Regular sun-soaked summers and rain in a not too cold winter almost guarantee high quality wines every year.

South African wine producers bagged 10 gold medals at this year's International Wine Challenge in the UK, a Cape-based wine club announced yesterday. "These awards attest to the growing quality and popularity of SA wine overseas," said Wine-of-the-Month-Club chairman Colin Collard. "The real winners at the end of the day are going to be local wine lovers - if they can get their hands on some of this winning wine," said Collard.

Those that snatched the gold awards include:

• Beyerskloof Reserve Pinotage 2002
• Bouchard Finlayson Kaaimangat Chardonnay 2001
• Forrester Meinert Chenin Blanc 2002
• Joostenberg Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2003
• MAN Senga Shiraz 2002
• Niel Joubert Shiraz 2002
• Spier Private Collection Pinotage 2002
• Stellenzicht Syrah 2001
• Thandi Chardonnay 2003

The fresh breezes cooling the hot summer temperatures during the harvest season result in the vines thriving in the coastal regions (including Constantia, Durbanville, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Overberg and Swartland). Here the very best and well-known red and white cultivars are planted which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinotage, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc.  Further inland are the wine producing regions (Breede River Valley) of Robertson, Worchester, Tulbagh, Swellendam and the Klein Karoo.  Here the summers are hot and dry which is ideal for excellent white, Muscat and other sweet wines.  Large quantities of wines are also produced in the Orange and Olifants River regions.

With all these advantages it is not surprising that the first vines were planted in 1655, 3 years after the first Dutch immigrants settled in the Cape.  In 1679 Simon van der Stel became governor of the Cape Province.  He encouraged wine growth and ordered the planting of over 100 000 vines.  It was during his governing that the experienced French Huguenots arrived in the Cape and settled in the now famous wine regions of Stellenbosch and Constantia (named after Van der Stel's wife).  They brought their cellar knowledge from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Provence with them. Within a century Cape wines became serious competition to the established European wines.

Great supporters of the Cape wines included Louis the XVI, Bismarck, Louis Phillipe and later also Queen Victoria.  Even Napoleon ordered Constantia wines to console himself after his exile to St. Helena.

Cape Winelands

All South Africa's winelands can be found in the Western Cape, within 160 kilometers of Cape Town.  On an estimated 115 000 hectares of cultivated area there are approximately 6 000 wine growers, among which ± 80 are registered wine estates.  This results in an annual 7 million hectoliters of the finest quality wine. 

Red wine:
One of the best red wines is the Cabernet Sauvignon (dark red in colour with a fruity palate), considered a noble red and available in a large selection.  Some wines consist purely of Cabernet Sauvignon whereas others are Cabernet Sauvignon blends such as the classic Bordeaux blend with the addition of Merlot and Cabernet Frank.  These wines can however not be compared with the giants of Chateaux of Medoc, Graves or St Emilion.
Pinotage is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Hermitage, and is unique to the Cape.  The wine is soft, often excellent and moderate expensive.  It is worth paying a few Rands more for an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinotage.
The dark red Shiraz has a fine nose and an often smoky bouquet.  Cinsaut wines are related to the Hermitage cultivar and are often used as table wines in restaurants as it is balanced and easy-drinking.

The prices of wines in restaurants vary and are often dependent on the current fashionable cultivar or wine estate.  The quality of medium-priced wines is rarely worse than that of the top-priced wines.

White wine:
In the last years white wine production has progressed tremendously.  There are now quite a few noteworthy Sauvignon Blancs and Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay blends on the market.  Top of the range Chardonnays are very costly.

Belonging to the best white wines are Blanc du Blanc, Blanc Fumes, Riesling, Rhine Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Colombar and Traminers.

Dessert wine:
The excellent dessert wines are rarely matched.  An affordable luxury is a glass of cold Constantia Red Muscadel or Robertson Hanepoot.  Recommendable due to its natural sweetness is the Special Late Harvest, although some, despite being sold in smaller bottles, can be expensive.  Noteworthy port wines are Allesverloren and Boplaas.  If a cognac is more to your taste then the 5, 10 and 25 year old brandies from KWV are first class.

Sparkling wine:
The Sparking Wines range from "Cap Classique" (fermented according to the Methode Cap Classique) to affordable sparkling wines.  Villiera's Tradition is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Pongracz won a trophy at the "International Wine and Spirit Competition" in England.  Barrel-fermented sparkling wines include the "Nederburg Kap Sekt" whereas the sweeter sparkling wines include Cinzano and JC le Roux Le Domaine.