South Africa:
A Land of Many Rainbows
As told by the Wines of South Africa

- Home page -
- Meetings page -

March program
April program

May program
September program

At the tip of Africa, two mighty oceans meet.
Here in the shadows of the majestic Table Mountains, lies the fairest Cape in all the world.

Known locally as the Mother City, Cape Town is the gateway to the South African winelands. For over 350 years the cultures of Africa, Europe and the East have met and mingled here. They have helped shape a city that is at one time modern and ancient, rich in history an culturally vibrant.

Today South Africa is a peaceful democracy, and an exciting country of enormous diversity. A land of many rainbows; in culture, in ethnicity, in the lands and it is also apparent in the range of wines. With a winemaking history that dates back 300 years, they reflect the classicism and tradition of teh Old World, but are also influenced by the contemporary styles of the New World. This rare combination makes for wines that are complex but accessible, sophisticated yet intensely powerful. South African wines express the soils, climate, varieties and people of the Cape.

South Africa has five wine regions, divided into 14 very diverse wine districts, classified under the Wine of Origin Areas and the Wine and Spirit Board. Each is comprised of smaller wards, where specific micro-climates and terroirs dictate marked differences in grape varieties and wine styles.

The major Red varietals include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cinsaut and more recently, Cabernet Franc and Mourvedre. Major White varieties are: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc (Steen), Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, while you can also find some Riesling, Colombard, Gewurtztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Cape Riesling and Viognier.