Melvyn MinnaarLifestyle
There’s going to have to be a lot of drinking before the (real or fake) end of the millennium. That’s if we’re going to get rid of the Great White Lake of Wine which threatens to drown the hopes of our producers in the international wonderful world of wine. And then there is the question of dealing with the new vintage stuff which is just getting out from the cellars on to shows and shelves.
With a hefty 100-million unsold litres swirling around unhappily in stainless steel tanks from Simondium to Robertson, with local wine consumption dropping to below nine litres per person per year (against the 22 litres that our drinking compatriots in the northern hemisphere consume), with nobody interested in distilling it into brandy (like the good old “helping-our-farmers-at-all-times” KWV used to do in crises like these), and with the international taste tide turning to red wine, it may seem like a miserable vino scenario.
When the news hit the newspapers a few weeks ago, the wine people went into a tizz and the spin spun into motion. Bearing in mind that South Africa had a surplus of 260-million litres in 1993 – so said Callie Hickman of SA Wine Industry Information & Systems – it may not seem that bad. Nevertheless, what many local consumers are asking, perhaps somewhat naively, is why we have to pay so much for an ordinary bottle of wine on the grocer’s shelf.
The fact is that surplus is not necessarily what is known as “good” (meaning drinking) wine. So don’t worry about it. There is plenty of good wine – white wine, that is – out there at very good prices.
The secret is to keep an eye on how cellars perform at shows such as the recent South African National Young Wine Championships and the coming Veritas Awards, and which score well in consumer magazines. Under the circumstances it may also be a good idea to stay away from those unknown labels with funny names and stick to the familiar brands. (There is plenty of hanky-panky going on to get rid of that white wine lake!)
The new wines coming on to the market from this year’s vintage are turning out to be better than expected. It was a difficult, long harvest with peculiar weather.
Sauvignon blanc is the one pleasant surprise of the 1999 vintage. The significance of ace winemaker Andr van Rensburg winning the best-wine-of-all trophy at the South African young wine show for his Vergelegen sauvignon blanc – the first time a dry white did it – makes a strong point. And check out the sauvignons from the Constantia Valley, not to mention the magnificent Springfield Life from Stone from Robertson.
If you can find it, don’t miss Ken Forrester’s recently released 1998 Grenache Syrah blend. It’s a rarity with 67% unwooded grenache and 33% slightly wooded shiraz. Delicious and unusual, it had the honour of being served at the gala banquet after the opening of the first Scottish Parliament a few months ago.
If you see ebullient Ken sporting a kilt and brogueish accent, be patient. He may not have crossed the Great White Wine Lake, but he did do the Atlantic in a manner of speaking – with right royal flying colours.