On Wine: For Value, Look to South Africa

Dutch Cape-style vineyard in South Africa. (TrishBoy/Photos.com)

Value-conscious wine consumers know to avoid marquee regions like Napa Valley and Burgundy.

Those who are comfortable with the obscure find value in places like Spain, northern Italy, and France’s Loire Valley. Those who are more comfortable with easy-to-pronounce locales stick to places like Argentina, New Zealand, and California’s Central Coast.

All value seekers should add South Africa to their lists.

South Africa’s wine industry can trace its roots to the 1650s, when Dutch East India Company established an outpost at the Cape of Good Hope to provide its merchants, who were constantly voyaging from Europe to East Asia, with fresh food and supplies. The settlers were urged to plant vineyards, as wine could defend against scurvy.

Over the next 300 years, South Africa’s wine industry experienced all manner of ups and downs. But by and large, local vintners were more interested in quantity than quality, primarily producing cheap wine for local consumption.

South Africa’s modern wine era began in 1973, when lawmakers created the “Wine of Origin” system to regulate labeling. A number of quality brands soon launched, but even then, South African wine remained a local beverage. Because of Apartheid—the system of institutionalized racial segregation—most Western nations refused to trade with South Africa.

When South Africa’s last remaining Apartheid laws were abolished in the early 1990s, the world suddenly opened up. And a young entrepreneur—Andre Shearer—made it his mission to share South Africa’s finest wines with the world.

Twenty years have passed, and Shearer is still on that mission. Today, his company, Cape Classics, is the largest importer of South African wines to the United States. And Shearer hasn’t yet tired of promoting his nation’s wines.

“The value of South African wines is extraordinary,” Shearer explained over breakfast one recent morning. “The past few years have actually been very good for us, because Americans are seeking value. Retailers and sommeliers are looking for good wine that’s affordable—and American consumers are open minded and willing to try wines from unfamiliar places.”

To most Americans, South Africa remains an “unfamiliar place.” That’s why Shearer understands his job is far from over.

Trick Question

Consider a basic question: Is South Africa a New World or Old World wine region?

At first blush, the answer seems obvious. South Africa is still finding its footing in the global market, so obviously, it’s a New World region.

Then again, South Africa has been producing wine for nearly 350 years. When Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in 1815, he found solace in “Constantia,” a South African dessert wine that’s still produced.

So it is a trick question.

Over the past year, I’ve tasted hundreds of wines from South Africa. With virtually every classic variety—Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon—the best wines bridge the gap between the Old World and the New World. In other words, South African vintners don’t try to hide the sunshine, yet they don’t go overboard. South Africa’s top wines are unabashedly ripe but also show finesse.

For these varieties, some labels to look for include Glen Carlou, Kanonkop, Thelema, De Morgenzon, Rust en Vrede, and Mulderbosch.

Then there’s South African Chenin Blanc, which is both stunning and affordable—yet somehow remains under the radar.

Although the grape’s ancestral home is France’s Loire Valley, more than half the world’s plantings of Chenin Blanc are in South Africa. Just like vintners in France, South African producers make the wine in a variety of styles, from bone dry to lusciously sweet.

For my palate, fresh Chenin Blanc is unbeatable as an everyday white wine. When well-crafted, Chenin Blanc is bursting with fresh fruit and delicate floral aromas, and backed by crisp acidity.

Raats Family Wines and Ken Forrester both make delightful Chenin Blanc for around $13 per bottle.

Andre Shearer doesn’t expect South African wine to “explode” in popularity anytime soon. He’s seen slow but steady growth over the past 20 years, and expects that trend to continue. Yet his nation is consistently producing many fantastic wines, and virtually all are good values.

Americans are eager to try new wines, and we’re more price-conscious than ever before. So I’m expecting an explosion.

David White, a wine writer, is the founder and editor of Terroirist.com. His columns are housed at Wines.com, the fastest growing wine portal on the Internet.