News

Among all last year’s challenges as well as the worries about our health and the immense pressure on our industry, there was at least one brilliant blessing – an extraordinary growing season for wine grapes in South Africa.

Remember the exceptionally cold and wet winter of 2020? While most of us stayed home, probably trying out that stationary bike or attempting home schooling from under the covers, the Cape vineyards enjoyed the (more than usual) quiet season with proper dormancy. Winter cold is what the vine wants (read more) and followed by a relatively cool summer, South African winemakers and viticulturist are excited about the quality of the 2021 vintage.

La Motte Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche is known for a more restrained, elegant style of wine and such a growing season is what his winemaking dreams are made of.

In the past five years, the local wine industry has shrunk by 10%. This is almost expected, because the global wine industry has lost 2.5 million hectares of grape vineyards since the 1990s.

So said Professor Nick Vink, emeritus professor in Stellenbosch University’s agricultural economics department.

According to Vink, in the past five years wine production has dropped from 1,200 million litres to 1,100 million litres, and grape production from 1.5 million tonnes in 2014 to 1.4 million tons.

The number of wine cellars went from 566 to 505 during this time, he said.

About 15 years ago, South Africa’s vineyards stood at 105,000 hectares; these had dropped to 92,000 hectares by 2019, according to Maryna Calow, spokesperson for Wines of South Africa (Wosa).

Tokara Sauvignon Blanc has claimed its rightful place on the world stage as overall winner of the 12th Concours Mondial du Sauvignon in Brussels.

Best Sauvignon of the Competition and the only South African wine to bring home a trophy, Tokara Reserve Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is a cool climate showstopper from Tokara’s Elgin vineyards and another feather in winemaker Stuart Botha’s cap.

“Originating from arguably the finest terroir in the country, the wine showcases an exquisite aromatic diversity. Headed up by creamy passion fruit and blackcurrant leaf, the nose is tantalising and demands a taste. Zesty green apples interplay with a creamy mid-palate and saline finish,” is how Botha describes this highly acclaimed gold medallist.

The 2021 European wine awards season kicked-off extraordinarily well for De Wetshof Estate in Robertson with three of its Chardonnays raking in four golden awards at two auspicious wine shows.

In the Chardonnay du Monde held in France, the world’s most famous international competition for Chardonnay, the De Wetshof Lesca Chardonnay 2020 achieved a gold medal, also taking its place among the top 10 wines at this year’s competition. De Wetshof’s famous Limestone Hill 2020, South Africa’s most awarded unwooded Chardonnay, also garnered a gold medal at the Chardonnay du Monde.

The De Wetshof Lesca, which is marketed in South Africa under the name Finesse, was one of the first Chardonnays in the De Wetshof range, having been launched back in 1989.

Bubbly, bubbles, Champagne, Méthode Cap Classique, or as we like to call it, Cap Classique, originated in the French province of Champagne where they referred to it as Méthode Champenoise.

Names aside, the important fact is that careful fermentation in the bottle itself is the key to those delicate strings of tiny bubbles (called a mousse). With the Cap Classique style of wine celebrating 50 years of creation in South Africa, we’re popping corks and celebrating each tiny bubble!

Achim von Arnim’s role in South African Cap Classique

Our founder, Achim von Arnim, spent many years in the vineyards of France and Germany while studying viticulture in Geisenheim.

Harvest-time is here and as the most important time on a wine farm, it brings with it an infectious verve and positive energy - even in these difficult circumstances. After an outstanding growing season, quality expectations are high and we would like to invite you to join the La Motte Harvest Experience and share in the excitement of harvest-time in the Winelands.

We invite you to join one of the estate’s enthusiastic and knowledgeable wine tasting ambassadors for a celebration of unique harvest traditions.

• In the vineyard - enjoy an introduction to the various varietals, harvest processes and the estate’s biologic farming practices. Spot the differences between the various varieties and taste the sweetness of the ripe berries.

South Africa’s first Cap Classique ever made – the iconic Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel – celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The milestone also marks the birth of the country’s Cap Classique category, which has become the ambassador for South African wine excellence at home and abroad.

We’re exceptionally proud of seeing how that small, first start of Kaapse Vonkel by our patriarch Frans Malan, has grown to such an extent that some 200 wineries now make Cap Classique in South Africa. This is a wine that is regularly recognised by international wine authorities for the exceptional quality of the category as a whole. Frans Malan made the first bottle-fermented méthode champenoise wine in South Africa, at a time when sparkling wine comprised carbonated and mainly sweet products.

A DECADE OF COLLABORATION AND EXCEPTIONAL VINTAGES…

For Delaire Graff Estate’s Winemaker, Morné Vrey, and Viticulturist, Kallie Fernhout, 2021 marks ten years of partnership excellence.

What can we expect from this harvest? Morné what are you excited about?

Morné Vrey: Our harvest is very late this year, but we can already see some good acids on the white grapes coming in. It is still difficult to make a call on the red wines; with our Cabernet Sauvignon the cooler morning and evenings causing longer hanging time for the grapes is beneficial. There is potentially good color and tannins.

What is Kallie/Morné best characteristic?

Kallie Fernhout: Morné’s attention to detail...

If you are new to the fascinating world of Cap Classique read on because we will demystify some terminology and share some fun facts about the nation’s fastest growing wine category.

The Two Styles of Bubbly

Firstly, we would like to differentiate between two styles of bubbly to give readers a better understanding of why certain bubblies are more expensive than others. Wine that has been impregnated with CO2 bubbles is simply termed ‘sparkling wine’ and the process is very quick and affordable to produce, whereas Cap Classique undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to create the sought-after bubbles which takes a much longer time to complete and is far riskier to produce. The second fermentation is initiated by adding extra sugar to the already fermented wine.