Discovering Different Wine Types

CHAMPAGNE

Champagne wines are exclusively produced from grapes grown, harvested and made into wine within the Champagne delimited region, in France. The grapes used to make Champagne wines possess characteristics not found anywhere else in the world due to the particular geography, soil and climate of the Champagne delimited region.

CAP CLASSIQUE & SPARKLING WINES

In South Africa Methode Cap Classique is a classic method of making champagne by creating a second fermentation in the bottle. The term Cap Classique has been used in South Africa since 1992. The most common wines to be used for this method are the Sauvignon Blanc and the Chenin Blanc, but it is also possible to use Chardonnay. For a darker, more original sparkling wine, Pinot Noir can be added to the Methode.

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most familiar of the Southern Hemisphere’s white wines, and along with Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, is also one of the most planted grape vines in South Africa. The country has no real claim to rival New Zealand as the biggest grower of Sauvignon Blanc in the tri-nation countries, but South Africa is still a big producer of the wine, both as a single varietal and as a blender along with other wines such as Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. Despite New Zealand’s claim to be the best maker of this wine, some modern wine experts believe that South Africa has the potential to overtake the former country.

CHARDONNAY

South Africa produces a wide variety of white wines, taken from traditional white grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, as well as varieties which have been produced in South Africa itself. One of the newer varieties of South African white wines, established during the 1980s and 90s, is Chardonnay. This ever-popular wine is one of the most widely drunk around the world, but it is only in the last two decades that it has begun to gain ground in South Africa. Nevertheless, it is one of South Africa’s best exports, and has a distinctive flavour that can be enjoyed with a variety of meals.

CHENIN BLANC

Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s most widely cultivated vine, being about a fifth of all plantings since the beginning of the 21st century. It has been in South Africa for a number of centuries, and may have been introduced as early as the 17th century, when Jan Van Riebeeck set up a vineyard in the country. The wine, also known by the South African name of Steen, was for many years regarded as unique to South Africa, and it was only in the 1960s that experts were able to connect the Steen plants to Chenin Blanc, and give the correct name to this vine.

WHITE BLEND

Many wine growers in South Africa have been dedicated to producing just a single varietal of white wine, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. The expertise which is put into producing these wines has allowed the wine industry to flourish, but for many wine experts, it is the white wine blends that the country produces which really show the stand-out talents of its wine makers. White wine blends are more difficult to produce than those of red wine, simply because of the more delicate nature of the wine, and the risks of marring the colour through over-blending.

BLUSH WINES

Whether it’s rosé, rosado (Spain), rosato (Italy) or “blush” – these terms all refer to pink wine. This pink shade can range from a soft, subtle hue to a vibrant, hot pink, depending on the grape used and how long the grape skins were in contact with the juice.

CABERNET SAUGVIGNON

Cabernet Sauvignon is perhaps one of the most well-known red wines in the world. South Africa has made itself one of the go-to countries for consumers looking for a deep red wine with all the traditional flavour of a French Bordeaux, and has become a specialist at producing award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon which is prized by wine connoisseurs all over the world.

MERLOT

Merlot is a popular wine, both as a single varietal and for blending. The wine usually appears as a dark purple or blue colour, and has a fresh and fruity taste, full of dark berries. The Merlot vine tends to come into season much quicker than other red grapes, and the wine is often used with wines which take longer to mature, such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The purpose for blending the wine like this is to diminish the tannins of the other wine, and Merlot’s flexibility as both a blender and a single varietal wine have made it extremely popular with wine growers.

SHIRAZ/SYRAH

Known as Syrah in its native France, and Shiraz to the majority of the world, this red grape produces some of the globe’s favourite wines, and it is an incredibly popular wine in both its single varietal and blended styles. In France, Syrah is sometimes blended with a glassful of Viognier, while Australia tend to blend it 50/50 with Cabernet Sauvignon. The latter wine is often known as Shiraz-Cabernet. Syrah is also blended with Grenache and Mourvédre to make Chateauneuf-du-pape, sometimes called GSM in the Southern Hemisphere. The ability of the fruit to be blended with almost any other red wine makes it a firm favourite among wine makers and wine drinkers.

PINOTAGE

Pinotage is probably South Africa’s most treasured wine, not least because it was invented in the country in the 1920s. The intention of the inventor, Abraham Perold, was to combine the positive qualities of Hermitage with the more difficult Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir needed some assistance because it was, and still is, exceedingly fragile, and this makes it hard to grow. Perold created four seeds, but appears to have left them when he quit his University position. A junior lecturer, C. Niehaus, just happened to spot them, and the first Pinotage plants were moved to Elsenburg Agricultural college. The first Pinotage wine was made there in 1941, and since then it has become a South African favourite, winning consistent awards since 1959, when it won the Champion Wine of the Cape Wine Show.

PINOT NOIR

Originating in the Burgundy region of France, Pinot Noir wine is considered by some to be the best red wine in the world. The origins of the vine are obscure, and while it is possible that it originates with Roman occupation of France in the 1st Century AD, it is just as likely that it represents a French domestication of a wild bush vine. Pinot Noir is one of the wines used to create traditional French champagne, but it is also a stand-alone wine which has many fans across the globe. It has been in South Africa for many years, and was one of the two vines crossed to produce Pinotage, the country’s unique wine.

RED BLEND

South Africa is increasingly moving towards the red blend in order to produce excellent wines. Wine blends offer more complexity than single variety wines. In fact, some of the world’s greatest wines are made from a blend of grapes rather than a single varietal. By blending varietals, winemakers can change a wine’s qualities. At its most basic, vintners blend wine made from different grapes in order to add more complexity to the flavour and texture of a wine.

DESSERT WINES

South Africa makes some of the world’s most delicious sweet wines. They include botrytis affected Chenic Blanc similar to the Vouvray and Quarts de Chaume of the Loire Valley; straw wine made from partially dried grapes like those made in Italy.