Sudafrica

All the vineyards of South Africa are concentrated in the Cape of Good Hope region for the simple reason that the Benguela Antarctic cold current helps to counterbalance the climate, marked by a very strong concentration of sunlight throughout the day. The vines were brought here in 1655 by the Dutch and at the end of the eighteenth century, South Africa produced a fine dessert wine of world renown, called Moscato di Costantia. Since then the reputation of South African wine has darkened until the end of the embargo, in 1984, which saw a jump in the demand for both internal and external wine. Most of the South African vineyard consists of white grapes; Chenin Blanc, here called Steen, Colombard, Cape Riesling, Clairette, Semillon, Gewurtraminer, Muscat of Alexandria, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Among the red berried vines we find Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Sirah, Zinfandel, Grenache, Gamay, Ruby Cabernet, and Pinotage, a curious cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. The main wine districts of South Africa are Costantia, the oldest wine region in the country with wet winters and hot summers where Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosh, the most important district for quality where Merlot grapes reign, Pinotage and Shiraz, Durbaville, known for its gentle hills, Robertson, dominated by the warm climate where they produce white wines very fat and slightly sweetened by grapes of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and wines from Muscadelle and Colombard, and finally the region of Paarl which is home to the KWV, the largest cooperative in the country.