The Old New WorldSouth African wines are bargains at the moment, but it may not last - a recent industry analysis suggested that they will need to find a higher-priced niche in the future to survive. But before they can raise prices, today's wineries must show off their potential, so today's wines are great values - check them out now while they're a steal. South Africa has a unique place in New World ("non-European") wine. They got off to a quick start: Jan van Riebeeck, the Cape of Good Hope's first European settler, celebrated the first wine vintage there in 1652. It wasn't until much later that anyone really celebrated the quality of the wines, but then dessert wines from the Constantia area became the toast of European aristocracy from the late 1700s until the British took over in 1861. For most of the twentieth century the South African wine industry was in the doldrums, making large amounts of wine so poor that sometimes it was dumped into local rivers just to be rid of the stuff. After apartheid ended, though, the South African winemakers began making aggressive attempts to catch up with their colleagues elsewhere, and their efforts are paying off. As in many emerging wine regions, they are finding their way with white wine first. Chenin Blanc - often known locally as "Steen" ("shtayn") - has been planted in South Africa for a long time, and recently winegrowers are planting more and more of its Loire Valley brother, Sauvignon Blanc. Both carry the special stamp of South Africa -a balance between New World (fruity and up-front) and Old World (earthy, minerally complexity) characteristics that makes for versatile, exciting wines. |
