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Wine 101: Cape Winelands region
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The Cape Winelands is the largest wine producing region in South Africa. The region is located in the Western Cape Province and has several smaller winelands within it. Some of the most popular are Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington and Fraschhoek.
Stellenbosch wineland is the best known in the country. It is the second oldest town in South Africa and is considered by many to be the heart of the Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch is home to cellars responsible for creating some of the country's finest and most acclaimed wines. This region alone contains more than 50 unique soil types which influences the condition under which wine grapes grow.
The Franschhoek valley wine region was settled over 300 years ago by the French Hugenots. It is also the culinary capital of South Africa.
Due to the lack of precipitation, irrigation is a necessity for most winemakers in South Africa. Sprinklers and drip irrigation systems are used to provide the wine grapes with moisture. However, not all winemakers use irrigation and market their wines as such. The phrase "dryland" or "dry farmed" is used on the label of these wines.
The South African wine industry has historically produced fortified wine or "Cape port." These wines are made from a variety of grapes, like Shiraz and Pinotage, and have a minimum alcohol level of 16.5 to 22 percent.
For more information on South African wine, click here.
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