Western Cape wine
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Western Cape is a Geographical Unit within the Wine of Origin classification system 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 ...
. Corresponding to the province of
Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
it includes most of the vineyards in South Africa.


Style

The wines of the Western Cape range from sturdy Rhone-style red wines to aromatic
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
s in vineyards cooled by breezes off the Atlantic.


History

On 2 February 1659 the founder of Cape Town,
Jan van Riebeeck Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company. Life Early life Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg, as the son of a surgeon. He ...
, produced the first wine recorded in South Africa. In 1685, the Constantia estate was established in a valley facing False Bay by the Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel. His 'Vin de Constance' soon acquired a good reputation. But it was Hendrik Cloete, who bought the homestead in 1778, who really made the name of Constantia famous, with an unfortified wine made from a blend of mostly Muscat de Frontignan (
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...
), Pontiac, red and white Muscadel (probably clones of
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...
??) and a little Chenin blanc. It became a favorite tipple of European kings and emperors, from Frederick the Great to Napoleon. But the vineyards were decimated by
phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...
, the Cloete family were bankrupted, and
Groot Constantia Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa and provincial heritage site in the suburb of Constantia in Cape Town, South Africa. "Groot" in Dutch and Afrikaans translates as "great" (as in large) in English. History In 1685, ...
was sold to the government as an experimental station. In 1980 Duggie Jooste bought
Klein Constantia Klein Constantia is a wine estate in the suburb of Constantia in Cape Town, South Africa. History Constantia, the first wine farm in Southern Africa, was established in 1685 by the VOC Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel, and was used to prod ...
, redeveloped it, and is now selling a new version of Vin de Constance made from
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...
. The Franschhoek Valley was settled over 300 years ago by the
French Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...
. The first official wine route was opened in Stellenbosch in 1971.


Wine of Origin

In 1993, Western Cape was designated as a Geographical Unit under the Wine of Origin scheme.


Geography

The Geographical Unit covers almost all of the South African Winelands, including the regions of Breede River Valley, Coastal Region, Klein Karoo and Olifants River. It also includes the otherwise unassigned southern districts of Bot River, Cape Agulhas, Overberg, Plettenberg Bay and Walker Bay, and the wards of Cederberg, Ceres, Herbertsdale, Prince Albert Valley, Ruiterbosch and Swartberg.


Bot River (Botrivier)

There are two wineries on the banks of the 'butter' river, Goedvertrouw and Beaumont Wines.


Cape Agulhas

The southern tip of Africa, where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean, offers a unique terroir where
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
thrives, particularly in the ward of Elim.


Overberg

This district south of Paarl is cooled by Atlantic breezes and is producing some exciting cool-climate
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
,
Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
and
Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
. It includes the Elgin and Klein River wards.


Plettenberg Bay

Newly declared WO that is home to Bramon Estate, who is best known for a sparkling Sauvignon blanc.


Walker Bay

West of Cape Agulhas, this coastal district produces some high-quality wines from the Burgundy varieties. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Sunday's Glen and Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley were recently declared as wards.


Cape Winelands

The Cape Winelands is a region of the
Western Cape Province The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. It is the largest wine-producing region in South Africa and is divided into six main wine regions, each offering its own unique wine route. Constantia,
Stellenbosch Stellenbosch (; )A Universal Pronounc ...
,
Franschhoek Franschhoek (; Afrikaans for "French Corner", Dutch spelling before 1947 ''Fransche Hoek'') is a small town in the Western Cape Province and one of the oldest towns in South Africa. Formerly known as Oliphants hoek (as there were vast groups of e ...
,
Paarl Paarl (; Afrikaans: ; derived from ''Parel'', meaning "pearl" in Dutch) is a town with 112,045 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is the third-oldest city and European settlement in the Republic of South Africa (after ...
,
Robertson Robertson may refer to: People * Robertson (surname) (includes a list of people with this name) * Robertson (given name) * Clan Robertson, a Scottish clan * Robertson, stage name of Belgian magician Étienne-Gaspard Robert (1763–1837) Places ...
and
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
are the most popular. The geographic area is generally referred to locally as the Boland, meaning uplands in
Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
. Constantia Valley wine region is situated in mountainous surroundings and is home to some of the oldest wine estates in the country. Stellenbosch wine region is well known in the Cape. In 1971, the first official wine route was founded by Frans Malan of Simonsig, Spatz Sperling of Delheim, and Niel Joubert of Spier. Franschhoek valley wine region was settled over 300 years ago by the
French Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...
. Set against the backdrop of the Franschhoek and Drakenstein mountains, the village has over 30 wine farms.


World Heritage status

The Cape Winelands and their cultural landscape were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 24 June 2004 in the Cultural category.The Cape Winelands Cultural Landscape - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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See also

*
Cape Winelands District Municipality The Cape Winelands District Municipality, formerly the Boland District Municipality, is a district municipality located in the Boland region of the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2011, it had a population of 787,490. The largest tow ...
- an administrative region *
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 ...


References

{{Reflist


External links


www.winemag.co.za
WINE magazine Wine regions of South Africa Economy of the Western Cape