Wines of South Africa

This episode we visit the southernmost tip of Africa to check out the cool, windy vineyards of the Agulhas Triangle. This informal designation encompasses a number of pioneers, including the Sauvignon Blanc-focused producers of the Elim warm, David Trafford's project, Sijnn, and Bruce Jack's farm, The Drift, showing in microcosm the diversity of wines that just a small area of South Africa's wine lands can create. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Named for a giant, round, granite outcropping that glistens like a Pearl, the town of Paarl was the third Dutch settlement in South Africa, after Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Its roots as a winegrowing area date to the 17th century, and today the large region is home to top-notch Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a wide range of other intriguing wines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South Africa's history of winemaking dates back over 360 years, and some of today's estates date back all the way to the 18th century. They're not resting on their laurels, though; in this episode, we look at some of South Africa's oldest wine estates and what they're doing now to stay at the forefront of the South African wine scene. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aside from the entrepreneurs behind the Black-owned brands we looked at in episode 10, there are some other ownership models as well. In this episode we look at three companies where the workers have become owners of their own wine brands, vineyards, and other land, giving dozens of families their own piece of the wine industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we talk to the founder-owners of three leading Black-owned brands: Aslina, Tesselaarsdal, and Kumusha. As the South African wine industry struggles to redress imbalances stemming from the legacy of apartheid, producers like these are landmarks on the road forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Chardonnay doesn't have a long history in South Africa, it's become a leading variety, and one strongly associated with the estate wineries that emerged around the end of apartheid. Today plantings match those of Pinotage, and several important regions have emerged, each with their own character. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we look at a region that rose to fame centuries ago, a favorite of Napoleon, Louis XVI, and the Duke of Wellington: Constantia. Those famous sweet wines disappeared for almost a century, but today this small suburb of Cape Town is home to some of South Africa's leading Sauvignon Blancs, Bordeaux-style blends, and other wines...and yes, the sweet wines of the past have returned as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we take a look not at a specific region or grape variety, but at grapevines - old vines, specifically. Some of South Africa's best wines come from vines aged 35, 50, or many decades older than that. Economic pressures were pushing many of these vineyards to be uprooted, but an exciting program, the Old Vine Project has been working to change that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hemel-en-Aarde is home to just 400 hectares - 1,000 acres - of vines, but it has a world-class reputation for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's #DrinkChenin Day! We're marking the occasion by looking at South Africa's most-planted grape variety, which has long roots in the country, dating back to 1655. With 17,103 hectares planted, South Africa is home to more Chenin Blanc vines than the rest of the world combined, and it has increasingly become recognized as country's flagbearer variety. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look at Pinotage. The grape was developed in South Africa in the 1920s, and came to prominence as the face of South Africa wine after apartheid ended. But it's had a mixed reputation. We talk about its idiosyncratic character and how today's winemakers are making top wines from this much-maligned grape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's South Africa's most planted red grape variety, and it's found a special home at the center of the country's wine industry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we take a look at the Swartland. Winemaking is not new to the area, but even twenty-five years ago it was largely overlooked. Today, Swartland wines include some of South Africa's most-coveted bottlings, gracing the lists of the world's best restaurants. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the debut episode of the Wines of South Africa podcast. We start off the way all good meals start, with bubbly. Join us for a dive into Methode Cap Classique, South Africa's sparkling wine and the fastest growing category on the South African wine scene.You can learn more about the wines and people featured in this podcast by going to our website, wosa.us, and clicking on the podcast tab.The WOSA podcast is hosted by WOSA's U.S. Marketing Manager, Jim Clarke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.