South Africa is on a similar latitude to California, and has a generally warm Mediterranean climate, but mountains, winds and the cold Benguela current from the South Pole, give a variety of microclimates, and there are varied soils, so almost every style and quality of wine can be made. And is. Although the Dutch first fermented grape juice in Cape Town in 1652, it was but 30 years ago that only one third of grapes were made into wine and the rest into brandy. Fast forward and four-fifths are now wine and exports are up more than twenty fold. There has been a revolution. Volume is down, vineyard area is down, but quality has never been higher. Growers are finally being paid a reasonable price. So forget any thoughts of simple, easy drinking bottles discounted in supermarkets; we tasted five whites and five reds in ten critically acclaimed wines showing some of the extraordinary diversity of styles being made today in this revitalised country.
As for accompanying food, South African cuisine has a wide mixture of influences from the Dutch, English, French, Malay, Indonesian, so we made sure there would be something vaguely appropriate to accompany the vino.
Whites
- Reyneke Reserve White 2021 (Sauvignon Blanc) Stellenbosch 13%
- Ataraxia Chardonnay 2023 Western Cape 13%
- Black Elephant Vintners The Dark Side of the Vine Semillon 2017 Frankschoek Valley 12%
- Alheit Fire By Night 2022 (Chenin Blanc) Voor Paardeberg 12.5%
- Breton Cabernet Franc 2020 Stellenbosch 13%
Reds
- Storm Ridge Pinot Noir 2017 Hemel-En-Aarde 13.5%
- Minimalist Wines “No place like home” Syrah 2022 14%
- Beeslaar Pinotage 2020 Stellenbosch 14.5%
- Vergelegen Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 South Africa 14%
- Mullineux Straw Wine 2022 Swartland 7.5%
Organised by Richard Pearey