Impact of South African Wines on the International Market

The abolishment of apartheid towards the end of the 20^th century, gave a boost to the South African wine industry. Since then it has only moved forward and is one of the forerunners in wine production in the world. It is ranked 17^th in cultivation and is in the top ten list of wine producing countries.

The South African wine industry has come a long way since its birth in the mid 17^th century. New and improved methods of cultivation and modern irrigation techniques have raised the quality of production. Utilization of scientific methods of pest control and protective measures against fungal and mildew attacks has effectively increased the yield of grapes.

Viticulture research, resulting in novel methods of cloning and combining various types of grapes, has also contributed to the positive trend in the industry and has helped it to etch out a position in the international wine market.

Vineyard cultivation and wine production in South Africa is concentrated in the Western Cape area. The soil and climate here is very conducive to wine producing activities. Various types of wine are produced in this cape region of the country. The focus is mainly on varieties that can be exported. The popular types include the Port-style wines. These wines are fermented using methods similar to those in making Port wine.

There are a few varieties of this wine like the Cape White port that is made from white wine grapes and are aged for at least six months in wood barrels. Then there is the Cape Ruby port which is a red wine that is aged for about a year. Cape Vintage port wines are aged from 2 to 6 years in oak barrels and are bottled only in glass bottles. Sherry-style wines which are fortified with brandy are also produced in South Africa.  

Sparkling wines in the mould of Champagne are also very popular. These wines are marketed as Cap Classique to distinguish them from the original Champagne. But the most popular variety of South African wine is the red sparkling wines produced from a grape that is a combination of two varieties of ethnic South African grapes. 

Pinot Noir and Cinsaut or Hermitage as it is known in South Africa, are two varieties of grape that are very hard to cultivate. In the early part of the 20^th century a professor of viticulture, developed a type of grape derived from combining these two varieties. This red wine grape is a hardy variety that can be grown quite easily. It produces a deep red wine with a smoky and earthy flavor with a hint of tropical fruits. This grape variety is called Pinotage and South Africa produces the wines in different flavors from this grape like the Kanonkop 2003/2004, Steytler 2001, Warwick, Spice Route, Groot Constantia and Delheim Rose. 

The production of South African wine is increasing steadily every year. The variety available has made these wines very popular and this has brought about a significant growth in the wine exports of the country