Does South Africa produce good wine?

South Africa’s “winelands,” as they’re known, are among the most beautiful wine-producing regions in the world. And while it’s often categorized as a New World wine country, South Africa’s vineyards have been thriving for centuries—all those ships sailing around the Cape of Good Hope needed to replenish their rations!

What is special about South African wine?

Today, South African wines straddle Old World and New: the wines often smell of ripe, silky fruit, but showcase earthy flavors and finish with restraint. Because of the generally warm climate, South Africa’s red grapes in particular get very ripe and produce full, high alcohol wines.

What is the best wine from South Africa?

Best Red Wine Overall

Category	Wine	Score
Best Shiraz	Zandvliet Hill of Enon 2019	95
Best Signature Red Blend	Mary le Bow 2018	94
Best Muscadel	De Krans Muscat Blanc 2020	93
Best Noble Late Harvest	Boschendal Vin D’Or 2018	92

Does South Africa export wine to France?

South African wine exports: UK leads, France makes a surprising appearance. Great Britain is still the biggest importer of South African wine. The country takes almost a quarter of the South African exports.

What type of wine is produced in South Africa?

The country’s signature variety is Pinotage, an indigenous crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in any other wine-producing country. Shiraz is widely planted also, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often found together in a Bordeaux Blend).

Who is South Africa’s largest wine producer?

Namaqua Wines
Namaqua Wines is one of the largest growers and exporters of fine wines from South Africa.

What kind of wine does South Africa produce?

The major wines are Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Colombard, a French white variety traditionally used for Cognac. There’s also a fair amount of Merlot and Chardonnay, along with Pinotage, which is largely considered to be South Africa’s signature variety.

Which red wine is good in South Africa?

Areas such as Paarl, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Walker Bay and Franschhoek have all become synonymous with top quality wines. The most popular red wines are shiraz (syrah), cabernet sauvignon, along with cinsault (or cinsaut), pinot noir and the homegrown Cape favourite, pinotage.

Where does South Africa export wine to?

SA wine export markets which showed good growth in value include the UK, The Netherlands, the US and Sweden. The 2020 harvest of SA’s 2020 wine industry was good and vineyards could recover from drought conditions in previous years.

What is South Africa’s most important wine of origin region?

Chenin blanc: Known in South Africa as Steen, Chenin Blanc is the country’s most popular wine grape variety, accounting for 18.6 percent of total plantings.

Where is wine produced in South Africa?

Cape
The majority of wine production in South Africa takes place in the Cape, particularly the south-west corner near the coastal region. The historical heart of South African wine has been the area near the Cape Peninsula and modern-day Cape Town.

How many wine producers are in South Africa?

Growth in wineries

	2005	2019
Number of primary grape producers	4360	2 778
Number of wine cellars which crush grapes	581	533
Producer cellars	65	45
Producing wholesalers	21	28

What makes South African wine so special?

Diversity is another great hallmark of South African wine – over 25 sub-regions and some 69 smaller wards spread across the Western Cape. The most important labels remain Cabernet Sauvignon blends produced in Stellenbosch and Paarl in terms of premium output.

What is South African Cabernet Sauvignon?

South African Cabernet Sauvignon lies between the New and the Old world. In this case, it is rivaled only by Bordeaux stable mate Merlot and Pinot Noir. Cabernet has successfully spread to all winegrowing countries in the world. It is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. 2. Syrah

Is South African Cabernet Sauvignon a good alternative to Paso?

A sharp intricacy to South African Cab makes the best alternative to fruit-forward cab valued from Paso, Sonoma and Robles, California. South African Cabernet Sauvignon lies between the New and the Old world. In this case, it is rivaled only by Bordeaux stable mate Merlot and Pinot Noir.

What was the first wine vineyard in South Africa?

The first vineyards to be planted were Groot Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Klein Constantia and Constantia Uitsig, which were all part of the Van der Stel’s original Constantia Estate. Upon their establishment, the wine industry grew steadily in the South African country which resulted in the establishment of various brands of wine.