Pinotage grapes.
Pinotage, our homegrown hero, now makes up a total of 6,5% of all the vineyard plantings in South Africa and have grown into a noble South African cultivar that is used to produce some of our most famous and prestigious wines.
Hot on its heels is our adopted child, Chenin Blanc. South Africa is currently the largest producer of Chenin Blanc in the world, and it is fast becoming a beloved addition to brand South Africa. Thanks to its versatility and the long history that it has with us we can produce some truly spectacular wines that leave Loire (the traditional home of Chenin Blanc in France) in the dust.
But except for these two iconic grapes – and an honorable mention to Cinsault, which is definitely one to look out for in the coming years – we quite strictly adhere to the old French noble cultivars and their blends.
Yet, by the very nature of these cultivars being such French icons, it will always be an uphill battle when competing against them. Just think of the terms we use for red blends: Bordeaux blends, Rhône blends, Bordeaux whites, Burgundy-style Pinot Noir, etc.They will always be the yard stick against which these wines are measured.
With the emergence of a more contentious consumer and the rise of place of origin food products, a market has been developed for products that evoke a sense of place and authenticity. Or, to put it into wine terms, people are willing and starting to pay for terroir of New World wine producing regions.
A prime example of an industry seizing this opportunity is the Greek wine industry. For a long time an overlooked region of the prestigious Old World wine producing countries, despite having an older wine culture than almost any other wine producing country. In the last decade they have grown the per-bottle value of their wines between 40-100% and have increased their wine exports by more than 150%. They have done this by placing focus on their unique terroir and the more than 150 indigenous wine grape cultivars. Taking cultivars such as Assyrtiko from a virtually unknown varietal to one of the newest trending wines in the world.
On a local level we have had great success with the Old Vine Project, having garnered international attention for the quality of wines that these unique vines produce and putting something on the market that is truly and uniquely South African. Research has shown that the investment in the Old Vine Project demands a tidy 20-30% addition on the selling price for your wines made from these vines. This shows that consumers are willing to pay for a unique South African terroir experience.
We must be the yardstick! That is how we will be able to be seen as a producer of premium, high-value wines. It is the only way we will get away from the “value for money” label that we have become known for in the international market.
We have the potential to do this.
Let me let you in on a secret… What if I told you that Pinotage is but the tip of the iceberg of South African wine grape cultivars? Did you think the wine industry was just sitting on its hands for the last 350 years waiting for the French to do all the work? Including Pinotage there are 7 uniquely South African wine grapes. We have some truly extraordinary varietals tailor made for our terroir just waiting to be discovered.
Uniquely South African wine grape cultivars
Nouvelle
Hectares planted: 401 ha
The next Pinotage that almost was. Producing a lighter style of white wine with green apple flavours and refreshing grassy notes when harvested early. This grape garnered some attention in the early 2000s but it seems there was just never enough of a push to get it going.
Roobernet
Hectares planted: 293,2 ha
An interesting red grape with red flesh. With cassis, black fruit, herbacious, and eucalyptus notes. It is a wonderful alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon as it has all the positive attributes and none of the negative ones associated with Cabernet Sauvignon, such as over-pronounced green and herbacious flavors in colder climates and the tendency not to ripen fully due to its late ripening when we get adverse weather late in the growing season (an issue winemakers in South Africa have had with uncomfortable frequency in the last couple of years).
Therona
Hectares planted: 33,78 ha
A personal favorite of mine. A versatile wine that has a good acidic and mineral background with flavours of green apple and white pears when harvested early. It can also make luxurious rich wines when aged in barrels to give preserved fruit and vanilla custard notes. A wonderful wine to work with if one wants to make a white wine that can age gracefully.
Chenel
Hectares planted: 29,08 ha
Chenel is Nouvelle’s twin that comes from the same breeding program and shares a lot of the same attributes. It stems from a fight between the Old Stellenbosch Farmers and KWV not being able to decide which one is the best selection and (to keep the peace) resulted in both cultivars being selected for commercial propagation. That being said, there is still a distinct difference between these two cultivars which also helped with the decision to make both available.
Grachen
Hectares planted: 1,74 ha
A punch to the gut of green grassy flavour, hence the name translated from the Afrikaans word for grass i.e., “gras”. It has strong Sauvignon Blanc character, but unlike Sauvignon Blanc doesn't need the cool winds of Marlborough in New Zealand to produce a crisp and fresh wine. Grachen is made to handle the African heat in its stride.
Weldra
Hectares planted: 0,6 ha
Lastly, and it would seem, least when it comes to planted hectares, Weldra... I will say Afrikaans is a very literal language, just try and guess the character of this varietal.
Weldra is named for its ability to produce high yields that would make even an Orange River grape farmer drool.This is a bit of a specialty grape. It was specifically cultivated to produce premium brandy. And with its good acidity and subtle flavours on the nose it is well suited for the task. Unfortunately, like with our brandy industry, this poor fellow is not doing so well at the moment, but with the rise of small batch distillers and single origin distillates it might surprise us yet.
Nouvelle grapes. Photo: Prof PG Goussard
Even though I have described the character of these grapes I have not even discussed the best part. They were all developed for the South African climate, which means less pesticides/fungicides, lower water requirement, and more heat resistance. What is not to love?
The sad truth is that these six wonderful grapes, disregarding Pinotage, make up less than 760 total hectares planted in South Africa (and thus the world) and they are declining rapidly as they slowly sink into obscurity. What a loss it would be for our industry, condemning us to forever compete between hundreds of Cabernet Sauvignons from dozens of countries for a small bit of sunshine in the global wine market when we could rather stand proud showcasing these examples of South African quality and uniqueness in the international wine market.
Editor's note: All images, except for the Pinotage photo, courtesy of the late Prof PG Goussard, who made a massive contribution to the South African wine industry. May he rest in peace.