Tuesday, 17 July, 2018
Wines of South Africa, Fiona McDonald
The South African wine fraternity has desired and dreamed of not just international acceptance but acclaim and respect for years. And it’s becoming increasingly apparent from the amount of coverage being given to the country’s wines that this is happening.
Marketers and wine makers who attended wine shows and exhibitions such as ProWein and the London Wine Trade Fair recently have returned really bullish about South Africa’s prospects. Make no mistake, there are still plenty of challenges with employment equity, land reform, black ownership, price per litre and the drought holding sway. But the level of interest and appreciation continues to grow apace.
In the past month, the Cape’s winelands have been visited by Tim Atkin and Neal Martin – both extremely influential critics. Their respective reports have yet to be written, let alone published but there have been indications on social media that they have (once again) been impressed by what they’ve seen and tasted. Similarly, South African born Master of Wine Greg Sherwood of Handford’s wine in London has made two or three visits, each time publishing positive tasting reports and notes. And a week or two ago, former Wine Spectator European bureau chief and senior editor James Suckling saw fit to publish an extensive report on the state of South African wine.
Read full article