A blend of old and new

2005 Ken Forrester Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc. Photo / Martin Sykes

My winemaking nephew had worked a couple of vintages in the Paarl area of South Africa about 50km from Cape Town when he met his future wife. As you'd expect, the wedding took place in a vineyard a decade ago now, and I'd allowed a few days extra to observe something of the wine industry in South Africa and taste the local product.

The cuisine of the area was significantly superior to the wine, which showed promise, but was somewhat rough and ready - rustic would be the polite way of describing it. Ten years on, South African wines, reflecting the spirit of renewal of the country, are making a significant global impact in terms of quality and price.

In recent years almost half of the vineyards have been replanted as the industry has reinvented itself in a bid to be taken seriously. It's moved from big volume, low-end juice to better quality varietals and a more market-driven balance between white and red. The once tumble-down, unkempt bush vines now look as if someone actually cares and a winemaking history dating back 350 years is ready to shine.

South African wines blend the understated elegance of the Old World with the more familiar, accessible, fruit-driven styles of the New. Cabernet sauvignon has become the most widely planted red variety while their sauvignon blanc - fast gaining international recognition - flourishes in cooler coastal areas.

Chardonnay plays a significant part in many newly-planted vineyards and the wines are elegant and full of fruit flavours. Food-friendly chenin blanc is becoming increasingly popular and merlot, traditionally blended with cabernet, is now often bottled as a single varietal. It was pinotage that South Africa was possibly best known for when, in 1925, a local viticulturalist crossed pinot noir with cinsaut (formerly known as hermitage in South Africa), and created an inexpensive fruity and not universally acclaimed red.

Times have changed - radically. A great wine from the "rainbow nation" can, on a good day, be as formidable as its international rugby team.

Recommended

2005 Ken Forrester Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc
Wonderful harmonious balance between fruit and delicate oak/vanilla flavours. Dried apricots, lemon and honey. Fresh, lively - great with seafood and mildly spiced curries.
Price: $26

2004 Mary Le Bow
A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, cabernet franc, this is a majestic wine of power and elegance. Blackcurrant, plums, whisker of spice and soft ripe tannins. Very smooth and classy.
Price: $50