Wines of South Africa
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In 1659 Jan van Riebeeck recorded in his diary that the first wine had been pressed from grapes in the Cape. The South African wine industry has a long and illustrious history, in particular the sweet wines of Constantia, but fell into the doldrums during the years of apartheid. It is now back on its feet and advancing in leaps and bounds. At their best the wines combine the ripeness and warmth of the New World with the tradition and complexity of the Old World.
Concentrated in the south-west of the country, the leading wine-producing regions are Stellenbosch, Paarl and Constantia, with Robertson, Walker Bay and Elgin all starting to make their mark. White grape varieties dominate, with Chenin Blanc supported by Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnnay. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are successfully blended, with Syrah also well-suited to the warm climate. South Africa's indigenous grape variety Pinotage is a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut - not universally appreciated, it can make deep-coloured, smokey juicy reds.
2004 Vin de Constance Klein Constantia
Producer: Klein Constantia
Region: South Africa > Constantia
Vintage: 2004
Type: Port Sweet
Grape varieties: Muscat
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Our Wines in the Press
Several of our wines have been written up in the press over the past few months. Here are some of our favourites.
Germany 2008 - "Sleek, vibrant wines"
A selection of wines from three outstanding German producers - Ernie Loosen, Helmut Donnhoff and JJ Prum.