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KwaZulu-Natal is designated as a geographical unit under the Wine of Origin classification of
John Platter South African Wine Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwazulu-Natal Wine Wine regions of South Africa Economy of KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is designated as a geographical unit under the Wine of Origin classification of South African wine
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and gouverner Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Produc ...
. It corresponds to the province of KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...
in the east of South Africa, which has an embryonic wine industry.
History
The first trials ofVitis vinifera
''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are curre ...
in KwaZulu-Natal were in 1992 at Sunwich Port.
Tiny and Judy van Niekerk established the Stables Wine Estate in 2005, the first wine estate in KwaZulu-Natal, and released the first wines from the region in 2006. Judy van Niekerk was responsible for having KZN designated as a "Wine of Origin" region in 2005 after negotiations with SAWIS.
Owners and winemakers Ian and Jane Smorthwaite bought their farm Abingdon Wine Estate in 2000 and the first vines were planted in 2004. Situated at 1100m above sea level, Abingdon Estate has in excess of 2ha under vine.
Judy van Niekerk approached the KZN Government in 2007 with a proposal to fund vineyard plantings in the Tribal regions of the province, creating job opportunities in under-resourced regions. This project commenced in 2009 with newer plantings of 10ha at Ballito on the KNZ north coast. These vineyards are cultivating the French-American hybrid Villard Blanc, a grape cultivar that thrives in warm, humid conditions.http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/newbusiness/ilembe-190813.htm The first wines of this were produced in Sept 2013 under the banner of iLembe Co-operative Winery.
See also
*South African wine
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and gouverner Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Produc ...
* Wine regions of South Africa
The wine regions of South Africa were defined under the "Wine of Origin" (''Wyn van Oorsprong'') act of 1973. Mirroring the French ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) system, all South African wines listing a "Wine of Origin" must be comp ...
Notes and references
Further reading
John Platter South African Wine Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwazulu-Natal Wine Wine regions of South Africa Economy of KwaZulu-Natal