The parliamentary republic at the southern tip Africa with the capitals Pretoria (Government), Cape Town (Parliament) and Bloemfontein (Justice) covers 1,221,037 km². In the south and southeast, South Africa borders the Indian Ocean, in the west the Atlantic Ocean, in the north Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, in the northeast Mozambique and in the east Eswatini (until 2018 Swaziland). The Kingdom of Lesotho is enclosed as an enclave by South Africa.
South Africa was a Netherlands colony from 1652 and from 1797 (with interruptions) until 1910 a Great Britain colony. After the end of World War II, the white population minority under the political leadership of the National Party authoritarian expanded the apartheid structures. Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was elected as the first black president of South Africa in 1994 and received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end apartheid.
History
The Dutch doctor Jan van Riebeeck Jan (1619-1677) founded Cape Town in 1652, named after the Cape of Good Hope located 45 km to the south, and planted the first vine brought from Europe at the foot of Table Mountain near the present-day capital in 1655. The first vintage was a 1659 with 15 liters of Muscat wine. From the end of the 17th century, 200 Huguenots expelled from their French homeland, which is remembered by the name of the growing area Franschhoek (French Corner), as well as German and Dutch winegrowers, further developed South African viticulture. Their descendants still play a significant role today.
The Dutch governor Simon van der Stel (1639-1712) founded the city of Stellenbosch and established the famous vineyard Constantia in 1685, from which one of the legendary dessert wine in the world called "Vin de Constance" was produced at that time. In the 17th century, large quantities of wines were exported to England in the port wine and sherry as well as brandy. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Dutch governors successfully promoted viticulture. In 1885, the phylloxera also reached South Africa and caused devastating damage.
Modern Viticulture
A racial separation was initiated after the founding of the Union of South Africa in 1910, excluding the black population from voting. After World War II (1939-1945), it was intensified, and the term apartheid (Afrikaans "apart" = separate) emerged. Due to the resulting boycott by many countries, South Africa was increasingly cut off from exports. In 1918, due to a wine crisis (overproduction, poor quality, bankruptcy of many businesses), the KWV (Cooperative Winegrowers Association of South Africa) was founded.
This state control body dominated South African viticulture until the early 1990s. The apartheid policy was abandoned in 1991, and the right to land ownership was opened to all. Demand skyrocketed, and wine has become one of the most important export goods. In 2002, the non-profit organization WIETA was founded, which among other things deals with improving working conditions in the wine industry.
There are 4,000 grape producers, around 60 cooperatives (wine cooperative), 500 private wineries & cellars, and over 20 wholesalers. The largest South African winery is Nederburg (Paarl), where the first South African Botrytis wine called Edelkeur was produced by Günter Brözel Günter (alongside Tim Hamilton Russell, one of the South African wine pioneers). A significant auctions takes place here annually. KWV International plays an important role as a producer and trading house. Another large company is the Stellenbosch Farmer’s Winery (SFW).
A specialty is the sweet dessert wine made in the style of port wine. From Chenin Blanc and the Muscat varieties, large quantities of simple, carbonated bubbly (sparkling wines) are produced, but also sparkling wine according to the Méthode cap classique. The variety Pinotage created by Professor Abraham Isak Perold Abraham Isak (1880-1941) produces Cape specialties with deep dark, full-bodied red wines. Since the 1950s, temperature-controlled cooled fermentation has become common, especially for white wines, through the use of stainless steel.
Climate & Soil
The climate is ideal for viticulture. The proximity to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans shapes the "wine between two oceans". There is a long, mostly sunny summer and (from May to September) a mild but wet winter. The cold wind from the southeast is called "Cape Doctor" because it cleans the air. The winemakers fear it because it can damage the vines. Two main regions are distinguished based on the climate, soil type, and wine types.
These are the rainier Coastal Region with mostly dry white wine and red wine and the drier, hotter areas Klein Karoo, Olifants River, Robertson, and Worcester, separated by mountain ranges, with...
