak
- Dirk (sortzailea)
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- Ommiberg 'Round the Rock 2010'...
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Oinarrizko informazioa
- Izena:
- South African Wine Lovers
- Kategoria:
- Interes komunak - Janari eta edariak
- Deskribapena:
- For everyone that loves South African wine! Updates on industry news and more!
- Pribatutasun Mota:
- Irekia: Eduki guztia publikoa da.
Harremanetarako bideak
- E-posta:
- dirk@peronii.co.za
- Webgunea:
- http://www.vinetowine.co.za
http://www.peronii.co.za - Kokapena:
- Cape Town, South Africa
Azken Berriak
- Albisteak:
- Welcome to our new group for South African wine! If you like SA wine, let us know!! Look out for industry updates and much more to come!
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MORE ABOUT SOUTH AFRICAN WINE
To say that South Africa’s unique, agreeable climate is largely why the country’s wines ranks among the best in the world, would be oversimplifying it.
Of course the Mediterranean climate – long, warm, dry summers and rain-drenched winters – of South Africa’s Western Cape province, where the majority of the country’s Winelands are located, does play a huge part in the world-class wines produced here.
Especially in Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second oldest town and generally regarded as the heart of the country’s wine industry. Sheltered by the surrounding mountains, and due to its close proximity to where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans collide in a foamy embrace, Stellenbosch has a unique, macro-climatic environment. There is maximum sunlight penetration, and the cool breezes coming in from the nearby oceans help to create the necessary cooling effects for producing optimally ripe grapes with delicate flavours.
However, the weather is but one deciding factor in the entire process, and one needn’t be a connoisseur to know that it takes far more than one ingredient to create a unique and harmonic symphony of taste.
Geology is another terroir or wine-style affecting factor.
Terroir is a quintessentially French term used to define the French Appellation Contrôlée system. It is used to describe the total natural environment of a viticultural site. In other words, refers to the natural features of a body of land which interact to create a unique set of conditions that in turn confer specific characteristics on the wines produced there. Key factors include topography, climate, geology and soil.
It seeks to answer the question of why great vines grow where they do. Some wine experts have reached the conclusion that the very essence of terroir is found not in merely one or two elements, but in the totality of the elements of the vineyard habitat.
Early recognition of the implied link between vineyard location and wine is reflected by the tradition of naming wines by their place of origin – such as Bordeaux – rather than by cultivar.
Thanks to scientific evidence concluding that variation in natural terroir-determining factors affect wine style under Western Cape conditions, vineyards are increasingly being planted outside the traditional wine growing areas to take advantage of a greater diversity of environmental conditions.
Therefore the winelands are vastly spilling out of the Western Cape’s traditional wine route into other areas NOT previously known for vineyards and wine production. According to the Wines of South Africa website, South Africa had 102 146 hectares under vines for wine production two years ago.
Of course, this expansion of vineyards means that the natural habitats of some of South Africa’s indigenous vegetation (such as the Fynbos – which literally translates to ‘fine bush’) are coming under threat.
A few years ago, this led to the establishment of a Biodiversity and Wine Initiative. Formed by the South African wine industry and Western Cape and international conservation bodies, this Initiative aims to, within the next 20 years, prevent the potential destruction of the province's threatened lowland fynbos and Renosterveld by the proliferation of vineyards in ecologically sensitive areas. Since the Western Cape has the only wine growing area in a World Heritage site, local wine producers and conservationists have been working side by side to prevent the vineyards from further choking the Cape floral kingdom.
The plan is to identify and conserve areas of healthy indigenous vegetation not yet under vine by setting aside natural habitat in contractually protected areas. Farmers would enter into "stewardship" agreements with Cape Nature Conservation to protect endangered vegetation on their properties. Benefits to the land owner included property rate rebates.
Apart from wracking up some good Karma in the universe for being kind to the earth, the fact that South Africa’s local wines are developing a distinctly green tinge is also rather fashionable. Wines produced by environmentally sensitive estates are increasingly attractive in foreign markets, which means that wine producers have a financial incentive to run environmentally sensitive business. Therefore the local initiative also aims to set up a biodiversity wine route where visitors will be exposed to both the wine and the ecotourism experience of participating producers.
THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE - April 2009
With wineries around the world stepping up their game by offering visitors better services and gourmet food to compliment their wines, wine tourism is becoming a niche industry – one which is on the increase globally.
It is with this in mind that Forbes.com compiled a list of Top Ten of International Wine Destinations. For the endeavour they enlisted the assistance and expertise of George Taber, the author of “In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism.”
South Africa not only cracked a nod, but made it into the top three – even beating a winery in France! Taber and Forbes awarded the impressive number three spot to a winery situated in the heart of the local wine country, Stellenbosch.
Taber had this to say about the picturesque, historic town: “Stellenbosch is considered one of the most beautiful wine areas in the world, with a Mediterranean climate and scenery reminiscent of the Napa Valley, without the crowds.”
Interestingly enough, despite the comparison to Napa in the US, no American winery made it on to the list.
The number one spot was awarded to a winery in Tuscany, Italy, while a wine producer in the Cochagua Valley in Chile came in just ahead of South Africa in second place. Wineries in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, the Bordeaux region of France and Germany make up the rest of the prestigious list.
In keeping with the trend to attract more tourists and visitors to the area, the Stellenbosch Wine Route has introduced vibrant Sundays. With more than 30 wineries in the area currently open on Sundays, Stellenbosch Tourism and the Stellenbosch American Express Wine Routes are collaborating with area businesses and wineries to ensure that Stellenbosch becomes a vibrant Sunday destination for the whole family.
“Local businesses have realised that, for many people, Sunday has become the ideal day to escape the city and head for the outdoors. Emphasis has been placed on making establishments child-friendly, which ensures that families are catered for,” says Annareth Bolton, CEO of Stellenbosch Wine Routes.
Apart from wining and dining, visitors can explore the spectacular outdoor scenery of Stellenbosch with its majestic mountains, vineyards and historic architecture during hiking and – for the more adventurous types – mountaineering expeditions, cycling and jogging trails, hang-gliding and a myriad other recreational activities.
The town itself also has much to offer in the way of art galleries, restaurants, cafés and museums.
People can also go for drives along the Children's Route or even the infamous Clock Route. To ensure that their wine tasting experience has a bit more kick, people can always go for a scenic wine tasting donkey walk in the Polkadraai Hills.
Forbes.com and Taber should take note: with such a veritable bouquet of offerings in one place right under their wine sniffing noses, they may find more than one Stellenbosch winery to put on their top ten list next year!