Wines of the New South Africa: Tradition and RevolutionSought after by European aristocrats and a favorite of Napoleon Bonaparte, the sweet wines of Constantia in the Cape Colony were considered to be among the worldÕs best during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa began to re-emerge onto the international wine scene. Tim James, an expert on South African wines, takes the reader on an information-packed tour of the region, showing us how and why the unique combination of terroir and climate, together with dramatic improvements in winemaking techniques, result in wines that are once again winning accolades. James describes important grape varieties and wine stylesÑfrom delicate sparkling, to rich fortified, and everything in betweenÑincluding the varietal blends that produce some of the finest Cape wines. Anchoring his narrative in a rich historical context, James discusses all the major wine regions, from Cederberg to Walker Bay, complete with profiles of more than 150 of the countryÕs finest producers. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Wine and the New South Africa | 5 |
A Brief History of South African Wine to 1994 | 23 |
Grape Varieties and Wine Styles | 48 |
Legislation Labels and Terroir | 82 |
Constantia and the Cape Peninsula | 90 |
Stellenbosch | 106 |
Paarl and Wellington | 182 |
Durbanville to Darling | 220 |
The Swartland | 230 |
Breede River Valley | 246 |
Walker Bay and Cape Agulhas | 258 |
Elgin and Overberg | 276 |
Tulbagh and Ceres | 287 |
Olifants River West Coast and Cederberg | 295 |
| 319 | |
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Common terms and phrases
ambitious Bordeaux-style blend bottle bought brand Breede River Valley bushvines Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Cape Agulhas Cape Town Cape wine Cape's cellar cellarmaster century Chardonnay Chenin Blanc Cinsaut cool cooperative decade district Durbanville early elegant Elgin established example exports farmers fermentation flagship Franschhoek fruit GRAPE VARIETIES Grenache Groot Constantia harvest hectares hectares of vines hectares of vineyards Hemel-en-Aarde irrigation label less mature Merlot modern mountains Mourvèdre Muscat Nederburg owner Paardeberg Paarl PAARL AND WELLINGTON percent perhaps Petit Verdot Pinot Noir Pinotage planted producers range red wine replanting Rhône rich Riesling ripe Robertson Rustenberg Sadie Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon Shiraz Simonsberg slopes soils South African wine Stellenbosch Swartland Syrah tannins terroir Tulbagh varietal wines VARIETIES AND WINE Vergelegen vinified vintage Viognier viticulture viticulturist Walker Bay ward white wine wine industry wine production WINE STYLES winegrowing winemaking winery