South Africa

The Birthplace of Pinotage

Introduction

• The South African wine

industry is still recovering

from years of isolation,

following the end of

Apartheid in 1994.

• It is now time to reengage

with international markets.

• The majority of the wine

produced following the end

of the apartheid era was

cheap and insipid.

• Why? Labour and Land

was affordable so anyone

wanting to make a quick

buck jumped on the

bandwagon.

• The industry is based on the

southern tip of the country.

• Primarily based in the

Western Cape, there are

some vines in the Northern

Cape and a very small

amount in KwaZulu Natal.

"TODAY, PRAISE BE TO GOD, WINE WAS PRESSED FOR THE

FIRST TIME FROM CAPE GRAPES.“ JAN VAN RIEBEECK,

FEBRUARY 2ND, 1659

History

1678 - Stellenbosch

Established

1685 - Simon van der Stel

plants vines in Constantia

1688 - Arrival of French

Huguenots, some with

valuable winemaking

experience

1761 - Constantia Valley

starts exporting wine to

Europe

1788 - Constantia dessert

wines win acclaim

throughout Europe

1886 - Phylloxera causes

major destruction

Current

Industry

• Over 100,000 hectares of vineyards

• 9th largest producer in the world

• 450 million litresexported annually

• Mediterranean climate, with cool, wet winters and dry warm summers

Most Planted

Varieties

• Chenin Blanc – 18%

• Cabernet – 12%

• Shiraz – 11%

• Sauvignon Blanc –

10%

• Pinotage – 7%

• South Africa’s wine

history dates back to

over 300 years ago.

• Contemporary New

World Styles

combined with Old

World Classicism

The Vine

Improvement

Programme

(VIP)

First Phase (Completed)

• Yield controlling

rootstock

• Virus free rootstock

• Clonal research

Second Phase (in progress)

• Matching grape varieties,

rootstock and clones to

terroir

Influence on the world of wine

Pinotage

• Abraham Izak Perold

• Cross between Pinot Noir and

Hermitage (Cinsaut)

• He planted 4 seeds in his

private garden in 1925

• First commercial planting in

1943

Pinotage Misunderstood

• Low quality commercial wine in the 80’s and 90’s

• Vigorous; Bold; High in Tannin and Anthocyanin

Challenges

• Unstable market

• Unfair practices

• Strikes

• WIETA – introduced

“ethical seal carried

on bottles as a

guarantee of fair

labour practices”

Labour

Further

Challenges

• Possible ban on liquor advertising

• Unpredictable weather patterns and consumer trends

• Balancing supply and demand

• Unstable exchange rates

• Tax changes

• 2014 elections

Resources

Dougherty, P.H. (Ed.). (2012). The Geography of Wine: Regions, Terroir and Techniques. New York, USA: Springer.

Anderson, H. (2003). Vino: Great Wine for Everyday Life. London, United Kingdom: Random House

Johan Anthoniszoon “Jan” Van Riebeeck | South African History Online. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/johan-anthoniszoon-jan-van-riebeeck

Prial, F. J. (1992, April 8). The Wine Regions: South Africa; Long History of Wine Emerges From a Cloud. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/08/garden/the-wine-regions-south-africa-long-history-of-wine-emerges-from-a-cloud.html

Wines of South Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wosa.co.za/sa/history_timeline.php

Facts & Figures | Wine Industry | Wines of South Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.winesofsa.co.uk/facts/

History of South African Wine. (n.d.). Vineyard Varieties. Retrieved from http://vineyardvarieties.com/history-of-south-african-wine.html

South African wine. (2014, July 28). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved

August 4, 2014, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_African_wine&oldid=615495886

Who’s Your Daddy?: Pinotage. (n.d.). The Academic Wino. Retrieved from

http://www.academicwino.com/2012/03/whos-your-daddy-pinotage.html/

Give Pinotage Wine a Taste | Wine Folly. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://winefolly.com/review/give-pinotage-wine-taste/

Winelands set for record harvest if unrest is resolved - Business News | IOL Business |

IOL.co.za. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iol.co.za/business/news/winelands-set-for-

record-harvest-if-unrest-is-resolved-1.1451563

South Africa: striking workers burn vineyards in protest over 'hunger wages' | World news

| theguardian.com. (n.d.). Retrieved August 13, 2014, from

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/08/south-africa-strike-vineyards

The South African Wine Industry: Insights Survey 2014. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.pwc.co.za/en/publications/wine-benchmarking-survey.jhtml