Admiration for South African wines was on full display at the Cape Town International Convention Centre last week, but the country will have tough competition in an increasingly difficult world market.
Wine experts and other participants in the international wine industry gathered at the opening of Cape Wine 2004 last Tuesday to network, sign distribution and sales contracts, and taste the latest local wines on offer.
Organised by Wines of South Africa, Cape Wine 2004 is the four-day biennial trade exhibition sponsored by Nedbank that showcases the majority of South Africa’s wine producers.
At a special seminar at the event last Tuesday, Frank Prial, wine correspondent for The New York Times, said he believed South African wines were “world contenders”, but cautioned that they would have to compete in difficult market conditions.
“South African wines can compete with those produced anywhere in the world on a quality basis,” Prial commented. “But while they are world contenders, South Africa is going to have to jump into a very difficult wine market that is not really going to get any better.
“In New York City right now consumers have more than 10 000 wines to choose from, so how South Africa can gain a place in this market is going to be a very tough proposition.”
Michel Rolland, the internationally renowned French oenologist and consultant for wineries on four different continents, who also has a wine-producing partnership in South Africa, said the excellent quality of South African wines showed that winemakers had made great progress in the past few years in identifying the correct terroir in which to plant different varieties of grapes.
Terroir refers to the combination of elements needed to grow grapes successfully, such as the type of soil, slope, sun exposure and temperatures that are characteristic of a certain area —and sometimes even a specific vineyard.
“South Africa’s vineyard terroir has great potential and can even still improve,” Rolland commented.
“This means there is a great future for South African wine.”
Rolland urged winemakers to consider emphasising Pinotage in their production. As a uniquely South African grape, it could compete in a niche all of its own in the tough international wine market, while other more common varieties found elsewhere such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon would be more difficult.
Both experts believed Shiraz is a variety that does exceptionally well in South Africa and has an excellent future, while Robert Simpson, a Canadian importer and retailer with Liberty Wine, was partial to Sauvignon Blanc.
“There is no question that South Africa has emerged as a world leader in Sauvignon Blanc in the last few years,” Simpson told another seminar.
“The variety of styles makes wonderful wines that bode well for the future of the industry.”
Cape Wine 2004 drew hundreds of international wine buyers, collectors, sommeliers and international journalists from the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Latin America, Japan, China, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australasia.
Showing about 4 000 wines, about 330 producers participated, from garagistes (small-scale winemakers who turn their garages into cellars) to boutique wineries, major corporations and cooperatives, making it the most representative event of its kind ever held in South Africa. — I-Net Bridge