Why is South African wine so good?

Bregje van Weezel (47) lives with her family in Cape Town, South Africa. She writes about her experiences in the colourful but also complex country. In this column, she shares her enthusiasm and knowledge about the South African wine industry. Her stories are neither too dry nor too heavy and this column is entirely on her (wine) mind. If you would like to read more about everything she likes in South Africa, you can follow Bregje on Instragram @vin_ik_leuk

Why is South African wine so good? It's all to do with location, location AND you guessed it, location. Of course the winemakers, too, have their influence, but let's start at the beginning.

Old

The soil, or rather the soil on which the South African vines grow, is remarkably old. And by old, I mean really, really old. Think at least about 500 million years. To put that number into perspective. Table Mountain is 260 million years old, the Alps, at 32 million, are really youngsters. Apart from that respectable age, the soil also offers enormous diversity, from heavy clay to sand, which in turn creates different aromas and flavours. As if that were not enough, that old soil is also home to the oldest grapevines in the world. These oldies produce very concentrated grapes with deep flavours.

Ideal conditions

In addition, South Africa has a remarkable diversity of climates. The western part of the Cape, for instance, has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and mild wet winters. These are ideal conditions for growing wine. The grapes cabernet sauvignon and shiraz absolutely love it. While in the Eastern Cape, the chenin blanc and pinotage grapes enjoy steppes climates again. So because of these different climates, in different locations, there is also a variety of grape varieties available.

Nice and fresh

But we are not there yet. Because besides the mountains, there are also two oceans, which have their positive influence. For instance, the cool Atlantic Ocean makes the growing season of the grapes longer, giving them more time to build up aroma and flavour. While in high-altitude areas, the same ocean in turn ensures that on summer days, the southeast wind rolls a cloud cover over the vineyards, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and develop typical flavours. The Indian Ocean, also already a little warmer, still provides the necessary cooling in the evening in the vineyards near False Bay, keeping the grapes so nice and fresh.

Delivered in a basket

Not for nothing did Jan van Riebeeck see the potential for viticulture there at that False Bay and Simon van der Stel happily went ahead with it at this location. He was the one, who put South African wine on the international map. Also had a rather special childhood. For instance, he was born at sea on his way to Mauritius, where his father also became governor. When he was six, they moved to Sri Lanka. There, his father met a rather miserable end and his head was delivered home in a basket. His mother and he moved, I think from shock, to Indonesia. But didn't sit well with him, as at 12 he was orphaned there. It wasn't until he was 20 that he first arrived in the Netherlands. Without any possessions, because he was not allowed to take them with him, as he was of mixed descent. In fact, his grandmother was an Indian slave, who had married a Dutch sailor. Remarkable fact about the "founding father" of South Africa, I guess.

Variety & quality

But back to wine. That old and diverse soil, with old bushes, combined with the different climates and landscapes, in various locations, allows winemakers to work with a variety of grape varieties and qualities. Consequently, there is a huge variety. From crisp whites to robust reds, from well-known to lesser-known grapes such as pinotage and chenin blanc, it's all there. Pure or in the famous blend. In addition, South Africa is known for its sustainable practices, which is a logical consequence of living and working in one of the most bio diverse places on earth. And its age-old knowledge of wine making, is naturally also nurtured. All this, variety and quality, is what makes South African wines so good. And if you don't believe me, go and taste it for yourself.

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