South Africa's Wine Regions
Wine producing countries all have some kind of system to identify and differentiate their wines. Regulation is necessary to ensure that certain information is on the label, and that the contents of the bottle are in conformity with it. In some countries, regulations regarding vineyard and winemaking practices are imposed per region. Though not specifically referenced on the label, they are a matter of law and thus implicit to the information given.
South Africa's Wine of Origin system, introduced in 1972, is primarily concerned with accuracy on the label. It was initiated after producers of estate-bottled wines asked the Minister of Agriculture to protect them from fraudulent marketing. It does not regulate viticultural matters such as irrigation and yields, nor does it have specifications for which varietals may be grown in a given area. The original demarcations have been modified and divided frequently, as distinctions of soil and climate types continue to be understood and defined.
Application for WO certification is voluntary. Without the certification, however, the producer may not state vintage, region, or grape variety on the label, and the bottle will not carry the seal which confirms the veracity of the label.
Wines must be submitted for tasting and analysis. There are about seventy-five approved varieties, which may be grown anywhere. Varietally labeled wines must be 85% from the stated variety. Blends may list their contents if each variety is separately vinified and is at least 20% of the finished wine. Vintage wines must be made from at least 85% grapes from that vintage. 100% must come from the production area on the label.
Production areas are divided into four Geographical Units: Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Kwazulu-Natal. By far the most important is the Western Cape, with five regions delineated for table wines. They are Coastal Region, Cape South Coast, Breede River Valley, Klein Karoo, and Olifants River. The sixth, Boberg, applies only to fortified wines from the districts Paarl, Franschhoek and Tulbagh. Regions are divided into districts, which in turn are broken up into wards. A ward must have distinguishable features of climate and soil that influence wines made there. The larger areas are determined more by geographical and political factors. Somewhat confusingly, there are wards that are not contained in a district, districts which have no wards, and districts that are not within a region. Got that? For maps and details, go to http://www.sawis.co.za/cert/productionareas.php.
Understanding regional distinctions is an ongoing process, and the multitude of soil types, maritime and mountain climate influences and other determining factors makes meaningful generalizations difficult.
Most winefarms are working with many varietals, often buying in fruit and using a Western Cape or Coastal Region WO in favor of more limited and potentially more prestigious designations. It is likely that there will be more specialization as terroirs continue to be better understood and delineated. |
