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The South African wines


Merlot - Cabernet - Shiraz - Chenin - Chardonney - Sauvignon

General information on wine from South Africa

History learns that the first South African vineyards were planted in the 17th century whereas in Europe, planting commenced over 2.000 years earlier. As the Dutch East India company stopped at the Cape to take in provisions, a wine development programme started in earnest during the late 17th century, initiated and financed by the Dutch with expertise from the relative poor French Huguenots who travelled to South Africa to start a new life there. Some say..'the creation of a nation'.

Developments during the past 100 years
1906    The first co-operative winery, the Drostdy Ko-operatiewe Keller Beperkt, was founded in Tulbagh.
1918 The Ko-operatiewe Wijnbouwers Vereeniging van Zuid-Afrika (KWV) was formed, saving the industry from disaster.
1925 Professor Perold successfully cross-pollinated Pinot Noir with Hermitage (Cinsaut) to develop South Africa's own grape variety, Pinotage.
1935 Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery (SFW) Limited was founded.
1936 Nederburg wine farm was bought by Johann Graue, a German immigrant who used cold fermentation for making white table wine in the 1950s.
1940 The Wine and Spirit Control Amendment Act was passed to control the minimum price for good wine.
1945 Distillers Corporation was founded.
1950 Gilbeys SA was founded.
1955 The Viticultural and Oenological Research Institute (VORI) was founded. Today it is known as Nietvoorbij.
1959 SFW launched Lieberstein, a semi-sweet table wine which revolutionised wine-drinking habits in South Africa.
1961 The first Pinotage, a 1959 under the Lanzerac label, was marketed.
1964 Lieberstein sales topped 31-million litres, becoming the world's largest selling bottled wine.
1965 SFW, Monis and Nederburg amalgamated.
1968 Distillers built the Bergkelder with its maturation cellars tunnelled into Papegaaiberg in Stellenbosch.
1971 Stellenbosch Wine Route, the first wine route in the country, was founded.
1973 The Wine of Origin legislation was instituted.
1975 The first Auction of Rare Cape Wines was held at Nederburg.
1979 The Cape Wine Academy (CWA), the wine industry's general education body, was founded in Stellenbosch by SFW in October.
The restructuring of the Liquor Industry by government sanction took place.
1980 Regulations regarding the residual sugar content of table wine changed - for the first time provision was made for wine exceeding 30g per litre.
1983 The Cape Winemakers' Guild (CWG), an independent association, was formed.
1984 Flavoured wines introduced to the market.
1985 The inaugural CWG wine auction was held.
1990 Changes in the Wine of Origin legislation.
The SA Wines & Spirits Export Association (SAWSEA) was established.
1991 First National Bottled Wine Show and inaugural Veritas awards.
1992 The quota system was scrapped.
Merger of KWV wine courses with the CWA.
The Méthode Cap Classique Association was formed.
1993 The Port Producers' Association was formed.
1995 The Pinotage Association was formed.
KWV International was founded.
1996 Stellenbosch Vineyards (Pty) Ltd was founded.
1997 KWV Registered as a private company on 01 December.
ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij was founded.
1998 The new Liquor Bill, a three-tier system, was approved by parliament.
The CWA was registered in an independent Trust.
1999 The new Liquor Bill rejected as unconstitutional and referred back to parliament for amendment.
  The South African Wine Industry Trust was established to advance the transformation of the wine industry and promote exports.
2000 The inaugural Cape Wine 2000, showcasing South African wines, was held.
  SAWSEA was renamed Wines of South Africa (WOSA). An independent, non-profit company representing all exporters of South African wines, its aim is to build Brand South Africa internationally.
The Chenin Blanc Association was formed.
SFW and Distillers Corporation merged to form one company, Distell.
2001 The Muscadel Association was formed.
2002 Cape Wine 2002 - a major success for the South African wine industry.
  Joint venture between Australia's BRL Hardy and Stellenbosch Vineyards (SV) was announced - a first for the local industry.
The SA Wine Industry Ethical Trading Association (WIETA) was established.
The Shiraz Association was formed.
  The KWV split into two separate entities: a commercial company, KWV Limited, and Wijngaard Co-operative, which provides services to and looks after the interests of producers.
  White wines were bottled under screwcaps by several South African producers.
  The CWA was transferred by Distell to an independent group of management specialists called pointBreak.

For your full south african wine resource visit www.wine.co.za