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The Cape Challenge: South African Producers Push their into the Spotlight By John Frederick Walker

Top restaurateurs, , and writers have all embraced super-premiums from ,” says Rory Callahan of Wine & Food Associates in New York, which represents the industry in the US. As proof, he points to their increasing presence on retail shelves and wine lists, as well as frequent mentions in print. Imports from South Africa have now reached 300,000 cases annually and Callahan expects a 15 to 20-percent increase is anticipated for next year.

t’s an impressive achievement when you consider that a decade ago the 350- year-old wine industry was saddled by government regulations limiting what Iand where grape growers could plant, and was so dominated by large coop- eratives there were only 72 private estates in the entire country. But in the wake of political reform since then, the South African wine industry experienced a rebirth, shed a stultifying system of rules and found renewed dynamism built on the belief that the best South African wines had yet to be made. The potential was always there. The wine districts clustered at the at the southern tip of the African continent fall in the same temper- ate latitudes as viticultural regions in Australia and New Zealand. A cool Mediterranean climate, diverse soils and topography give South Africa’s wines the crisp acidity and complexity associated with northern European bottlings, along with the intensity of New World fruit. It’s this magic balance in the wines that has attracted international and foreign expertise— Paul Pontallier, Zelma Long, Paul Bouchard, and the Rothschilds among others contributing to the potent talent mix in the historic districts of and an hour from , as well as outlying areas like Robertson, , and in . South Africa has long produced every known wine type from sparkling to dessert and fortified, as well as and liqueurs, but its new cutting-edge wines are the ones that have won it recent global acclaim and a new audience in the US. Getting most of the attention are Sauvignon Blancs as lively and racy as anything from the Loire, and stylish Cabernet and blends that have more in common with red Bordeaux than muscular California Cabs. Not far behind are a handful of splendid Shiraz, some very elegant Chardonnays, revitalized Chenin Blancs, and striking reds from a native grape . “The real challenge now, is to have a couple of brands in the market that can take on giants like Penfolds.”

— Rory Callahan, Wine & Food Associates, New York

These wines have more going for them than just great taste. George Miliotes, director of beverage and service for Darden Restaurants (which include the Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains), has been enthusiastic about South African wines since he helped put together the all- Cape wine list for Jiko, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurant, two years ago. “They have great price-to-value ratios,” he explains. The weak rand to dollar ratio makes many basic bottlings downright bargains and top-of-the-line labels outstanding values. “And they are vari- etally labeled, too,” he adds. Despite a few long names (such as Buitenverwachting), they are easy to understand and order. Charles Stanfield of Sam’s in Chicago is an unabashed booster of Cape wines and con- stantly adds new labels to the store’s shelves. “Everything out of South Africa has been great value, particularly in the $8 to $18 range,” he says. “The reds have been very strong, but late- ly I’ve been impressed by the whites. Some of the Chenin Blancs are beautiful wines.” Yet despite the acceptance of their high-end wines, South African producers have yet to One of the hottest achieve significant overall market share. Patrick Seré of Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., which was one brandies right now of the first to import South African wines after the transformation in government there and the lifting of economic sanctions, has seen South African wines lose momentum after the initial isn’t made in spike of interest occasioned by the election of Nelson Mandela. “Ironically, the wines are bet- France, it’s from ter than ever,” says Seré, who imports several lines of wines in the Distell group. “So it’s our South Africa. job to make them better known.” It hasn’t been easy. “South Africa hasn’t hosted an Olympics, and doesn’t have a Crocodile Dundee character to help bring the right attention to the country,” says André Shearer of Cape Imoya VSOP is a blend of Classics, who has been importing wine from South Africa’s top estates for ten years. Still, double distilled potstill there’s no “political hangover,” as Ira Smith, owner of Kent Wine & Spirit in the upscale coun- try town of Kent, Connecticut, explains, referring to hesitations customers once had about buy- brandies that are matured ing South African products before the change in government. for various stages up to But like the wines from every other wine-producing region, South African bottlings have to be targeted at the appropriate price points to sell well. “South Africa can’t really compete with 20 years. “Imoya” means Australia or Chile in the under $10 range,” says Ken Onish of Southern Starz, who imports a “the ancient wind of number of estate wines. He sees “a big void of good wines out there at $12 to $18 retail,” and Africa” and its smooth, thinks that’s the price range producers ought to aim at. Others are concerned that without making inroads into the broader US market with mid- rich taste perfectly cap- range wines selling in the $7 to $10 category, few Americans will become familiar enough tures the spirit of the con- with South African wines to drink them regularly, much less consider trading up. “The real challenge now,” Callahan says, “is to have a couple of brands in the market that can take on tinent. It is described as giants like Penfolds.” Shearer agrees. “No matter how well we make wine,” he says, “we having a more luxurious still have to have significant depletions to be taken seriously.” Which will happen, believes “feminine” taste style that Dina Opici, of Opici Imports, who represents KWV, Beyerskloof and Cathedral Cellars, among others. “The South African wine market is a vibrant and growing category and is lends itself well both to increasing in sales monthly,” Opici says. “I believe that their sales will continue to increase sampling alone and in as consumers become aware of the great value that South African wines represent.” Fortunately, South Africa, the seventh largest wine region in the world, has several big play- cocktails. Imoya was ers eager to help. These producers buy grapes for their lines of branded wines, as well as bot- named “World’s Best tle wines from estates they control or with which they have exclusive marketing agreements. ” at the London Increasingly, these larger wine companies are moving away from the lean, astringent commer- cial wine styles that were once common, toward fresh, bright-tasting wines that show off the International Wine regional balance between ripeness and acidity. “The biggest improvement I’ve seen in South Competition (2000). African wines,” Smith says, “is in the lower-end brands—they’re clean, well-made, and fruity.” One of the largest of these big producers is KWV, a cooperative begun by the government in 1918 to deal with serious wine overproduction by fixing minimum SOUTH AFRICAN SELECTIONS wine prices and distilling the surplus. KWV once had regulatory powers over the entire wine industry, but has since shed that role to become an innovative giant with an array of brands, from the value-priced Robert’s Ken Forrester 2001 Over a quarter of South Africa’s are planted in Chenin Blanc. This workhorse white, known locally as Steen, varies from plonk de blanc to this remarkable, dry, aromatic “The biggest improvement Chenin from thirty-year-old bush vines and given a touch of . This I’ve seen in South African and other serious Chenins from Kanu, Villiera and Mulderbosch wines, is in the lower-end o ffer an appealing alternative to . Suggested retail price: $15 brands—they’re clean, well-

Simunye 2001 made, and fruity.” Respected California winemaker Zelma Long has turned to South Africa to pro- — Ira Smith, owner of Kent Wine & Spirit, duce this spicy, fruity and deliciously Kent, Connecticut tart bottling, a tribute to the Cape’s affinity for this variety. Dozens of South Rock line, to the middle-tier KWV and premium African producers make Sauvignon Blancs that are clean, Cathedral Cellars range, as well as a fine brandy, with minty-flinty flavors and lively acidity. Suggested retail Imoya, and even a $100-a-bottle flagship Shiraz, price: $15 Perold. Peter Morales, president of “57 Main Street,” a partnership with KWV and Peter Andrew LLC that Beyerskloof Pinotage 2000 also markets estate wines, including Malverne South A f r i c a ’s most intriguing wine is and De Wetshof, sets long-term growth in the US as his Pinotage, a cross of and c o m p a n y ’s goal—and that means creating a market for that dates from 1925. When made quality South African wines. from low- vineyards Pinotage Distell, the new mega-company formed by the makes a full-flavored, intense red. This merger of Stellenbosch Farmer’s Winery and Distiller’s one, from Pinotage master Beyers Corporation that’s now the eighth largest wine and spir- Truter, is made in a more open, juicy its enterprise in world, is even bigger than KWV—it style that’s full of bright berryish fla- accounts for nearly 30% of the Cape’s pro- vors. Suggested retail price: $12 duction. Under its vast umbrella are familiar standard ranges like Nederburg and Fleur du Cap, and upscale Fleur du Cap Merlot 1999 (Unfiltered) properties like Plaisir de Merle and Le Bonheur. When This well-known brand’s Unfiltered series is a defi- asked what’s the most important task for the South nite step up. Spicy tannins, plummy fruit and whiffs African wine industry here, Distell USA’s Gary of new oak. It’s in short supply, but it’s also a signal Greenfield says “Awareness. We have to start off with a that the entire standard range is being upgraded global awareness of South Africa. Educating the con- (check out the flavorful 2000 Fleur du Cap Coastal sumer is key.” Region Merlot). Suggested retail price: $12 Robin Back, who represents the wines of Charles Back in the US, agrees with this outlook. “We’re all in Fairview Goats du Roam Red 2001 this together,” he says. “No one brand is going to build The French may not appreciate the this category by itself.” With continued attractive pric- humor, but Charles Back, the man ing and positive reviews, South African wines will con- behind the Fairview and Spice Route tinue to win converts, bottle by bottle. labels, keeps a herd of goats and isn’t But André Shearer thinks it will take more than joint joking with this deliciously fruity, wine marketing to break through to the next level. “The accessible red, made from a blend of real problem is that South Africa hasn’t registered yet in classic Rhône varieties. Great value. the public consciousness,” he says. He’d like to see Suggested retail price: $10 “collaborative marketing with tourism, using wine as South A f r i c a ’s calling card,” to introduce more Amarula Cream Americans to the taste of Africa’s great wine region. From Brown-Forman, a newly introduced We can all raise a glass to that idea. oak-aged distillate of the marula fruit that grows wild in sub-equatorial Africa is com- John Frederick Walker is a contributing editor at Food & Wine bined with fresh cream to make this cream and the author of A Certain Curve of Horn:the Hundred-Year Quest for the liqueur. Suggested retail price: $15 Giant Sable Antelope of Angola (Atlantic Monthly Press)