(SOME OF) THE STUFF

YOU ALWAYS WANTED

TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
From a South African Perspective

CAPE OF GOOD WINE and CASSIDY DART MW

TRANSLATED BY MLONDOLOZI PUTE
 FOREWORD

I have been lucky enough to work with I’ve always enjoyed wine but it wasn’t
wine my entire professional life. until I learned more about it that I
found a true appreciation. When we’re
It’s greatest attribute and perhaps able to appreciate wine, there’s less
biggest challenge is its inherent inclination to abuse it. There’s respect
complexity. for how it’s made: the land, the raw
ingredients and most importantly, the
We need more people drinking wine people. Wine represents people. Our
and not being afraid of it. endless combination of quirks, how
our histories are woven together, our
South Africa is making the greatest cultures and the way we celebrate. And
wine in its almost 300 year history, and yes, our different colours. Wine Wise is
our aim of this guide was to attach my attempt to encourage more people
contemporary South African wine to appreciate wine...so that, ultimately,
alongside an international context and when I’m next at the wine store, wine
to encourage a new generation of wine farm, or tasting event, I’ll see more
drinkers. people who look like me.

Cassidy Dart MW Cape of Good Wine

KUNYE
THE WINE
WISE

2 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
Contents
01. A BRIEF HISTORY OF WINE 04

02. VITICULTURE 08

03. WINEMAKING 14

04. WINE STYLES 26

05. SERVING TEMPERATURES 29

06. LEARNING TO TASTE WINE 32

04. FOOD AND WINE PAIRING 41

08. SAUVIGNON BLANC 45

09. CABERNET SAUVIGNON 55

10. CHARDONNAY 63

11. SYRAH / SHIRAZ 73

12. CHENIN BLANC 83

13. PINOTAGE 91

14. SPARKLING WINE 97

15. FORTIFIED WINES 102

16. GLOSSARY 107

01. A BRIEF HISTORY OF WINE

Wine has been made

for a very long time.
Far longer than most
of us would have ever
considered.
 Wine has been made for a very long South African wine industry. And finally,
time. Far longer than most of us would the British introduced winemaking to
have ever considered. Australia and New Zealand.

In 8000 BC, the ancient Here in South

8000 BC Egyptians and Chinese
made fermented
1659 Africa, 02
February is a very
beverages from fruits special day. As it
(including grapes), honey, and rice. is on this day, in 1659, Jan van Riebeeck
They’d store these in earthenware jars. first pressed wine in the Cape.

The oldest winery in But it was

4100 BC the world was traced
to Armenia circa 4100
1685 Governor Simon
van der Stel who
BC. Winemaking truly furthered the
earthenware vessels were submerged in South African wine industry, establishing
the ground in Israel, Georgia, Armenia, Constantia Wine Estate. After his death,
and Iran. the estate would be split and sold into
what are now Groot Constantia, Klein
From 1500 BC to Constantia, and Buitenverwachting.
15oo BC-1200 bc 1200 BC, during the
Iron Age in Northern In 1693, Dom
Europe, barrels were
the preferred container for storing and
1693 Pérignon ‘invents’
champagne,
shipping wine. exclaiming
“Come quickly, I am drinking stars!”. In
15oo BC-300 bc Phoenicians spread Vitis
vinifera throughout the
actuality, there was less invention and
far more surprise at exploding corks
Mediterranean from - a frightening side effect of the wine
1500 BC to 300 BC. undergoing refermentation inside the
bottles. Even though the poet Samuel
During 900 BC to 100 Butler referred to ‘brisk champagne’ as
900 BC-100 bc BC, clay amphorae
were used to store
early as 1663, there is a valid argument
that Sir Christopher Merret discovered
and transport wine in champagne when he added sugar
ancient Greece and Rome. to bottles of wine that resulted
in the wine refermenting and
But that’s the Old creating bubbles. In an eight-
1500’s World. How did we
come to enjoy wine in
page paper delivered to
the Royal Society in 1662,
the New World? In the Merret details the use of
1500s, Portuguese explorers transported sugar or molasses to give
vines and introduced winemaking to wine or cider some fizz.
Brazil. Yes, Brazil has a long history of This would predate the
grape growing and wine production. famous monk by three
The Spanish brought Vitis vinifera to decades.
the Americas. The Dutch started the

5 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF WINE

Interestingly, wine During the 1920-

1740 bottles weren’t always
laid on their sides. In
1920 to 1933 1933 prohibition,
statewide
1740, wine bottles were redesigned to legislation banned almost all production,
enable them to lay on their sides. Having importation, transportation, and sales
the bottles on their sides allowed the of alcohol in the United States of
wine to stay in contact with the cork, America. This undoubtedly delivered
ensuring that the cork stayed moist. a massive blow to the burgeoning U.S.
Without moisture, the corks would wine industry, setting it back by many
dry out and crack, resulting in oxygen decades. Alcohol consumption wasn’t
exposure that would spoil the wine. This illegal - only the sale and distribution
bottle redesign would allow for long- of alcohol were. There were a few
term ageability. exceptions to the ban - sacramental
wines were permitted for religious
Continuing with the purposes, and pharmacies could sell
mid 1800’s bottle improvements,
sparkling wines gained
‘medicinal whisky’. Amazingly, 10 states
still have counties where the sale of
popularity in the mid- alcohol is still prohibited.
1800s partially thanks to more consistent
wine bottle production. Sparkling wines A cross between
can exert an internal pressure of around
five to six atmospheres. Developing a
1925 Pinot Noir
and Cinsaut
bottle that could withstand that pressure (then known as
surely saved lives. Hermitage in South Africa) was created
in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first
In the 1900s, phylloxera professor of viticulture at Stellenbosch
1900’s destroyed roughly 70%
of French vineyards.
University. Professor Perold was aiming
to create a more robust Pinot Noir with
This microscopic pest, the best characteristics of the more
native to America and accidentally dependable Cinsaut.
introduced to Europe, attacks the roots
of Vitis vinifera vines when in its louse The first bag-
form. Vitis vinifera is not able to protect
itself from the pest, the vine is weakened
1965 in-box wines
were invented in
and eventually dies. However, American Australia in 1965.
vines are naturally immune to phylloxera.
The solution to phylloxera was to graft In 1978, Robert
the European Vitis vinifera cane onto the
resistant American rootstock, producing
1978 Parker’s Wine
Advocate
the sought after European grape established a
flavours with the safety and resistance of 100-point wine rating system.
American vines but with none of its wild
and foxy flavours.

6 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 Apartheid is abolished Kanonkop’s Paul
1994 in South Africa in 1994,
opening up the overseas
2018 Sauer becomes the
first South African
market and allowing South Africa to shed wine to receive a 100-point score by a
itself of the mass-produced co-op wines Master of Wine from the UK in 2018.
that it had built its wine industry upon.

Cabernet Sauvignon became

the most planted grape in
2010 the world in 2010. It holds
this position to this day.
100

7 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 02. VITICULTURE

Growing grapes
is hard work.

8 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 VITICULTURE

Growing grapes
is hard work. The viticulturist (science and practice of
grape culture) has as great an impact
on wine quality as does the winemaker.
There are many factors to consider, some Below are a few of the most important
outside of the grower’s control. It is a risky considerations for the viticulturist and
industry, but it can result in great reward. winemaker.

vineyard and choice of vine variety soil

site rootstock and clone testing
selection

soil choice of trellis vine

preparation vine density system planting

control of
training the pruning harvest
pests and
vine the vine
diseases

9 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 VITICULTURE

30º to 50º 30º-50º NORTH

Wine grapevines are grown between 30º to 50º south of the
equator and 30º to 50º north of the equator. These are the
areas where grapes can survive and thrive, receiving enough
30º-50º SOUTH
sunlight and warmth to produce a successful yearly crop.
Anything further away from the equator would be too cold
for the vines to survive. Anything too close to the equator
becomes too tropical and hot to produce a viable harvest.

With global warming, we’ve seen and will continue to see these boundaries being
expanded. e.g. England now has a growing wine industry.

The lifecycle of the grapevine

The lifecycle of the grapevine remains constant. Some vintages may be harvested
earlier, and others later. But the pattern remains the same...

Budbreak - early spring when the vines their leaves and prepare for a hard-
start showing signs of life earned slumber, an opportune time to
prune the vines and secure the structure
Early Shoot & Leaf Growth - where the for the next season.
shoots start to unravel and produce their
little leaves ...and then we do it all again next year.

Flowering & Fruitset - we start to see

the clusters of flowers that will
be pollinated and develop into
clusters of berries

Veraison & Berry Ripening - a

marvellous time in the vineyards
with the berries starting to change
colour (white grapes change from
green to pale translucent yellow,
black grapes change from green to
purple)

Harvest - mid-to-late summer, our

favourite time of year when the
vineyards and wineries come alive
with frenetic activity as viticulturists
and winemakers weigh up the best
time to pick and process the grapes

Winter Dormancy & Pruning - at

the end of autumn, the vines drop

10 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 VITICULTURE

WHITE GRAPE BLACK GRAPE

WHITE ORANGE RED ROSE WHITE

11 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 VITICULTURE

An important part to understanding

how wine is made is to understand
SKIN
the variousSTEMS
elements in a grape that Colour
Tannins
Flavour

contribute to the end product.

Tannins
SEEDS Bitter Oils
Tannins

Starting at the top, the stems contain it contains native yeasts that are able
tannins, with their inclusion, or exclusion, to ferment the grapes when they come
having a marked impact on the wine. into contact with the juice. Think back
to 8000 BC, before cultured yeasts were
The skins contain colour, tannins and harvested. It was these native, or ambient
flavour. The longer the grape juice yeasts that fermented those first wines.
remains in contact with the skins, the Yeasts originated millions of years ago
more flavour, tannins and colour can be
BLOOM and can be found all around us, including
extracted into the juice.
Ambient Yeasts pULP
in vineyards and inside wineries. We
Water
currently
Sugar recognise at least 1,500
This also explains how it is possible to different species.
Acids

produce white wines from black-skinned

grapes. e.g. Champagne and blanc de Inside the grape, you will find the pulp
noirs. and seeds. Pulp consists of mainly water,
with sugars and acids. Ergo, most of your
If a black grape is pressed immediately, bottle of wine is made up of water, acids,
little colour is extracted because and the sugars that have been
the pulp of most grapes is converted to alcohol. Flavour
clear. There are some SKIN
Colour
accounts for a minute
grapes with tinted pulp. Tannins percentage in wine. Yet,
These grapes are known Flavour it’s the flavour that is the
as teinturier, and their
STEMS most important to us.
resultant wines have
SEEDS
Bitter Oils
Tannins

a richer colour. Tannins The seeds contain

However, most bitter oils and
grapes have clear tannins. Tannins
pulp. help add structure
to a wine. That
You may have structure makes it
noticed a waxy film possible to age a
coating the outside wine. We certainly
of unwashed grapes. want the structure,
This is usually most BLOOM but not too much of
noticeable on black pULP Water
Ambient Yeasts
the bitter oils. When
grapes. This film is Sugar wines are pressed
called the bloom, and Acids to release their juices

12 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 VITICULTURE

(the harder you press, the more juice you get) the winemaker needs to be incredibly
mindful of pressing too hard and releasing too much of these bitter, unpleasant oils. In
Champagne, there are strict rules that legally require producers to press the grapes only
to a certain pressure.

So with all that pressing I’m sure you’re wondering just how many grapes it takes to
make a bottle of wine? One grapevine yields approximately 10 bottles of wine. There
are roughly 400 grapes in each bottle of wine. If a wine bottle pours four glasses, and
my maths is to be relied upon, each delicious glass equates to 100 grapes.

1 grapevine
+ 400 GRAPES
EQUALS
+ 10 bottles of EQUALS
1 BOTTLE OF
wine
WINE

13 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 03. WINEMAKING

{ sugar + yeast = alcohol + CO2 }

Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide kills bacteria and inhibits yeast. It’s an essential tool for winemaking,
whether to clean the barrels and equipment, or to neutralise any ambient yeasts present
on the grapes before adding a cultured yeast. It can also be used as a final dose before
bottling the wine to ensure its stability. Sulfur dioxide occurs naturally, and every wine
contains a degree of SO2. Some winemakers opt to work without any addition of
SO2. Next time you think of blaming your headache on sulfur, know that the dried fruit
industry uses far higher levels in their production.

Corks vs screw caps

There are a variety of options for bottle closures – from corkscrews harvested from
Quercus Suber L trees to the unpleasant plastic versions. Traditional natural corks have
traditionally been the most popular, given their ability to allow the wine to breathe over
time. But screw caps have gained in popularity. Not enough time has passed for us to
conclusively measure the ageability of wines sealed by screw caps. For now, they’re
indicative of early drinking wines meant to be enjoyed whilst still fresh and fruity.

14 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINEMAKING

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + CO2

That’s all. We can all go home now.

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + CO2 That’s the most important part of winemaking. Without
this recipe, we’d all be drinking grape juice. As lovely as grape juice tastes, I’m sure
you’ll agree that there’s a certain delight in consuming an adult beverage.

The winemaking process for red, white, rosé, sparkling, and fortified wines, be they dry
or sweet, starts off in the same way.

Harvesting Transporting
The producer will keep an eagle eye on Whether they are producing sweet wines
the ripening grapes, picking them at or dry wines, the best producers will
the optimum balance of ripeness and take care not to damage the grapes in
acidity. In South Africa, we harvest our the picking process. Lug boxes are used
grapes by hand as labour is plentiful to transport the grapes from the fields
and, questionably, inexpensive. But in to either a larger container, or they are
other parts of the world, grapes can be stacked in a vehicle destined for the
harvested with machinery that speeds up winery. These lug boxes won’t be filled
the picking process. There is technically to the top, as stacking could damage the
no difference in the quality of the wines grapes and expose them to unwanted
based on whether they are hand- or oxygen and potential rot.
machine-harvested. Some winemaking
styles use the entire grape bunch, The grapes are
including the stems, and this is much transported to the winery
easier to do by hand. Some of the best as quickly as possible
sweet wines in the world are made from and are either kept in
grapes affected by botrytis (“noble rot”), a cold container until
requiring individually selecting the best processed or crushed
grapes from the bunch. This is a process immediately.
that can only be done by hand. Sauternes,
Tokaji, and our very own Noble Late Crushing
Harvest are examples of these carefully Traditionally, crushing was done by foot.
harvested grapes. In some wineries, grapes are still crushed
this way. But most wineries make use of
modern machinery that can crush and
destem the grapes quickly and efficiently.

At this point, white winemaking and

red winemaking proceed differently.

15 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WHITE WINEMAKING

GROW GRAPES HARVEST GRAPES CRUSH GRAPES

YEAST

FERMENT grapes press grapes

MALIC ACID
AMPHORA OAK CONCRETE EGG STAINLESS STEEL
CONVERTED TO
MATURATION OPTIONS LACTIC ACID

BOTTLING (filling, corking) and labelling

16 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINEMAKING

White winemaking
After the grapes are crushed, they are usually pressed immediately to avoid contact with
unwanted oxygen and to retain the freshness of the grape juice.

There are variations to this, with some winemakers leaving the juice in contact with the
skins. This extended skin contact will add depth of flavour, texture, and can also add
tannin. Amber wines, or orange wines as they’re also called, are wines made through
extended skin contact.

Pressing producing wines that use the minimum

Pressing was of intervention, and some winemakers
traditionally choose not to add a cultured yeast,
done in a instead relying on the native yeasts in the
basket press bloom. However, one doesn’t know what
that requires manual labour and is time- types of yeasts might be on the grape
consuming. Modern wineries opt to use skins. In a risky and costly winemaking
a large pneumatic press as this saves business, it could be safer to rely on a
time and avoids the ever-present risk of proven strain of yeast instead.
excessive oxygen exposure. The harder
the must is pressed, the more flavour from Fermentation
the skins and bitter oils from the pips We now wait for
are extracted. There’s a careful balance fermentation, the process
that needs to be found so as not to over- where the yeast converts
extract the juice. the juice into wine. Most
white wines are fermented
We refer to the pressed juice as must. at cooler temperatures
Remember that until yeast starts and in inert, or non-
converting the juice into alcohol (and reactive, vessels to retain the freshness,
CO2), we still have only grape juice. purity of fruit and flavours, and to
preserve the natural varietal character of
Yeast the grape.
The grapes are then pumped
into a waiting stainless steel Stainless steel tanks
YEAST
tank, where a cultured yeast Stainless steel tanks are
is added to the juice. An an excellent vessel to
extensive range of yeasts are created in control temperatures as
laboratories, each with properties that they conduct heat and cold
best suit the style of winemaking, e.g. efficiently. They are also easy
Champagne yeast for sparkling wines, to clean.
yeasts that are best suited to Bordeaux-
style wines, yeasts cultured for every style A producer could choose to leave the
of beer making. grapes to ferment in stainless steel
or decide to place the juice (or wine,
We know that grapes naturally have depending on the stage) in a number of
ambient or natural yeasts that live on different vessels.
their skins. There is a move towards

17 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINEMAKING

Concrete - either tanks

or eggs A brand new, and very expensive, oak
Concrete is an inert barrel is usually reserved for red wines
vessel that minimises that benefit more from spending time
contact with air making. in oak. However, some producers
It is naturally cool, is might want to impart some of the new
less expensive, but it oak flavours into their white wines.
is also hard to clean. I’ve heard many Chardonnay is synonymous with varying
winemakers state that winemaking is 50% degrees of new oak that add vanilla and
cleaning. Unwanted bacteria can ruin toasty flavours to the wine.
your wine and result in very expensive
vinegar. Older oak that has been used for
winemaking in previous vintages loses its
Amphora toasted flavours. Older barrels are often
These beautiful clay vessels referred to as neutral barrels because
have been used since the they don’t influence the flavour of the
beginning of winemaking. wine, whether it’s white wine or red wine.
In Georgia, the vessels are
called Qvevri and are sunk Oak also has tannins of its own, and you
into the earth to further keep might find that you can pick up on some
the wines cold. of these tannins in a glass of white wine.

Amphora vessels are gaining popularity MLF (optional)

around the world. Malolactic fermentation,
or conversion since
Oak it’s not technically a
Oak barrels are made by fermenting process, is
a tonnelier or cooper, who the result of harsh malic
heats and moulds staves acids (found in Granny Smith apples)
of seasoned wood into being converted into softer lactic acids
barrels. They also toast (found in milk and yoghurt). It softens the
the wood over a flame flavours and texture of the wine as well
to add varying levels of as adding complexity and stability to the
flavour ranging from light to heavy. The finished wine.
most popular oak is sourced from France,
Hungary, and America. Each imparts a How do you detect malolactic in a wine?
unique flavour to the wine. European oak Look for a creamy, buttery, oily texture as
from cooler climates grow more slowly the giveaway. All red wines go through
and is denser, imparting less flavour than malolactic conversion, but not all white
American oak. wines are made this way. Chardonnay and
Viognier are two of the most common
French and Hungarian oak offer subtle wines that go through the malolactic
and spicy notes of vanilla, toffee, process.
butterscotch, chocolate, and coffee that
have a silky texture. American oak is
known for more intense flavours of vanilla
and coconut with a creamier texture.

18 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINEMAKING

Lees stirring fine or filter their wines as this is thought

Once the yeasts have converted the to affect the texture and flavour in the
grape juice to alcohol, they die. These wine.
dead yeast cells are known as lees and
fall to the bottom of the fermentation Bottling and Ageing
vessel. Some producers choose to stir the And finally, the wine is bottled. Producers
lees into the wine, instead of immediately will either have their own bottling line or
separating the clear wine from the lees. will make use of a mobile bottling service.
Lees stirring adds extra body and texture
to a wine, as well as flavour. Still white
wines will have more yeast-like flavours.
Still wines that are lees aged in oak could
amplify the wood aromas of caramel,
smoke, spices, and umami.

Fining
At this stage, the wine is usually still hazy
and cloudy with lees and bits of grapes The wines are pumped from their vessels
floating in the liquid. Before a wine is into the bottle, and a cork or screw cap is
bottled, it is usually fined and filtered to added.
add clarity and stability to the wine.
Not all white wines benefit from ageing.
Fining involves adding an agent that Some wines are meant to be drunk when
attaches to any sediment left behind. they’re young and fresh. Regardless of
Fining agents include bentonite clay when the wine is meant to be consumed,
(vegan), egg whites, isinglass (dried fish a period of rest is beneficial for allowing
bladders), and casein (milk protein). the wine to settle in its bottle. Heavier
white wines might require some ageing,
Racking especially if they’ve seen oak. Riesling
Racking is the process of separating is known for its ability to age for more
the wine from the lees. It can be done than 50 years and retain its freshness.
at various stages of the winemaking If you ever come across an old Chenin
process. It removes the sediment and Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc that has been
helps to produce a clearer and ‘cleaner’ stored correctly, you might find that
wine. Racking after fining will remove the their naturally high acidity has helped
finer sediment that has attached to the to preserve the wines. Having said this,
chosen fining agent. white wines are still usually released a few
months after they’ve been bottled.
Filtering
Filtering can also be done a few times in
the winemaking process, but it is usually
done one more time before bottling.
Fining and filtering stabilise the wine by
removing any microbial elements that
could spoil the wine.

There are winemakers who choose not to

19 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 RED WINEMAKING

GROW GRAPES HARVEST GRAPES CRUSH GRAPES

press grapes MACERATE FERMENT grapes

MATURATION OPTIONS

BOTTLING (filling, corking) and labelling

20 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINEMAKING

Red winemaking
The fundamentals of red winemaking are much the same as for white wines. The key
difference is that the grapes are macerated and fermented BEFORE they are pressed.
We need to impart their colour, flavours, and tannins into the juice.

After the grapes are crushed, yeast is added if necessary, and the wines are allowed to steep
in their skins for varying periods of time (maceration). Stainless steel is most commonly used
as it is easier to clean - the skins and pips don’t cling to the smooth surface.

Cap management of different sizes. The larger the barrel,

During this time, the CO2 that develops the less surface contact with the wine -
as a result of fermentation pushes the meaning less influence from the oak. The
skins, otherwise known as the cap, to the older the barrel, the less toast and flavour
top of the wine. The cap, which can be in the oak - meaning less influence on the
quite sturdy given claims that a grown man wine. The newer and smaller the barrel, the
can stand on it, floats on top of the liquid more flavour is imparted into the wine.
and needs to be broken up, submerged,
and reintegrated with the juice for the Oak is not an inert vessel. It allows for a
colour, flavour, and tannins to continue to degree of oxygen to reach the wine. This
be released. This can be done by a few oxygen, together with the oak, can soften
methods: the tannins in wines, making them silkier
and more pleasant to consume.
Punch down (pigeage)
The cap is physically punched down and When the winemaker deems the wine
swirled into the wine. This is not often done ready, the wine is racked, fined and filtered
mechanically and is physically demanding. before being bottled.

Pump over Another important difference between

A pump is placed into the tank and the white winemaking and red winemaking
liquid is drawn out and pumped back is that red wines are more often than not
over the floating cap. Pump overs can be stored in the cool cellars of the winery to
gentle or aggressive, frequent or less so, age in their bottles. Again, this period of
all depending on the style of wine being time can range from a few months to many
made. years. The more time it spends in bottle,
the more the flavour compounds merge.
Maturation
After fermentation has completed, the wine Corks also allow a small and controlled
is pressed and racked into its maturation amount of oxygen to reach the wine. In
vessel. This could be another stainless these measured amounts, the oxygen has
steel, concrete or amphora vessel for positive effects. The tannins and acidity in
freshness. red wines allow for reds to age for some
time in bottle, and with time more complex
Barrel ageing tertiary aromas develop. There is nothing
Red wine is synonymous with oak, and better than a red wine that’s had time to
the wines can spend anywhere from a few develop complex notes - and this is the
months to a few years in new or old barrels reason why wine collections exist!

21 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SAIGNEE \ bleeding

Saigneé Limited Skin Maceration

Rosé wines begin as a byproduct of The red grapes are crushed, and the
red winemaking. After several hours juice is left in contact with the skins
of maceration, 10% to 20% of the for a limited period of time. Limited
juice is drawn off to be fermented as skin maceration results in a range of
rosé wine (the remaining juice, which colours and additional flavours
is now more concentrated, continues imparted into the juice depending
to be fermented as red wine). on the amount of time the
winemaker chooses to leave the
Although the saigneé method can juice in contact with the skins. The
feel like the indecisive option, it is still longer the skin contact, the deeper
used and can be a preferable the colour and more intense the
technique for certain grapes. For flavours. Think of it like steeping a
example, the saigneé technique does tea bag in hot water.
not include pressing, minimising the
risk of bitterness in Syrah and This method results in a wide range
Cinsault, and resulting in a smoother, of styles of wine. Tavel, an
more mellow wine. The wines are appellation in Southern Rhône that
noticeably darker, fuller-bodied with is only allowed to produce rosé
more tannins. wines, is famed for its darker,
watermelon colour wines. Three of
the nine permitted grapes are white,
but these must be fermented with
the red grapes.

Direct Pressing

Direct pressing, where the grapes are

pressed immediately without any skin
contact, produces the palest colour Blending
wines that display more citrus, lemon,
raspberry and strawberry notes. Whole The last method of producing rosé
bunch pressing is desirable as it is wine is by blending. A finished
gentler, often compared to pressing by white wine is blended with a
hand. finished red wine.

It is the most popular style with This technique is used in only a

consumers and is the trademark of the few New World countries, and is
Provence region in southern France. banned in all Old World countries,
except for the Champagne region.
 WINEMAKING

Rosé winemaking
We now know that the skins of grapes are responsible for the colour in wine. We also
know that the longer we steep the juice in the skins, the deeper the extraction of colour,
flavour, and tannins. This explains why rosé wines come in all shades of pink, ranging
from light salmon all the way to deep rosy red.

Rosé winemaking is most similar to white winemaking. Instead of white grapes, red
grapes are used for their pigment. There are four ways to make rosé - Saigneé, Direct
Pressing, Limited Skin Maceration and Blending (see previous page).

Over 50% of rosé wines are pale, but A blend of

colour has more to do with marketing grapes is also
than it is an indication of quality. In common,
some ways, the consumer dictates the as the
colours as paler wines sell in far higher combination
quantities than darker wines. One way of grapes
of increasing the aromatics to create a can produce
fashionably pale wine without extracting a more complex wine. The grapes will
more colour is by employing a technique be co-fermented rather than blending
called stabulation. This is where some together the finished wines.
of the juice is left on the lees for one
or two weeks at very low temperatures. Producers can choose to work with
After stabulation, the juice is much more press fractions (different parcels of
aromatic and has a richer texture. It can juice separated after varying degrees
be used as a blending component. of pressing). Free run juice is always the
most prized. The first pressing is usually
Producers have long realised that rosé an acceptable colour. But the second
wines can be premium products. As such, pressing might get fined to remove
the grapes are now grown specifically to excess colour. The last pressing will not
make rosé wines. At the top end, these be used for rosé as it will be too dark and
wines are able to express terroir and are tannic. Filtering (carbon) can be used to
capable of ageing for many years. The achieve the pale colour - but filtering also
picking time of the grapes is incredibly filters out the aromatics.
important. They are often picked earlier
than red wines to retain the freshness and There was a time when all rosé wines
acidity (in warmer regions, it is common were fermented at very low temperatures.
to adjust the acidity in the winery.) For But lower temperatures can result in
example, Grenache grapes destined for simpler wines that don’t extract enough
rosé can be picked 10 -12 days earlier flavour and aren’t able to express terroir.
than Grenache for red wines. The ripe Overly high temperatures destroy the
tannins and extra colour aren’t needed. aromatics and extract unwanted high
levels of tannins.

23 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINEMAKING

Paler, more aromatic styles of rosé are almost always fermented in stainless
steel. These styles rely on as little contact with oxygen as possible. They will
make use of wine presses that pump nitrogen over the grapes and juice
during pressing. They might even choose glass stoppers over corks to
further prevent oxidation of the wine inside.

The use of old, bigger oak vessels can add structure and texture
to more premium wine, without imparting any of the oak flavours.
Some producers choose to use lighter doses of untoasted oak as,
aside from structure, this can also add a little sugar.

With a 50% increase in growth in the United States during

2019, rosé is a serious category of wine. Perhaps it’s the pretty,
photogenic colours that make the paler colours more popular. The

>50% bottles are often clear to entice the consumer and these are often
custom, designer bottles. One sometimes wonders how many of
the premium wines are priced for the bottle or for the quality of
the wine. Therefore it remains important to taste the wine before
judging the quality.

Another possible reason for the increase in popularity could be

the realisation that rosé works particularly well with lighter foods, and given our healthier
lifestyles, it is feasible that we’d adjust our wines to suit our food choices.

Although many rosé wines are made to be enjoyed early, the more premium wines are
capable of ageing.

With a 50% increase in growth

in the United States during
2019, rosé is a serious category
of wine.

24 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINEMAKING

Sweet winemaking
There are six ways of making sweet wines.

Halting Fermentation Drying Grapes on the Vine

You will recall that yeasts eat the sugar Otherwise known as passerillage, this
in the grapes to create alcohol. If we happens naturally in dry and warm
were to prevent the yeast from eating conditions in the late summer and early
all of the sugars, we would be left with autumn. The grapes dry out and form
residual sugar (RS). How do we do that? raisins on the vines. The wines are also
Fermentation plods along merrily at referred to as Late Harvest wines. These
15º C for white wines. By dropping the wines have a dried fruit and tropical fruit
temperature and chilling the wine, we quality.
can halt fermentation at the desired sugar
level. The wine is then filtered to remove Drying Grapes after Picking
all the yeasts. This is how premium sweet This process is called passito and is
wines are made. famous in Italy. The healthy grapes are
picked and laid out to dry on straw mats.
Most yeasts are also killed by alcohol that As the water evaporates, the flavours,
exceeds 16% ABV. Adding a grape spirit sugars, and acids are concentrated. These
at the desired sweetness level is another wines also have a raisiny quality.
way of stopping fermentation. But this can
drastically alter the way the wine tastes. Freezing the Grapes
Healthy grapes are left on the vine during
Sulfur Dioxide kills yeasts and inhibits the winter months. The pulp turns to ice
bacteria, preventing further fermentation. in the freezing temperatures. The frozen
However, SO2 is toxic in large doses and grapes are pressed leaving the ice behind
some people are allergic to SO2 in the press and resulting in intensely
even in smaller legal doses. Thus, concentrated sugars and pure varietal
this is not the best method of flavours. Germany produces Eiswein, and
creating a sweet wine. Canada produces Ice wine. This process
can be mimicked with refrigeration, but
Noble Rot the premium wines are those that are
Some botrytised (affected by made naturally.
noble rot) grapes are so sweet
that fermentation naturally Adding Sweetener
stops as the yeasts cannot Süssreserve, the German name for
convert all the sugars. unfermented grape juice, can be added
Botrytis cinerea is a to sweeten a wine after fermentation is
naturally occurring fungus completed and just before bottling.
DESSERT that pierces the skin of the
WINE grape allowing the water to Rectified Concentrated Grape Must
evaporate and concentrate (RCGM) can be added instead of
the sugars, flavours, and süssreserve. RCGM is usually done in bulk
acids. Tokaji, Sauternes and wine production.
some German Rieslings are
examples of this premium
style of sweet wine.

25 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 04. WINE STYLES
Part of the magic of wine is the
array of different styles in which
it is produced. There is a wine
for every occasion. There is a
style to suit every palate. There
is a wine for everyone.

26 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINE STYLES

SPARKLINg
wine

LIGHT BODIED WHITE ROSE FULL BODIED WHITE AROMATIC WHITE

wine wine wine wine

LIGHT BODIED red MEDIUM BODIED red FULL BODIED RED DESSERT
wine wine wine WINE

27 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 WINE STYLES

Part of the magic of wine is the array of different styles in which it is produced. There is a
wine for every occasion. There is a style to suit every palate. There is a wine for everyone.
Wines can be divided into nine styles. Each of these styles can be produced at different
sweetness levels - from bone dry to off-dry, semi-sweet, all the way through to lusciously
sweet. Let’s start with the sweetness levels.

Dry < 3g/litre or not? Other than tasting the wine, you
can’t know for sure. But turning the bottle
Off-dry 5 - 9 g/litre around and reading the back label could
Semi-sweet 10 - 45 g/litre give you an indication of the sweetness
levels. We now know that alcohol is a
Sweet > 45g/litre
byproduct of yeast eating sugar. Less
alcohol could be an indicator that the
Interestingly, dry wine always contains
yeasts haven’t consumed all the grape
some sugar, usually 1 gram or more. Most
sugars i.e. residual sugar. High alcohol
people cannot detect sweetness below 4
in non-fortified wines is a good clue that
to 5 g/litre. It is also important to note that
the wine is going to be dry, as the yeasts
sugar alone does not define sweetness.
would have consumed all the sugars.
Sweetness is a function of how much
acidity is in the wine. Take the example of
This is not a foolproof method, as
Coca Cola with its 106 g/litre where the
winemakers are able to manipulate
pH of 2.3 mitigates the sweetness.
alcohol, sugar, and acidity levels in the
Lower acidity with more sugar will taste
winery. Tasting is still the best way to find
soft and soupy.
out.
Acidic Neutral Basic

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Sparkling wine
e.g. Methode Cap Classique, Prosecco,
Charmat
Light-bodied white wine
e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris
Full-bodied white wine
Battery
Acid
Lemon
Juice
Wine Normal
Rainwater
Distilled
Water
Baking
Soda
Soft
Soap
Ammonia Lye e.g. Chardonnay, Viognier
Aromatic wine
e.g. Riesling, Gewürztraminer
Wines like Riesling and Chenin Blanc,
Rosé wine
with their naturally high acidity, can take
E.g. Provence
more sugar. Think of it as a balancing act
Light-bodied red wine
between freshness, acidity, and sugar.
E.g. Pinot Noir, Gamay
There is nothing wrong with liking sweet
Medium-bodied red wine
styles of wine. Some of the greatest and
E.g. Merlot, Grenache,
most long-lived wines in the world are
Full-bodied red wine
lusciously sweet. e.g. Sauternes, Vin de
e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Shiraz
Constance, Tokaji.
Dessert wine
e.g. Tokaji, Vin de Constance, Port
So when you next walk into a wine store,
how can you tell if a wine will be sweet

28 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 05. SERVING TEMPERATURES

Serving temperatures are

suggestions that winemakers
and producers assign to their
wines so that you are best
able to appreciate the aromas
and flavours that the wine has
to offer.

29 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SERVING TEMPERATURES

6ºC - 10ºC 7ºC - 10ºC 10ºC - 13ºC

SPARKLING LIGHT ROSE FULL AROMATIC

wine BODIED wine BODIED WHITE
WHITE WHITE wine
wine wine

13ºC 15ºC-18ºC 6ºC - 8ºC

LIGHT MEDIUM FULL DESSERT

BODIED BODIED BODIED wine
red red RED
wine wine wine

30 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SERVING TEMPERATURES

Serving temperatures are suggestions that winemakers and producers assign to their
wines so that you are best able to appreciate the aromas and flavours that the wine has
to offer.

Know that, in general, white wines are often served too cold and red wines are
served too warm. If you think about the birthplace of wine, Europe, and its average
temperatures, you realise that room temperature in the heart of a South African summer
might not be the best way to enjoy red wine.

Without central heating, wines will be Sparkling wine

warmer in summer and colder in winter. Sparkling wine is best served between 6º
and 10º Celsius. If you’ve ever opened a
If a wine is too cold, the tannins become warm bottle of bubbly, you’ll remember
more apparent. This could be to the the explosion of bubbles that ensued.
benefit of a lighter red wine like Pinot Because of the low serving temperature,
Noir but might not help an already sweeter sparkling wines can be very
tannic full-bodied wine such as Cabernet palatable even if your preference is for
Sauvignon. dryer wines.

If a wine is too warm you will lose the Light bodied white and rosé wines
aromatics. These should be served at a refreshing 7º
to 10º Celsius.
Light, peppery Syrah, Pinot Noir and
Cinsault are very pleasant when slightly Full bodied and aromatic white wines
chilled. These wines that have more complex
aromas and flavours are best served
Grand, powerful white wines like oaked not too cold. 10º to 13º Celsius is
Chardonnay shouldn’t be killed with too recommended.
much cold.
Light bodied red wine
Wines like Pinot Noir and Cinsault can
be enjoyed at 13º Celsius - a perfect
excuse to keep drinking reds throughout

TOP TIP! summer.

Medium to full bodied red wines

These are often served too warm and are
best enjoyed at 15º to 18º Celsius.

Dessert wine
Serve sub-par wine at 6º Celsius - no one The temperature is dependent on the
will notice it’s bad if you kill the wine with type of dessert wine you’re enjoying.
cold! 6º to 8º Celsius suits sweet and semi-
sweet wines. Port and some sherries
Adding ice to wine is your personal are best served at full-bodied red wine
preference. It lowers the temperature but temperatures.
be mindful that it can also dilute the wine.

31 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 06. LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

Wine tasting is
a journey...

you’re not wrong -

it’s personal to you

32 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

Everyone can taste unless

you’re anosmic.

anosmia noun
So many people are
put off the experience
an· os· mia | \ a-ˈnäz-mē-ə because they feel terrified
of tasting - you don’t need
to be. We can all taste
Definition of anosmia
wine.
:loss or impairment of the sense of smell
Wine is predicated on
a coded lexicon that is
no different to sports,
physics, or finance. We’ve
all been in a room where
experts are talking about
things that they understand in words that they only understand.

Don’t be put out by all the dialogue and narrative that’s, frankly, sometimes not very
welcoming. It’s not meant to be elitist or leave people behind...it’s that people who are
into wine get so excited that they can’t help themselves. Much like sitting around a table
with PhD scientists or if you worked at NASA and you talk at a level that no one else
understands.

TOP TI P!
You’re not wrong - it’s personal to you.

If you can learn to understand the building blocks in wine, you can learn to assess a
wine.

TANNIN ACIDITY
BODY ALCOHOL
33 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE

Wine tasting is
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

ACIDITY is like a lemon - to some people, this can be sour.

TANNIN is best pictured as a teabag steeped in hot

water. The longer you steep, the stronger the tannins that you feel on
your teeth, tongue and sides of your mouth. Tannins are compounds
that a red wine needs to age.

BODY is best thought of as evaluating the viscosity of skimmed milk versus

full cream milk versus yoghurt.

ALCOHOL - if it’s balanced you shouldn’t notice it.

But if it’s unbalanced, you’ll feel it burn.

Those are the building blocks of wine.

But what does it

to-day life. The fruit and vegetable section
in your local grocery store can offer an
array of produce to purchase and ponder.

smell like? Fruit markets are even better as the

produce is stored at room temperatures,
releasing the scents into the environment.
Smell is linked to memory. Taste is what

What does it
you smell (think of when you have a
cold and can’t taste anything when you

taste like?
don’t have a sense of smell). Your mouth
confirms what you smell.

e.g. If you smell perfume from someone The human tongue can detect five unique
that you liked a long time ago - when flavours.
you smell it again years later, you’ll
immediately think back to that person. Umami = MSG and marmite.
Smell is one of our strongest senses.
We hid away from dangerous animals
because we could smell them before we
could see them. Your sense of smell is BITTER
more powerful than you think it is. The
human has around 400 scent receptors. It SOUR
was thought that we could smell 10,000
different aromas when, in fact, the human UMAMI
nose can detect at least one trillion
different odours. SALTY

Because smell is so linked to memory, be SWEET

mindful of this as you go about your day-

34 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

primary secondary Tertiary

Aromas: Aromas: Aromas:
from grapes from winemaking from ageing
(bottle or oak)
FLORALS: easiest to spot in white
honeysuckle, rose, geranium wines mostly savoury

FRUITS: YEAST: WHITE WINE:

Green (apple, pear, quince) Bread, Toast, Cheese Dried Apricot, Marmalade,
Citrus (lemon, orange) MLF: Petrol, Ginger, Nutty, Honey
Tropical (lychee, pineapple) Butter, Cream RED WINE:
Red (cherry, strawberry, OAK: Fig, Prune, Leather, Earth,
plum) Vanilla, Cloves, Coconut, Mushroom, Game, Tobacco,
Black (blackcurrant, Smoke, Chocolate, Coffee Meaty, Farmyard
blackberry)

Primary aromas are mostly made up of fruits, e.g. citrus, apple, pear, pineapple, berries

Secondary aromas are derived from winemaking techniques like malolactic

fermentation, lees stirring and oak, e.g. bread, butter, smoke, coffee, smoke

Tertiary aromas are found in wines that are older. In white wines, these might be dried
fruits, nuts, or honey. In red wines, they could also include dried fruits, as well as leather,
earth, mushrooms, game, or meat.

"Wine people get excited about

old wines. There’s no other
beverage that you can buy
and serve to your children and
grandchildren on your wedding
anniversary. You can drink it when
it’s young, and when it’s old."
35 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

LOOK SMELL

TASTE THINK

36 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

The process
Start with a tapered glass that will contain the aromas. A thin glass is nicer. Stemmed
glasses keep your fingerprints off the glass and will avoid warming the wine through
body heat.
Swirl WHITE WINE ROSE WINE
Give your glass a swirl.
It helps to rest the base
of your glass on a solid
surface (table or knee)
to control the movement
and avoid sloshing the
precious nectar all over
LEMON GOLD AMBER BROWN pink salmon orange
your white shirt. Swirling
will release some of the
aromas.
RED WINE
Observe
A light-filled
room and white
background
are preferential
when tasting purple ruby garnet tawny
wine for What colour is the wine?
assessment.
Note that white wines get darker with age.
Look at the wine to make sure there Red wines become lighter with age.
are no floating bits of cork, fruit flies, or
unintentional sediment. If the wine is These colours provide further clues as
unfined and/or unfiltered, it may have to the type of wine. Lemon-coloured
some hazy sediment. If the wine is older, wines are often indicative of younger
it could contain sediment. Both situations wines. Gold could mean the wine has
are fine. The unfined wine will have extra seen skin contact or oak. Amber is usually
texture from the sediment. The aged wine an excellent giveaway to extended skin
can be decanted to remove any larger contact in white wines.
particles.
Purple and ruby often mean a younger
Does the wine have tears or legs? red wine with higher levels of tannin.
These are slightly more viscous, Garnet could indicate age or lighter-
slow-moving drips that run down bodied wine. Tawny is a sure sign of an
the glass after swirling. They aged red wine.
could be an indication of higher
sugar levels or higher alcohol. Now think about the intensity of the
But it could also be indicative of a colour. Is it pale, medium or deeply
dirty glass or residual dishwashing liquid. coloured? A pale red wine could be a
Tears/legs are just glycerol and are not an lighter-bodied wine like Pinot Noir.
indication of quality. Smell

37 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

Cassidy recommends Needing to raise the glass to your chin would

taking one sniff. mean a medium intensity. Having to hold the
He feels that if you glass right under your nostrils is a sign of a shy
keep smelling, you or light nose.
won’t smell anything
more. I disagree and Taste
rely on many quick Now go ahead
sniffs throughout the and take a sip.
tasting to latch onto Take a substantial
the fleeting aromas. sip that you can
swish around in
Think about what the aromas remind you your mouth and
of. This is part process and part time. Try to coat all the areas
connect the vocabulary with what you know. of your mouth.
e.g. fynbos in South Africa.
Is the taste
Regardless of wine lexicons, linking what powerful and
you smell to cultural norms and things that intense, or is subtle? Or is it medium? Do you
surround us cements a longer-lasting image find the flavour boring or interesting?
and memory of the wine.
Sometimes a floral or very fruity wine
It helps to divide what you smell into the can deceive us into thinking it is sweet.
primary, secondary, and tertiary categories. Gewürztraminer and Albariño are two
List the fruits or vegetables that you smell. examples that often confuse me. A good tip
Lemon, grass, green peppers, and pineapple is to take a sip and hold your nose closed.
will lead you to determining that the wine is a Without the pretty aromas, your tongue will
Sauvignon Blanc. tell you the truth.

Do you smell vanilla, butter, cheese, biscuits Another great trick for measuring how acidic
and toast? You’d be right in assuming that the a wine is is to take a little sip and then count
wine has seen time in oak. The stronger the how long it takes for you to start salivating.
scent, the higher the chance that this oak was If need be, turn your head upside down and
partially or completely new oak. hold your mouth open. If you start to salivate
immediately, it means the wine is high in
Are you smelling dried apricots, marmalade, acidity. If it takes forever, and there’s no need
and honey? This could mean you have an to close your mouth, it’s a low acid wine.
older wine, or it could also mean you’re Somewhere in the middle - medium acidity.
indulging in a sweet or dry wine made from
botrytised grapes. If it is red wine, or a wine that has skin contact
or extended barrel maturation, you’ll want
You don’t have to swallow to know what’s to assess the tannins. Tannins can be felt in
there. Breathing the air allows the back part of different areas of the mouth. You can usually
your retronasal passage to also be affected. sense tannins on the front of your teeth (run
your tongue over your front teeth...does it feel
A good way to gauge the intensity of a wine is furry?) as well as on your tongue. The best
to measure how far away from your nose the description is still to compare it to a strong
glass needs to be held before you’re able to cup of black tea. Does it dry out your mouth
smell the wine. Chest level would be a wine instantly, or not so much?
that has a pronounced and intense nose.

38 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

High tannins usually mean a grape with The more you taste, the more you try, the
thick skins like Cabernet Sauvignon. Lower more you can assess wines and calibrate
tannins could indicate a Shiraz that hasn’t your palate.
been matured in new oak. Very low tannins
could be a Pinot Noir, or a fruity, easy- The B.L.I.C. system is a quick and easy
drinking Grenache. way to measure the quality of a wine.
Irrespective of whether it’s a wine that’s
Think about the weight of the wine to suited to your tastes and preferences,
assess its body. Does it compare to or not. And irrespective of price. More
skimmed milk or yoghurt? Is it a wine that expensive does not necessarily mean
you’d drink at the pool (light-bodied), a higher quality.
wine you’d have at lunchtime (medium-
bodied) or a wine that requires a big heavy Balance is the most important factor to
steak dinner (full-bodied)? Cassidy. A wine should not be too acidic
or too alcoholic. The best wines are those
Does the flavour line up with what you were that you don’t even think about because
smelling? If you picked up on lemon and everything is perfect. Visualise a sphere,
yellow apples on the nose, is it repeated on where everything is smooth, and nothing
the palate? juts out.

And lastly, think about the finish. How long Length of the finish is important. There’s
does the flavour last? Does it change? Is it nothing wrong with a wine with a short
simple or is it straightforward? finish that has you going back for another
sip immediately after swallowing. These
There’s one more question to ask yourself. wines can be refreshing and fruity. They’re
It is, undoubtedly, the most important often designed to be drunk early. But then
question - do you like the wine? Would you there are the wines where each sip lasts for
buy it again? This really is all that matters. ages - each sip lasting long enough to slow
But by assessing the wine - the structure, the pace of the evening.
the range of aromas, flavours, and the finish
- we can upgrade our tasting abilities and Intensity - if a car is fast it mustn’t be fast
better understand value for money. in just a straight line...it needs to be able
be fast around corners. Lots of oak, alcohol
Evaluating quality - R200 versus R40 and extraction can be boring...you can’t
Up to a certain point, you can taste a have more than one sip. Intensity can have
difference. It’s also about scarcity and brand flavour but it can also be light on its feet.
value. Is a Rolls Royce so much nicer than a Think about Sauvignon Blanc - it’s not often
BMW 7 series? If you had the money, you’d a complex wine, but it has intensity.
buy the Rolls Royce, but it’s probably not R5
mil nicer. Complexity - do you keep going back to
the wine? Do you pick up a range of aromas
The more you taste and learn about wine, and flavours that tick boxes from the
the more you’ll learn about quality levels. If primary, secondary, and tertiary categories?
you want to drink the most expensive wines Complex wines can evolve and change
in the world, it WILL be expensive because over time. The most profound wines are the
there are people who want to drink those wines you can spend the evening with and
wines. Supply and demand. that will change over time.

39 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 LEARNING TO TASTE WINE

Taste with friends and people you like spending time with. Don’t
be embarrassed about your own preferences. We all have different
palates and preferences. The key is to have your own calibration.

What does best mean?

Why are we fixated with it? Think back to a beach day with a loved
one - sharing an average wine in a plastic cup. This memory can be
better than sharing an amazing wine in an incredible restaurant with
someone you dislike. Context is important.

Know the golden standard

Once you’ve tasted classic grape varieties, then you’ll know what the wine is trying to be. It will
be the baseline by which you judge the next wines by.

Practice, practice, practice

Wine practice is fun. Put in your 10,000 hours. Put in the graft. If you enjoy it, you’ll have a pretty
good idea of what you like.

Smell everything.
Build your own scent library and keep adding to it. Next time you know a dish contains
saffron, think about what that smells like to you and store the information in your head. Can't’
remember what nutmeg smells like? Go to your spice rack and reacquaint yourself with the
smell. And when it next rains, breathe deep, and absorb the smell of petrichor (the earthy scent
caused by rain falling on dry ground). The more you add to your memory bank, the more vivid
and fascinating wine will become to you.

Think about what you don’t like.

Try and think about why you don’t like a wine - it’ll be easier to know what you don’t like when
you next purchase a bottle.

Your palate will evolve over time.

You might like big powerful wines in the beginning and then move onto more elegant wines,
or vice versa.

40 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 04. FOOD AND WINE PAIRING

As we’re learning, wine

very much revolves around
personal preferences. There
are general rules, plenty of
strict regulations, but also a
fair amount of trial and error
based on your own tastes.
Food and wine pairings are
no different.

41 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 FOOD PAIRINGS

01. 02. 03.

Pair great wines with great food - Wine should be more acidic than Wine should be sweeter than your
pair humbler wines with more the food. dessert.
humble food.

04.
Match the intensity of the wine with
06.
Complementary versus contrasting -
the intensity of the food - bold with
bold, delicate with delicate. Light to
05. do you want to highlight the
contrasts or match the flavours? Red
medium-bodied white wines pair Match your wine to the sauce, not wines make good complementary
best with lighter meats. Bold, full the meat. pairings. White, rosé & sparkling
bodied wines pair best with red make good contrasting pairings.
meat.

09.
Bold, tannic, and high acidity wines
07. 08. can cut through fatty foods. e.g.
Cabernet Sauvignon with ribeye
Try fruiter wines with fruity foods e.g. Sweet and salty are always a great steak. It's not tannic, but Sauvignon
pork belly and apple sauce with combination, so try Port with blue Blanc is a good way to freshen your
Gewürztraminer or Muscat. cheese. palate when eating smoked salmon
or Chow Mein.

10.
Sparkling and rosé wines are the
most flexible and are able to pair
with a range of meals.

42 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS

LIGHT-MEDIUM F
FULL BODY BOL WHITE WINES CH ISH &
RED WINES MEA D ICKE
TS N

SPARKLING
&
MATCH THEE ROSÉ ARE
WINE TO TH VERSATILE
SAUCEt)
(not the mea

43 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 THE
WINES

44 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SAUVIGNON BLANC

08. SAUVIGNON BLANC

Sauvignon Blanc means
‘wild white’ in French.

The vines thrive in cooler

regions and are
moderate to vigorous
growers.

Doesn’t need a low yield.

Loses flavour if it overcrops,

but is okay to use machine
harvesting.

Medium to small sized berries

that are yellowish green in
colour with soft, thin skins.
The flesh is distinctively
grassy in flavour.

Prone to downy & powdery

mildew, botrytis, and frost
damage.

45 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SAUVIGNON BLANC

Sauvignon Blanc
Grown in most of the world, Sauvignon Blanc performs well at low yields. If the growth
is too vigorous, it loses its aromatics which is a key part of its style. It can be machine
or hand-harvested which is an important factor if you consider New Zealand doesn’t
have enough affordable manual labour, with the majority of their grapes being machine
harvested. Whilst South Africa, in contrast, makes use of mainly hand harvesting as
labour is, regrettably, affordable and plentiful.

HIGH

LOW

Together with the variety being

D GRAPE VARIETIES
prone to mildew, Sauvignon Blanc MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETIES
requires some attention in the
340,000 hectares
vineyards. Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares
tares There is something whistle-clean
Merlot - 266,000 hectares
0 hectares about this grape - the clarity of Tempranillo - 231,000 hectares
style, and obvious characteristics
res make these wines very easily Airén - 218 000 hectares
distinguishable.
0 hectares Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares
ares Syrah - 190,000 hectares
000 hectares Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares
1,000 hectares Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares
hectares Pinot Noir - 115,000 hectares
nc - 111,005 hectares Trebbiano / Ugni Blanc - 111,005 hectares

46 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 NORTH ISLAND
New Zealand
NZ a good case study having started fairly late. Their first
bottling of Sauvignon Blanc was produced in 1979. It
accounts for nearly 90% of New Zealand’s exports.

It is produced in a style that hadn’t been seen before

- fresh, zesty, with in-your-face pungent and tropical
aromas. New Zealand came out swinging with a
great white wine in a sea of crisp, dry, neutral
wines around the world without any redeeming
characteristics.

Cloudy Bay is arguably the most well-

known brand that set the standard. It was
80%
a commercial wine that stole the market
from beer drinkers, whisky drinkers MARLBOROUGH
and other categories. It was started
in 1984 and has since been
bought by the LVMH group.

Marlborough, on the
South Island, produces
80% of New Zealand’s
Sauvignon Blanc and
has set the benchmark SOUTH ISLAND
with its pungently
aromatic wines
with their distinctive
gooseberry aromas and flavours.

New Zealand
Sauvignon
Blanc
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines tend to be
unoaked, combining delicious, tropical fruit flavours with
lively, fresh tasting acidity and a directness that makes
them especially satisfying.

47 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SAUVIGNON BLANC

The Loire Valley

Like most wines, Sauvignon Blanc’s home is in France with a long history that can be traced
to the 18th century. Evidence suggests that the grape originated along the Loire River in
northwest France.

In France, wines are best known by the place where they

are grown rather than the grape varietal.
Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre are the two regions that
excel at Sauvignon Blanc, making discreet, aristocratic,
CENTRE LOIRE
non-showy styles of wine. The wines are not bright or
zesty, nor are they loud. Instead, they are much more
elegant and understated, with a ‘come hither’ approach
rather than shouting from the rooftops. POUILLY-FUME

SANCERRE

The cool climate in the Loire can prevent the

grapes from fully ripening and developing
the sugars necessary to balance the natural
acidity. During cooler vintages, the wines can
be lighter in colour, less fruity, and with more
pronounced mineral (like sucking on a river
pebble or stone) notes.

‘Fumé’ comes from the silex flint interspersed

with the limestone in the area (can give a smoky
gunflint note) OR from the early morning fog
created by the Loire river.
loire
Sauvignon
Blanc Loire Valley styles are generally drier, slower maturing,
more restrained and austere, with a mineral note. They
can also be oaked. You might find that you have to
think about it them as they don’t jump out of the glass.

48 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 gironde estuary

BOURG AND BLAYE

Bordeaux
Bordeaux Sauvignon
Blanc works on its own, ENTRE-DEUX-MERS
but it can also be an
incredible team player. dordogne
river
Some of the most famous dessert wines
in the world come from Sauternes
and Barsac, where the grape is
blended with Semillon to make GRAVES
lusciously sweet, complex wines.
These sweet wines are made barsac garonne
from botrytised grapes and are
aged in oak. They are capable SAUTERNES river
of ageing for hundreds of years.
The addition of Sauvignon Blanc provides freshness and acidity to the blend.

The great thing about wine is that the rules always have counterexamples. Sauvignon
Blanc generally works best when it’s tank fermented and bottled early to
provide the zesty, limey, bright fruit character. But at the very top end it
can also work well with oak.

The famous Graves and Pessac-Léognan regions on the left

bank of the Gironde Estuary are known for employing lees
stirring, malolactic fermentation, with some of the greatest
wines being matured in oak. These are some of the most
exciting Sauvignon Blanc based wines that are blended with
Semillon to create powerful, full-bodied styles.

Barsac & Sauternes produce luscious wines with the

perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. They are often BORDEAUX
characterised by apricots, peaches, honey, as well as Sauvignon
nutty notes from the oak. Blanc
Graves and Pessac-Léognan produce dry wines with rich
and varied notes that include blossoms, peaches, citrus,
acacia and hazelnut from frequent use of oak.

49 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SAUVIGNON BLANC

Chile elqui

With the Atacama Desert in the north and limari

Antarctica to the south, Chile encompasses
every climate type on earth.

The Humboldt current of the Pacific

Ocean brings sea fogs and breezes that,
where the mountains are low enough,
move inland, bringing
ACONCAGUA
welcome relief for the
ripening grapes. CASABLANCA
santiago
The coolest regions are found in the
SAN ANTONIO
north, where this oceanic influence is at
its greatest.

The two valleys of Elqui and Limarí, with their

limestone soils, produce a
Sauvignon Blanc that is more
akin to the Loire Valley.

Cool nighttime temperatures

help retain the marked
acidity in the wines.

Chile is the only major wine producing country in

the world unaffected by phylloxera

CHILEAN
Sauvignon
Blanc Chilean Sauvignon Blancs are refreshing & crisp with
intense aromas of gooseberry & elderflower They have
a style that is similar to South Africa - somewhere
between France and New Zealand, but with less
intensity and passion fruit than NZ.

50 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 South Africa
The best regions in South Africa are
those cooled by the oceans. For
that reason, Durbanville and
Constantia, with their proximity
durbanville
to the breezes, make some of
the most exciting Sauvignon
Blanc in the country. constantia
Elgin is also known for quality stellenbosch
Sauvignon Blanc. Here, the vines are
cooled by the altitude. elgin
Both the ocean breezes and altitude give the variety freshness and aroma. There is often
too much heat in areas like Stellenbosch and the Swartland to retain those qualities,
along with the grape’s signature high acidity.

50% of white wine that is varietally labelled in South Africa is

Sauvignon Blanc - an undoubtedly popular choice.

10,5% Sauvignon Blanc is the 3rd most planted

white grape, after Chenin Blanc, at 10,5%
of the total vineyard plantings

1880’S
It is unknown when the grape first
arrived in South Africa, but records show
that it was planted at Groot Constantia
by the late 1880’s

South Africa’s Sauvignon Blancs are some of the ripest,

in terms of fruit flavour, with vibrancy and acidity to
SOUTH
match. They have a more green and herbal quality.
AFRICAN
Sauvignon
The tropical fruit flavours, although not as tropical or
Blanc
zesty as New Zealand, are matched with pungent,
elderflower aromas along with the grape’s distinctive
herbaceous quality.

51 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SAUVIGNON BLANC

Winemaking
Sauvignon Blanc is not overly complex, hence it being loved by wine brands. You grow
the grapes, you pick the grapes. You don’t have to concentrate vineyard efforts to get a
low yield, and the grapes can be picked by machine.

The grapes are placed in stainless steel. They can be fermented in oak, but it is difficult
to get it to work well with oak.

Most commercial styles are picked early and fermented in stainless steel. You
press, add yeast, ferment, and you have wine. Then you rack and fine, and
finally bottle. Most Sauvignon Blanc is best drunk as young as possible.

Only the very best examples can age over time. Aged Sauvignon Blanc
gets more of the green, asparagus, herbal, tinned pea characteristics that
accentuate over time. In SA, probably less than 5% is suitable for ageing.

Don’t be afraid of screw caps - most Sauvignon Blanc is better under screwcap than
under cork.

52 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 Tasting Profile
The key to Sauvignon Blanc is that it has high acidity. We talk about balance all the
time. Remember, it’s all about your perception of acidity. If you aren’t used to acidity
in the foods that you eat, you might find it sour. But there’s a brightness, freshness,
and a piercing character that runs through a wine. It is pungently aromatic and zesty in
character.

Typical aromas are asparagus, kiwi, lemon, lime, peas, passion fruit, gooseberry,
nettle, and freshly mown lawn.

The alcohol doesn’t tend to be north of 14%.

The methoxypyrazines chemicals give you the green, herbaceous, capsicum and
blackcurrant leaf character. Some people love it, some find it too grassy and herbal.

asparagus kiwi lemon

lime peas passion fruit

gooseberry nettle freshly cut grass

53 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SAUVIGNON BLANC

Food pairings
Sauvignon Blanc is par excellence the wine that is synonymous with alfresco dining...
with ice cubes! You can drink it quickly. It’s the acidity that makes you want to have
another refreshing glass at the bar. It’s crispy. It’s clean. It’s unadulterated. It’s bright and
fun without being complicated. And that’s what makes you want to have another glass.

Sauvignon Blanc works well with green salad dressed in vinaigrette. Asparagus drizzled
in olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice is also delicious. Goat cheese is the classic
pairing. That's because the acidity in the wine is able to stand up to the acidity in all
these dishes. It can also counterbalance the richness of smoked fish.

If you're not spreading your goat cheese on a cracker, then try baking a few goat cheese
tartlets with caramelised onions. While we've got the oven on, whip up a quick bacon
and leek quiche. If you have the skills, a cheese soufflé would be perfect.

Repeat after me: Sauvignon Blanc is made for seafood. Shellfish, grilled fish, smoked
salmon, yellowtail, goujons, hake and chips and calamari. No, I haven't forgotten
about oysters. Those creamy, minerally pops of goodness love being paired with the
brightness of Sauvignon Blanc. Think of the wine as the drizzle of lemon that you'd
normally squirt over your oyster.

So you prefer your food to be cooked? No problem. Sauvignon Blanc is good with
white meats like pork and chicken. Also think about warm Mediterranean countries
with their tapas-styled meals, countries like Greece and Mexico. Remember how you
add balsamic vinegar to your feta salad? What's the best way to finish off your tacos
and guacamole? A squeeze of lime. Making those connections between the high acids
that you dress your food in, and the similarity in acid levels of Sauvignon Blanc, will
open up a world of food pairings.

Or you could just drink it on its own...with a block of ice!

54 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

09. CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Sauvignon Blanc X Cabernet
Franc = Cabernet Sauvignon,
an accidental crossing that
happened in the 17th century

Very vigorous grower

producing hard wood,
but ripens slowly.

Dark green, medium

sized, 5 lobed
overlapping leaves

Late ripening grapes so

it needs a warm climate.

Small, round black berries with

tough thick skins (colour +
tannins). Large number of seeds
(high in phenols). Firm flesh that
tastes grassy.

Works well with a variety of soils

(prefers gravel, but does well on
volcanic, loam, sandy, clay, granite).
Ideally well drained & low-fertile soils.

Popular crossbreeding
partner - with around 80 kids.

Sensitive to oidium
& downy mildew.

55 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Cabernet Sauvignon
It’s hard to over-emphasise the important influence that Cabernet Sauvignon has
in the wine industry. From both a business-to-business and business-to-consumer
perspective, Cabernet really is an incredibly important grape variety.

HIGH

LOW

It’s the most planted grape in the world because it’s the easiest to sell, the most
accepted, and it’s the gold standard for wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It is a

late-ripening cultivar that needs a warm climate to fully ripen. Cabernet Sauvignon
works well on a variety of soils, but it does best in gravel (arguably the absolute best)
as well as volcanic, loam, sandy, and clay soils

The key things to remember about Cabernet Sauvignon is that it’s always dark in
colour - thanks to its high levels of anthocyanins and high polyphenols in the thick
skins and numerous seeds. The wine is
always tannic, always high acidity and MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETIES
always full-bodied.
Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares
It is not an elegant ballerina. It is a Merlot - 266,000 hectares
powerful, muscular, superhero type of
Tempranillo - 231,000 hectares
wine.
Airén - 218 000 hectares
When working with Cabernet (other than a
Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares
rosé), it’s difficult to make something that
isn’t dry, tannic, powerful, and assertive. Syrah - 190,000 hectares
But these properties give it a great ability
Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares
to age and express where it’s made. It can
tell you exactly where it comes from. And it Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares
works just as well on its own as it does in a Pinot Noir - 115,000 hectares
blend.
Trebbiano / Ugni Blanc - 111,005 hectares

56 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 gironde estuary

BOURG AND BLAYE

Bordeaux
It all starts in the town of Bordeaux
where the Dordogne River and LIBOURNAIS
Garonne River join to form the
Gironde Estuary that flows into MEDOC dordogne
the Atlantic Ocean. This estuary river
and the large area of Entre-Deux-Mers
divide Bordeaux into the Left Bank and
Right Bank.
GRAVES
Left Bank wines are dominated
by Cabernet Sauvignon as these vineyards are garonne
mostly gravel. Whilst the Right Bank has Merlot
that is able to ripen in the predominantly clay soils. river
Bordeaux has a history of blending their wines. This began as
insurance against their tricky maritime climate. To prevent an entire crop being ruined by
the rain, they also planted Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère
alongside Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon ripens later, so grapes like Merlot,
which ripen earlier, became an insurance policy against a difficult year.
(Climate change means that this has evolved.)

It has now also become a stylistic choice. Adding Merlot to the blend
softens the tannic, high acidity of Cabernet while lending a plush and
velvety feel.

Note that you won’t find any mention of grape varieties on the
labels. This is an easy distinction between Old World and New
World labelling. The only way to know what to expect is to learn
the appellations, otherwise known as AOC’s (appellation d’origine
contrôlée).

BORDEAUX
Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon can range from iron filings Rouge
to majestic cedar, pencil shavings complexity.

In a tough, difficult harvest year it’s like rusty nails and iron
filings. But the greatest examples of Bordeaux just smell
expensive - like walking into a beautiful dining room with
really fancy leather sofas, cigar box, finely woven suits. It
smells expensive and it doesn’t smell like grapes.

57 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Napa Valley
Canadian Cabernet is usually sold
under its varietal name and is often
blended with Merlot or Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for 4% In Canada, Cabernet Franc, the parent
of the total production grape, is more successful.
of Californian wines.

Argentina
It is 1/6 of the size of
Bordeaux. Napa Valley
has a strong domestic
brand with plenty of Despite Malbec still being
Direct to Consumer the most grown grape
(DTC) business with in Argentina, Cabernet
wealthy Californians Sauvignon accounts for
who want to drink premium domestic 7.2% of total vine plantings.
U.S. wines. The price of grapes in Napa Argentinian Cabernet offers
currently ranges from $7,800 up to great value for money. The
$50,000 per ton [2020], making these vines are often grown at
some of the most expensive grapes in high altitudes with 77%
the world. of Cabernet being found
in Mendoza, at between 700m and

Washington
950m above sea level. The Uco Valley
vineyards are planted between 1000m
to 1500m asl. And Cafayate in Salta is
Cabernet Sauvignon planted at an astonishing 1750m above
thrives in Washington sea level! The grape is successful as
and, in fact, could possibly either a single varietal or in blends.
be called Washington’s

Australia
signature grape. First
planted in the 1940s, Washington
crushed more than 64,000 tons in 2018.
The oldest working vines at Otis Vineyard Cabernet
in the Yakima Valley date to 1956. Sauvignon dates
to the mid 1800’s

Canada
in Australia. Famed
for some of the
world’s oldest
vines, including
The large lakes those of Penfolds’
in Canada help Block 42 in Barossa, planted in 1885.
moderate the The grape is successful as either a single
temperatures, varietal or the dominant grape in blends
allowing Cabernet such as Cab Shiraz. Coonawarra and
Sauvignon to Margaret River are the most successful
ripen in British regions for Cabernet.
Columbia.
Cabernet Sauvignon does particularly
well in the Okanagan Valley in British
Columbia but is also grown in Ontario.

58 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 South Africa
Cabernet Sauvignon is South swartland
Africa’s most planted red
grape variety. It is now used in paarl
single varietal wines, as well as in
blends. But the famous SA blends of the past
were traditionally often blended with Cinsault
or Shiraz (and who knows what other
grapes) to soften the tannins.
stellenbosch
The addition of a minimum of 30%
and maximum of 70% Pinotage makes it a Cape Blend ROBERTSON
(dictated by competition rules, but not a legislated, or
registered style of winemaking according to SAWIS). When blended with Merlot,
Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, or Malbec it is called a Bordeaux-style blend.

Stellenbosch, Paarl and Robertson are where it does

extremely well in SA. The Swartland, to a lesser
extent, although there are significant plantings.

11% Cabernet is the most planted red grape in

SA with 11% of the total vine plantings in
South Africa.

1920’S
The exact date is unsure, but Cabernet probably
arrived in SA two centuries ago. It has been
associated with premium single variety wines
since the 1920’s.
SOUTH
AFRICAN
South African Cabernet Sauvignon straddles the border Cabernet
between Old World and New World. The fruit is ripe and Sauvignon
fruity, without being jammy.

Each region offers their own variation based on soils and

climate. A typical Stellenbosch Cabernet shows plum,
mulberry, blackberry, cassis, chocolate and cigar box from
the inevitable new oak.

59 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Winemaking
Cabernet Sauvignon is a super vigorous growing vine, so you have to cut it down
because it does better at lower yields. By forcing the vineyard to produce fewer
grapes, you are able to harvest a higher quality grape.

Maceration is important as the grape’s natural thick skins, high acid,

and high tannins need to be extracted. Determining how long you
allow the grapes to macerate and at what temperature are key
factors to the style of wine you will produce. You will naturally get a
deep and dark wine, but the longer you leave the grapes on their
skins, and the higher the temperature you ferment at, and whether
you choose to do punch-downs or pump-overs, all these factors will
determine the colour and flavour.

It is possible to ferment in stainless steel or concrete for a fresher and

more fruit-forward style. But, ultimately, new oak is synonymous with
Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape loves new French or American Oak.
Like Chardonnay, the oak and the grape have an incredible marriage.
Cabernet is one of the few grapes that can handle a large amount
of oak for a long period of time. The oak melds with the grape and
smooths out the harsh tannins.

After 10, 20 or 30 years in bottle, the oak and wine are so seamless that they become
part of each other.

Because of the natural polyphenols, anthocyanins, tannins,

and acidity, it’s best to leave Cabernet wines to sit for a
longer period of time as they generally need time to come
around in the bottle. Great Cabs need at least five years in
bottle to really start strutting their stuff.

60 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Tasting profile
Cabernet Sauvignon will always be high in tannins. They are necessary to provide
enough backbone, structure, and harmony to the wine. Tannins also help the wine age
for decades.

You’ll notice the tannins as a dryness and mouth-puckering quality that is felt on your
gums. Watch out for green, austere, astringent, or bitter tannins - none of these are a
good thing. Rather look for tannins that are ripe. When you eat meat, mushrooms, or
heavy food dishes, the tannins will dissolve in your mouth, and you won’t even know
that they’re there. Don’t be afraid of the tannins, focus instead on how balanced they
are.

Cabernet Sauvignon will always have high tannins, high acidity, and it will always be
full-bodied and will almost always be dry. The alcohol will usually be 13,5% or higher.
Look for aromas and flavours of blackcurrant, cassis, plums, and black cherries.
They’ll also often show herbaceous notes (green pepper) from the high levels of
methoxypyrazines. With the oak coming through as vanilla, spices, mocha, cigar box,
and smoke.

high tannin blackcurrant cassis plum black cherry

mint green pepper earth VANILLA cloves

baking spices mocha PENCIL SHAVINGS CIGAR BOX smoke

61 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Food and wine pairings

The food world is your oyster when drinking Cabernet. Though, if we're being honest,
oysters wouldn't make a great pairing!

Cabernet Sauvignon and red meat are made for each other. The high tannins and high
acidity in Cabernet help break down the proteins in the red meat. And the red meat
seems to tame the tannins in the wine.

Try your Cab with a steak served with a peppercorn sauce. The peppercorn will marry
well with the cloves and smoke of the wine. As does chargrilled meat like braaivleis.
Sometimes you just want a good juicy burger - that doesn't mean you can't have one
alongside your fancy bottle of Cab that costs triple the price.

Braised beef dishes like short ribs, lamb chops, or a lamb roast are classic family meals
that work well with the wine. And when you're relaxing on the couch in front of the tv,
could anything be more lekker than a bowl of salty biltong? I quite like kudu biltong
because the gamey flavours add more complexity.

Whilst we're speaking of game - you have to try venison, especially when it's cooked
in red wine. Ostrich drizzled in a red wine reduction on a bed of herbed mash. Rich,
dark sauces like red wine reductions or peppercorn sauce will always do well with a
Cabernet Sauvignon.

Other than red meat, consider these food options:

Roasted mushrooms and vegetables, veggie Lasagna or moussaka are all able to hold
their own against the power of a big Cabernet.

As far as the cheese course goes, harder cheeses like cheddar are wonderful.

Dessert anyone? Chocolate! But with the caveat that it’s proper dark chocolate that's
made with bitter cacao. Dark chocolate ganache, a chocolate torte, or just a slab of
high-quality dark chocolate will do just fine. If it’s commercial sweet, milk chocolate...
you’re better off having a fortified wine.

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 CHARDONNAY

10. CHARDONNAY
Relatively easy, and hardy
to grow. Has a longer
ripening season.

Forgiving in both vineyard

(and winery) but tough to
get really great.

Grows in a broad variety

of climates, but tends to
lose acidity quickly if the
site is too warm.

Gouais Blanc x Pinot

= Chardonnay

Hardy & relatively

disease resistant, but
is prone to spring
frost as it buds early.

Does particularly well

on limestone soil. Also
on kimmeridgian clay
eg. Chablis.

Small, round yellow

to amber (when
ripe) berries.

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 CHARDONNAY

Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the world’s most popular white grape, beaten only in number by Airén,
a bulk variety grown in Spain. It is a chameleon of a grape in the vineyard and is easily
grown anywhere and everywhere, though it prefers limestone more than anything else.

HIGH

MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETIES MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETIES

LOW
Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares
Merlot - 266,000 hectares Merlot - 266,000 hectares
empranillo - 231,000 hectares Tempranillo - 231,000 hectares
Airén - 218 000 hectares Airén - 218 000 hectares
Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares
Syrah - 190,000 hectares Syrah - 190,000 hectares
Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares
Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares
Pinot Noir - 115,000 hectaresviticulturist or winemaker
For a young Pinot Noir
‘ABC’ - 115,000
(anything buthectares
Chardonnay) often
just coming out of school, this relatively used by those with negative reactions to
rebbiano / Ugni Blanc - 111,005 hectares Trebbiano / Ugni Blanc - 111,005 hectares
disease-resistant grape that doesn’t Chardonnays that were very oaky, very
need much attention in the vines, will get obvious, very sweet, and rich wines that
them an acceptable crop that will make were mega-successful commercially.
reasonably good wine.

It makes a broad variety of wine styles, in

MOST PLANTED
a manner GRAPE VARIETIES
best described as chameleon. MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETIES
Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares
Two interesting things:
Merlot - 266,0001. hectares
It is the grape variety that took the Merlot - 266,000 hectares
empranillo - 231,000 hectares
white wine world away from knowing Tempranillo - 231,000 hectares
wines by the name of the place
Airén - 218 000 hectares Airén - 218 000 hectares
that they came from e.g. Chablis or
Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares
Corton Charlemagne or Meursault in Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares
Burgundy, to recognising the wines
Syrah - 190,000 hectares Syrah - 190,000 hectares
by the grape.
Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares
2. It was the grape variety that
Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares
introduced the globe to the New Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares
Pinot Noir - 115,000World in the late 1970’s.
hectares Pinot Noir - 115,000 hectares
rebbiano / Ugni Blancsame
At the - 111,005
time,hectares
there was also an outcry Trebbiano / Ugni Blanc - 111,005 hectares
out against Chardonnay with the acronym

64 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHAMPAGNE

LOIRE
CHABLIS
Burgundy RHÔNE

Chardonnay’s home is BORDEAUX

Burgundy in central eastern

France. COTE DE NUITS
Burgundy is complicated, consisting of COTE DE BEAUNE
tiny villages where 150-hectare plots of
land are subdivided into Grand Cru (1 - 2
% of production), Premier Cru (10%), and
Commune or Village (37%) wines. The COTE CHALONNAISE
rest fall under a regional classification of
Bourgogne AC.

Essentially, when you win the lottery or have MACONNAIS

an IPO, you spend your money on Grand Cru
Chardonnay.

GRAND CRU (1-2%)

PREMIER CRU (10%)

VILLAGE (37%) Chablis, at the top of

Burgundy, makes the most
austere type of Chardonnay
that has steely, briny,
REGIONAL (52%) saline, and oyster shell
characteristics that cannot
be replicated anywhere
else in the world. It’s the
northernmost region of
Burgundy, pretty close to Champagne, where Chardonnay is also grown for sparkling
wines. They suffer from spring frosts, and harvests can vary.

Chablis has Grand Cru, Premier Cru, and Village level wines.

The magic of Chablis lies in the Kimmeridgian clay made of fossilised oyster shells that
are in the soils. The classic style of Chablis, when done very well, is best imagined as
going to a mountain stream, picking up a river pebble and putting it in your mouth.
Pebbly, stony, dry and austere make for real refreshment value that makes you want to
drink another glass. It is the closest thing to water, in the very best sense, but with flavour!

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 CHARDONNAY

The most famous, powerful, seductive, lose-your-mind-as-well-as-your-bank-account

wines comes from the three famous villages in the Côte de Beaune: Meursault,
Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, and their seven Grand Crus.

These great oaked Grand Cru wines have an ability to wear oak in a way that gives the
wines richness. But the oak doesn’t sit on top of the wine. Instead, there is an amazing
sandwich character in which the wine and the oak go together.

At their best, these oaked wines are good for 10 to 20 years. Cassidy describes them
as imagining the most exquisite bit of praline or burnt butter that has richness and
weight without being heavy or ponderous. They are magical wines, but they are crazily
expensive wines.

Further down south you have the Mâconnais and Côte Chalonnaise. These are
commercial examples of Chardonnays that are good without being overblown or
tropical. They’re also much less expensive.

Côte Chalonnaise plant their vineyards at a higher elevation, which results in a later and
less reliable harvest. There are no Grand Crus in Côte Chalonnaise.

The most important appellations in the Mâconnais are

Pouilly-Fuissé and Macon. Mâconnais is the furthest south
which means warmer weather with riper fruits. Pouilly-Fuissé
can produce full-bodied wines with tropical fruits. Macon
is known for large volume, unoaked wines at good prices.

Chablis make the most austere types of Chardonnay that

are steely, briny and saline. Look for lime and oyster
shell in these unoaked wines.

Côte de Beaune is the crème de la crème of Burgundy.

white Think about the most exquisite bit of praline, truffles,
burgundy vanilla, ripe yellow apples and tropical fruits...it has
richness and weight without being heavy or ponderous.

Mâconnais wines are simpler, usually unoaked with notes

of riper fruits, florals and sometimes nuts when oaked.

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 CHARDONNAY

USA Argentina
California makes Chardonnay arrived in the
use of all the winemaking techniques Americas in the 17th century.
(lees, MLF, oak) and are typically riper, In Argentina, it is the second
heavier oaked style. Historically, the most planted white grape after
most powerful, richest, full-bodied Torrontés. The high-altitude
Chardonnays from the New World vineyards of Uco Valley make
typically came from California. Though, Chardonnay wines that are a unique
this is changing as there is a global shift blend of Old and New World.
from ‘butter bombs’ to wines made with
little to no oak. Oregon has a climate
similar to Burgundy’s, with cooler
temperatures that equal less ripe fruits.
Chile
They make exciting New World style
Chardonnay is well-adapted to the
Chardonnay that is similar to those found
cool climate regions of Chile such
in South Africa. Washington makes
as Casablanca, San Antonio, and
Chardonnay wines in a style somewhere
Aconcagua. Chilean Chardonnays
between California and Oregon.
have an obvious pear and melon
character. Limarí Chardonnay has

Australia a distinct minerality due to the

calcareous soils of the region as well
as ocean breezes.
Chardonnay first came to
Australia in the 1920’s. Margaret
River with its warm, maritime climate
Italy
makes a distinctive style that shows dusty,
For a long time,
lemon sherbet, cut pear, dried pear,
Chardonnay was confused
and fig flavours. Adelaide Hills has a
for Pinot Blanc in Italy.
cool climate that makes more elegant,
The two grapes are often
refined, mineral, and crisp wines with
interplanted and blended in wines.
good acidity. Good quality wines are also
Chardonnay is Italy’s fourth most planted
found in Yarra Valley and Mornington
white grape (2015). Most Chardonnay
Peninsula. Tasmania has a maritime
plantings are found in the northern
climate and, as one of the coolest regions
regions of Italy. Friuli in northeastern Italy
in Australia, features wines high in acidity.
makes great Chardonnay that is often
blended with Pinot Blanc. The grape was

New Zealand granted its own DOC (Denominazione di

origine controllata) classification in Alto
Adige, in northern Italy, in 1984.
Interestingly, Chardonnay was
the most planted grape in New
Zealand from 1990 until 2002,
when Sauvignon Blanc took over. It is
grown in Gisborne and Marlborough.

67 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 South Africa
Chardonnay is a more recent newcomer
compared to Chenin,
Colombard and Semillon. paarl
Over 1,000 hectares are constantia
planted in Robertson, Paarl, and
Stellenbosch each. Plenty of
stellenbosch
this goes into commercial white FRANSCHHOEK elgin
wines as well as the distillation
market. hermanus walker bay
In terms of quality, cool regions like Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Elgin, and
Constantia produce world-class wines. Foothills and higher-lying ground cooled by
altitude and sea breezes allow areas like Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek to also
produce quality wines.

If you were blindfolded and asked to compare South African oaked Chardonnays,
they compare very well to some of the world’s finest but at a lower price.
South Africa is making great oaked Chardonnay!

7,3% At 7,3% of total grape plantings, Chardonnay is

the 4th most planted white grape after Chenin
Blanc, Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc

Frustrated by the red tape in the 70’s & 80’s, the first
vines were ‘smuggled in suitcases’ but it turned out
to be Auxerrois Blanc. Danie de Wet of De Wetshof
Estate was one of the pioneers of the grape.

South African Chardonnays range in styles based on the

winemaking techniques employed. From leaner, fruit SOUTH
forward unoaked styles that show florals, green apple, AFRICAN
citrus and pear, to riper fruits like yellow apples,
pineapple and mango.
Chardonnay

Creamy, rich, oaked examples offer tropical fruits,

butterscotch, vanilla, lemon curd, baked apple, cloves
and coconut.

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 CHARDONNAY

Winemaking
In terms of the winemaking, you can make it like a stainless steel
Sauvignon Blanc - pick the grapes when you decide it’s the right time,
chuck it into a steel tank, and you’ll get a relatively neutral, unoaked,
simple commercial wine.

Where it gets interesting, and where decision making in

terms of winemaking comes into play, is where it’s fermented - barrel
vs steel vs. old oak, ageing in oak, what type of oak. Really good
Chardonnay can take 30-50%, sometimes even 100% new oak.

It works really well with French oak (not so much American). The key is
to get it to work at the highest level - where the oak and the wine meld
into each other and you don’t know where the wine ends and the oak starts. That’s
tough to get right.

Malolactic fermentation/conversion - the softening of malic acid that

you get from high acid grape varieties into lactic acid - can happen
naturally or aided by the winemaker. If done naturally, it brings a
character called diacetyl which means the wine smells of yoghurt.

Let’s not forget lees (dead yeast cells that both protect and nourish the wine giving it a
great mid-palate feel).

It is indicative of its terroir - it’s a grape that wears makeup really well. Oak is a
‘makeup’ in wine. Like makeup on a person, oak can be done badly or it can be done
well. Chardonnay does makeup better than any other variety.
Chardonnay is a workhorse in the vineyard - it doesn’t need a low yield to be able to
grow well.

If all of this is done badly, you get vanilla, soft, soupy, desiccated coconut, obvious
wines. If it’s done well, the seasoning is like a great steak that gives it an extra
lift without being obviously oaky. The key thing with making Chardonnay is the
relationship with oak and lees. The raw materials will always be important, but the
hand of the Chardonnay winemaker is more important than in any other grape variety.

69 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHARDONNAY

Tasting Profile
Chardonnay can make classic, mineral blanc de blanc (white from white), assertive, high
acid, classic aperitif, high-quality champagne. It can also make a very briny, oyster shell
austere Chablis, which is the northernmost region where a Chardonnay can grow. It can
range from a very steely mineral style to a full-bodied, rich, tropical, hedonistic, deep,
powerful, compelling and flavourful wine from a top Burgundian, Australian or South
African producer. It can be a wine where oak is very much part of its DNA. It can also
work in a late-harvest, botrytis-affected wine. It’s a chameleon that can do plenty.

In terms of taste, it has a broad palate feel - if you think of Sauvignon Blanc being quite
linear and direct, Chardonnay is more of a textured wine. It has more richness. It usually
has high alcohol, though you can have it at 12.5%. But it generally tends to work better
at 13 - 13.5%.

It is not especially aromatic on its own - nowhere as aromatic as Sauvignon Blanc or

Viognier that both jump out of the glass at you. Chardonnay is usually medium to full-
bodied and available in a wide variety of styles. From Chablis wines that are chalky,
lean, mineral, saline, almost salty notes on the apple and pear spectrum. All the way to
tropical, tinned pineapple, piña colada, peach, melon, coconut and toffee characters
that are pungent, broad textured and make big-shouldered wines.

It can also be fairly anonymous and bland at a commercial level.

Top-end chardonnay should last 10 - 20 years.

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 CHARDONNAY

chalk apples pear lime

almonds
melon pineapple COCONUT toffee hazelnuts

butter toast VANILLA baking spices

71 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHARDONNAY

Food Pairings
Young, unoaked wines from cooler climates go exceptionally well with fish. Chablis
pairs well with oysters. Intense wines can pair with raw fish like sushi or ceviche.
Prawns, steamed or grilled fish, chicken, pasta, spring vegetables and creamy
vegetable soups are all fantastic with a lighter wine.

Fruity, unoaked or lightly oaked wines are better suited to cooked meals that are
slightly richer. Dishes like fish pie, fish cakes, grilled salmon, chicken or pork. Pasta
in a creamy sauce or mild curries are lovely pairings. Salads with peach, mango and
macadamia nuts makes for a fresh, vegan option.

Full bodied wines that have been aged in oak are able to stand up to even richer
dishes like eggs Benedict or steak béarnaise. Red peppers, corn, butternut and
pumpkin are fantastic with a fuller bodied Chardonnay.

Mature, barrel fermented Chardonnay wines pair best with foods like grilled, seared or
roasted shellfish. Roast chicken, wild mushrooms and truffles (or a combination of all
three) will also go well with a bigger wine. Dishes with hazelnut could align with similar
oaked notes in the wine.

72 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

11. SYRAH / SHIRAZ

Origin myths include:
the Middle East (Shiraz &
Persia), Roman importation
into Gaul, Syracuse (Sicily),
and Syrah Island, Greece.

Good growing vigour,

moderate production, late
budding and mid-season
ripening.

Loses aroma and acidity

when yields increase.

Dull green, large leaves

that are 3 to 5-lobed.

Medium small, oval,

blue black (high levels
of anthocyanins)
berries that tend to
shrivel when ripe.

Fairly resistant to disease.

Responds well to oak

maturation when the
grapes are very ripe.

Thin skins, but

tough with juicy
flesh.

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 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

Syrah / Shiraz
The name Syrah refers to the traditional Rhône style wines with their more restrained
fruit. The wine is referred to as Shiraz for the more modern New World. The name
Shiraz is thought to originate from Persia, where there is a village called Shiraz, making
this the older name even though it’s associated with the New World. Shiraz usually
implies a more powerful, richer, plusher style with riper berries, higher alcohol, and
more upfront fruit. The dichotomy isn’t necessarily useful anymore. There was a time
MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETIES
when Shiraz was always big and bold. But there are plenty of Shirazes now that are
much lighter. Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares
Merlot - 266,000 hectares
Tempranillo - 231,000 hectares
Airén - 218 000 hectares
Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares
Syrah - 190,000 hectares
HIGH
Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares
LOW Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares
Pinot Noir - 115,000 hectares
Trebbiano / Ugni Blanc - 111,005 hectares

Shiraz is the fourth most planted red grape in the world. The grape can adapt to
a range of climates and can thrive in the hot Barossa Valley in Australia (ripe, full
flavoured wines), as well as in the cooler
Northern Rhône (leaner, floral, more
elegant). It’s made in a range of styles,
MOST PLANTED GRAPE VARIETIES
from medium to full-bodied. Cabernet Sauvignon - 340,000 hectares
Merlot - 266,000 hectares
Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
doesn’t have the same tannin or acidity Tempranillo - 231,000 hectares
as Cabernet. It is not as full bodied or Airén - 218 000 hectares
as dense. Rotundone is a chemical that
smells like pepper - it’s found in the oils Chardonnay - 211,000 hectares
of black pepper, rosemary, basil, and is Syrah - 190,000 hectares
synonymous with Syrah / Shiraz.
Grenache Noir - 163,000 hectares
The key notes to Syrah / Shiraz are Sauvignon Blanc - 121,000 hectares
pepper, black fruits, savoury (meaty,
bacon fat) and dark chocolate (in Pinot Noir - 115,000 hectares
Barossa styles). Trebbiano / Ugni Blanc - 111,005 hectares

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 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

CHAMPAGNE

rhone river
Rhône
LOIRE
BURGUNDY

cote rotie
BORDEAUX

The home of Syrah is the condrieu

Northern Rhône, about
a three-hour drive from Burgundy.
saint-joseph
hermitage
Northern Rhône is not as warm as the
south of France. cornas
crozes-hermitage
saint-peray
Côte Rotie can be found at
the very top, with soils that are cotes-du-rhone
mostly granite. Only red wines are
produced here, and these wines are
perfumed and filled with finesse.
cotes-du-rhone
Just below is Condrieu, an
appellation that makes only
village
cotes-du-rhone
white wines from the
Viognier grape chateauneuf-du-pape
Côte Rotie, along with Hermitage, is the
home of Syrah. The hill of Hermitage, which
is further south and on the opposite side of
the Rhône River, has much more powerful
wines as a result of the schist soils.

Cornas and Saint-Joseph are two appellations that also make

very good examples of Syrah. Côtes du Rhône wines tend to be
mostly Grenache but there is also Syrah.

Northern Rhône Syrah has much more restraint with rhone

black fruits, violets, black pepper, olive tapenade, fynbos Syrah
(a wild herb character). They have a lovely finesse and a
real elegance. As they get older, they become much
more perfumed with more old, worn leather. They are the
most elegant style of Syrah

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 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

The Northern Rhône vineyards are planted along the steep and narrow slopes of the
Rhône River, with the best vineyards facing south for the best exposure to sunlight.

Planting the vines in the lateral valleys shields them from the Mistral, a
fierce and cold wind that can damage the vines. The vines are planted
on individual stakes, sometimes in teepee structures, to protect them
from this wind.

Northern Rhône Syrah is reasonably deep in colour with medium

tannins. The wines offer notes of black fruits, olive tapenade, and spices like black
pepper. Fynbos (or Mediterranean herbs in France) give the wines a wild herbal
character. There is a lovely finesse to these wines, along with a real elegance. As they get
older, they become much more perfumed and you get much more of the worn leather
notes. These are the most elegant styles of Syrah.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône famously allows up to thirteen grapes

to be blended into their wines. Some of the grapes have mutations that are also
allowed but not counted in our list of thirteen. These grapes are:

Grenache +mutations Syrah Mourvedre Cinsault

Vaccarese Counoise Muscardin Terret +mutations
Picpoul + mutations Clairette + mutations
Roussanne Bourboulenc Picardan

Syrah adds colour and tannins to these blends.

In the Southern Rhône, the landscape is much flatter and wider. The weather is also
much warmer. However, with no valleys to break the flow of the wind, the Mistral can
reach incredible speeds that have been known to blow a grown man off his feet. A
unique feature of this region are large round rocks called galets.

76 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 hunter
valley

Australia
Shiraz is Australia’s best known and
most widely planted variety. It was
first planted in the late 1700s. It is
grown virtually all over Australia but
thrives in moderate to warm climate
areas. It is also made in various styles clare valley
depending on the producer.

The grape is often blended with

Grenache or Cabernet Sauvignon, e.g.
Grenache + Mourvèdre + Shiraz (GSM). heathcote
It’s also trendy to co-ferment with
Viognier (as it is in the northern Rhône).

Barossa Valley has some of the oldest

barossa valley
and best-known vineyards that are
famed for their full-bodied, richly textured
wines with blackberry, pepper, and spice
eden valley
characters
mcclaren vale
Barossa and McClaren Vale make high
octane, chocolatey, high alcohol, bold wines
that are often matured in American or French Oak. These are great
wines that will age for a long period of time. But winemaking has
evolved, and the caricature style of a big Barossa Shiraz at 16% ABV
isn’t always the case anymore.

australian
Winemaking has evolved, and not all Australian wines are Shiraz
made in the same bold, high octane, chocolatey, high
alcohol style anymore. But they are still synonymous with
far more meaty, chocolatey, leathery wines that are
powerful and full bodied.

77 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

Spain
Spain has increased their plantings from 4,000 hectares
in 1990 to more than 20,000 ha. It is now their seventh
most planted red grape. It is mainly planted inland in
La Mancha and Toro, as well as in the Mediterranean
regions of Priorat and Montsant in Catalunya on the
east coast, and Yecla further south. Spain makes a very
different style of Syrah, compared to Rhône or Australian Shiraz. Spanish Syrah is
normally full-bodied and high in alcohol. It is also often used as a blending grape with
Garnacha (Spanish for Grenache) for commercial wines.

Argentina
When you think of Argentina, you probably only think of Malbec
and Torrontés (their aromatic white grape). But with 12,000
hectares, the Shiraz grape makes up 10.3% of the country’s red
grape plantings. It was historically used in blends but has been
made as a single varietal wine for the last decade. Syrah is well-
adapted to the insulated regions, with the most plantings in
Mendoza and San Juan. Colder regions, like the Uco Valley in
Mendoza, produce well-structured wines suitable for ageing. The
warmer regions are more fruit forward with textures and aromas
that range from floral when young, to spicy after oak and bottle
ageing.

78 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 South Africa
South Africa has the fourth swartland
biggest plantings of Syrah in
the world, making up 10% of paarl
total vine plantings in South
Africa.

The first bottling of Shiraz was a single

varietal for Bellingham in 1957.
stellenbosch
Between 1992 and 2016, plantings ELGIN
increased from 900 hectares to 10,000 hectares,
making it the second most planted red variety in our country. It does particularly well
in Stellenbosch and the Swartland.

The best South African Shirazes stand toe to toe with any wines in the world, including
those in Côte Rotie, along with Hermitage. There are more single varietal bottles of
Shiraz than any other varietal wine in South Africa, but is also blended with other
Rhône and Southern French varieties like Grenache and Mourvèdre.

10% Syrah is the second most planted red grape at

10% of the total vine plantings in South Africa

The first confirmed Shiraz vineyards were

planted in Groot Constantia towards the
end of the 1890s
1890’S SOUTH
The cooler and higher altitude regions produce leaner
AFRICAN
wines that are more elegant and peppery. Shiraz

Warmer areas make full-bodied, richer and riper wines

with blackberry notes.

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 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

Winemaking
Syrah tends to do better in older vineyards. It grows well on a variety of soils, but schist
and granite are best. You can use the stems or just the berries when making the wines,
and it’s becoming more popular to use the stems for added complexity.

Traditionally, a long maceration is performed, with up to three years of barrel ageing.

Longer oak ageing suits riper grapes. Carbonic maceration can be used for less
expensive wines, resulting in fruity, light and fresh wines. However, there is a risk of
bubblegum flavours and aromas.

Tannin management is important, i.e. picking at the right time to ensure optimal levels
of acidity and ripeness. Cold soaking before maceration aids in extracting colour but
not tannins, along with fermenting at lower temperatures and careful pump-overs.

Syrah also benefits from a little time in the bottle before being released.

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 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

Tasting Profile
The key notes to Syrah / Shiraz are black pepper and black fruits like blackberries,
blackcurrants, black cherries, and plums. Look for floral notes, like violets or lilies,
as well as savoury notes, such as black olive tapenade or bacon fat. Bigger, riper
styles could show dark chocolate. When oaked, you may pick up additional notes of
vanilla, cloves, tobacco and liquorice.

BLACKBERRY blackcurrant plum black cherry violets

PEPPER BLACK OLIVES BACON VANILLA

cloves COCOA TOBACCO LIQUORICE

81 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SYRAH / SHIRAZ

Food Pairings
The thing about Syrah, for me, is the savoury, meaty characteristics along with the
black pepper and olives. Once you throw in the potential bacon fat, it almost feels
like a meal in a glass. Use those savoury elements to your advantage, and pair it with
smoky, richer, more intense foods.

Grilled aubergine drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction, crumbled blue cheese or
feta, and solid cracking of black pepper
Ratatouille with its layers of flavourful nightshades laid out in the prettiest pattern (or
not, no pressure)
Grilled winter veggies that are the most comforting meal in the colder months
Vegetable pastas in a rich and creamy sauce (don't forget that hit of black pepper)

Aged gouda, cheddar, or an intense blue cheese. Why not throw all three on a cheese
platter along with a deck of crackers, a bowl of olives, and a few slices of charcuterie if
you're feeling fancy?

Of course, all the savoury meatiness in Shiraz will go well with braaivleis that's been
soaking up a smoky marinade. The acidity of the wine will cut through fatty grilled
meats, such as pork ribs and sausages, as well as complement their spices.

Classic Sunday roast beef with a pepper sauce is begging to be washed down with
Shiraz.

Don't forget to add a glass of the wine to a beef or oxtail stew with smoky spice & chili.

I most enjoy Shiraz with seared kudu or venison rolled in a black pepper coating. One
of my go-to's is an ostrich burger topped with a slab of melting brie and restrained
dollop of raspberry jam. The wine echoes the gaminess in the ostrich, cuts through the
richness of the brie, and marries with the fruitiness of the jam.

Bobotie is an all-time, local classic that pairs particularly well with Shiraz because of
the spices.

82 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHENIN BLANC

12. CHENIN BLANC

Used to be called Chènere, but
the name was changed in the
15th century to Chenin Blanc
(after Mont Chenin, a mountain
in the region).

Early budding and

mid ripening.

Medium sized, round,

dark green leaves with 3
to 5 lobes.

Vigorous growth when

grown on its own roots
in medium to fine
textured soil - but
does well on a variety
of soils.

Susceptible to botrytis,
sour rot, powdery mildew
and downy mildew. Early
budding makes it
vulnerable to Spring frost.

Medium sized, oval shaped,

yellow green berries with
thick skins (phenols) and
juicy flesh.

83 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHENIN BLANC

Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is the most versatile grape in the world, able to produce a wide range
of styles. In many ways, it is similar to Riesling, in terms of its versatility (barring oak
and distillation). It works equally well, oaked or unoaked, and ranges from moderate
to high alcohol. From bone dry, mineral and racy; to honey-sweet, late picked and
botrytised honeyed examples. Still or sparkling.

HIGH

LOW

Though not as overly aromatic as always prevalent and forms the spine
Riesling, its natural thick skin means it of the wine. It really needs time for the
is not only prone to botrytis, but there acidity to be fully integrated into the
is more of a natural phenolic ‘bite’ wine as the aromas develop over time
to the wine (think of it as white wine (the acidity never softens analytically,
tannin). The wine is more cerebral but its taste perceptions change as the
than hedonistic and requires more overall aromas of the wine become more
involvement and process on the part tertiary). In the case of top SA Chenin,
of the consumer, particularly with the eight to 10 years is the optimal age,
premium examples. although the finest examples can last
much longer.
Grab the big glasses, spend more time
swirling, and take your time with these Chenin is also known as Steen (South
wines. They can easily stay fresh for 24 Africa) and Pineau de la Loire (France).
to 36 hours once opened. You can even Tip: Look out for regional naming on
decant them. And be sure not to serve French wine labels: Vouvray, Quarts de
them too cold. Chaume, Bonnezeaux, Savennières

Chenin Blanc’s calling card is its

assertive acidity and the way that it is
woven through the wine. That acidity is

84 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHENIN BLANC

Loire Valley CHAMPAGNE

LOIRE

The Loire Valley is the home of Chenin Blanc and accounts for BURGUNDY

90% of the surface area of all the Chenin Blanc planted in France.
It contributes to 28% of the surface area cultivated worldwide. RHÔNE
BORDEAUX

ANJOU-SAUMUR

TOURAINE
Chenin is the fourth most planted white grape in France. It is produced in
Vouvray, Anjou, Saumur, Savennières and Coteaux du Layon. Often
there is a little bit of residual sugar in the wines from Loire. Vouvray has
a style called tendre, which can have anything up to 15 grams of RS.
Anjou too. Dry styles are made in villages, such as Saumur Champigny,
Savennières and Jasnières. Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de
Chaume are all botrytis or late harvest sweet styles.

Chenin is produced in Vouvray (often with RS), Anjou, Saumur,

Savennières and Coteaux du Layon

Sparkling wines made in the traditional method are called

Crémant e.g. Crémant de Loire

loire Loire Chenin, compared to SA Chenin, has much more

Chenin of a bruised yellow apple, wet wool, straw and hay
Blanc character. It’s much less overly fruity. Being a pretty cool
climate, they struggle to get grapes to ripen. In difficult
vintages, the wines have a strong green, harsh malic
acidity - these more acidic wines can be used to make
sparkling wines called Crémant de Loire.

85 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHENIN BLANC

America
Chenin Blanc was considered the ‘workhorse’ of California
as they used the high acidity to boost white wine blends.
In the 1970s and 1980s, there were 16,187 hectares of
plantings in the Central Valley, California. Since the
arrival of Chardonnay, the number has dropped to just over 2,000 hectares. Despite
the reduction in the number of vines, 85% are deemed either mature or old vines. As
a result, we’re seeing a new wave of independent producers in the Sierra Foothills,
Mendocino, Santa Barbara and Central Valley, who are looking to create a more
fresh, mineral style similar to that of the Loire Valley.

Argentina
With 1830 hectares planted, Chenin Blanc makes up less than 1% of the total
grape production in Argentina. The grape has adapted well to the climate, but
the bulk of it is used for sparkling wine. Chenin Blanc has a great affinity for
sparkling wine because of its natural high acidity.

Australia
Chenin Blanc is planted in almost all of the wine regions but is
concentrated in Margaret River in Western Australia. It is usually
blended with Chardonnay, Sémillon, and Sauvignon Blanc for
mass-produced wines.

New Zealand
Chenin Blanc was traditionally blended with Müller-Thurgau to produce
bulk, low quality blends. The grape was mostly planted on the North Island
but has been largely overtaken by Sauvignon Blanc.

Other
The grape is also grown in Brazil, Canada, India, Israel, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and
Uruguay, but these are not commercially relevant.

86 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 OLIFANTS RIVER

South
Africa swartland

“Steendruiven” was quite paarl

possibly one of the first grapes
pressed in 1659, the year that wine
was first made in South Africa, having been
introduced to the Cape in 1655 by Jan
van Riebeeck and the VOC (Dutch
East India Company). BREEDEKLOOF worcester
Chenin Blanc was referred to as Steen and was believed to be indigenous to South Africa
until 1963 when Professor C.J. Orffer confirmed Steen’s match to Chenin Blanc. The name
Steen is thought to have been used by Governor Simon van der Stel as he believed the
grape to have originated in Germany, based on the quality, i.e., Stein. It is also thought to
be a translation from the Afrikaans ‘hoeksteen’, indicating that Chenin is the ‘cornerstone’
of the SA wine industry.
South Africa is the world leader, producing 53% of all Chenin Blanc
made around the globe, despite a decline in production (bearing in
mind that most replantings in SA started in 1997). It is the most planted
grape in SA at 18.6% of total vine plantings.

The Old Vine Project celebrates vines that are 35+ years old. Chenin is
the varietal featuring the oldest vines, with more than 6,000 hectares
being 20 years or older.

The bulk of Chenin Blanc comes from Olifants River, followed

by Breedekloof and Worcester. These tend to be used for mass,
inexpensive, commercial wines, as well as brandy production.
Swartland, Paarl, and Stellenbosch have some very old and
interesting bush vines, which make exceptional examples.

South African Chenin Blanc displays a range of fruits

such as apple, quince, melon, apricot, guava and SOUTH
pineapple. It often has a floral quality reminiscent of AFRICAN
honeysuckle. Chenin always has natural high acidity that
Chenin Blanc
makes for fresh and crisp wines.

The addition of oak and lees can add complexity and a

richer mouth feel, often adding notes of honey, nuts,
toffee and toast.

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 CHENIN BLANC

Winemaking
The percentage of new French oak barrel + use of lees gets you closer to the oaked
Chardonnay expression. Tropicality is dependent on when you pick the grapes.

Stainless steel tanks + bottled early = commercial, fruit-forward, easy-drinking style.

Old oak + reductive = mineral, austere, tighter more lean examples (that need time)

Making a commercial Chenin Blanc is fairly straightforward. The grapes can be picked
by hand or by machine. We add a cultured yeast out of a bag, use stainless steel,
ferment until dry, or leave a bit of residual sugar and bottle early for a fruit-forward,
easy drinking style of wine that is often sealed with a screw cap.

The style of wine is dictated by when you pick the grapes picking earlier gives you
a leaner and more mineral style, whilst picking riper will give you more sugar and
phenolic characters. There are still styles of wines that use a percentage of new French
oak (fermentation and barrel ageing) along with a fair amount of lees work. About15
years ago, people were trying to put Chenin into Chardonnay clothes to make a very
expensive Chenin. And you still get plenty of that style of Chenin Blanc in South Africa
- high alcohol, quite ripe, quite rich, quite leesy, and quite oaky. Sometimes you can
even mistake it for Chardonnay, except that it has more acidity.

The style that is increasingly prevalent at the very top end of winemaking is to make
wine much more reductively. The wines are left for longer periods on their lees so that
the dead yeast cells can impart interesting flavours to the wine. They are bottled after
substantial time spent in old oak barrels. This creates a more mineral, austere, tighter
and leaner example of the wine. These are wines that demand time...and they are
expensive. These are the best examples of Chenin Blanc and are priced accordingly.

Winemakers are also experimenting with using concrete eggs and amphora.

88 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHENIN BLANC

Tasting Profile
The Old World wines, with their cooler climates, are high acid examples that sit on the
quince, apples, and pear spectrum. As you increase in temperature and ripeness, you
move into notes of honeysuckle, ginger, melon, and pineapple.

Chenin often has honey and hay characters. Toffee and mango are a function of
grape ripeness. Vanilla and toast are linked to oak and lees. Almond, hazelnut, and
toast are derived from oak. As you get into the sweeter styles, you get much more of
the marzipan, mango, ginger and lemon curd notes.

There is a truly broad variety of styles to Chenin Blanc.

quince apples pear Honey

honeysuckle GINGER melon pineapple mango

almonds
toffee hazelnuts toast VANILLA

89 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 CHENIN BLANC

Food Pairings
Chenin Blanc is super versatile with food. The sweeter styles go very well with spicier
food. Top examples of botrytis wines should be treated like other sweet wines, where
they can hold their own against pungent cheeses and sweet desserts. But also try a
nice hard cheese or blue cheese on its own, or with a plate of nuts, fruit, and raisins.

The more serious examples of Chenin Blanc can be drunk with anything as the acidity
will match a wide variety of foods without becoming cloying. The wine has a real
freshness to it that lends itself to seafood and a variety of meals.

More fun wines can be drunk with a wide variety of fruits. More serious wines pair
best with more serious foods - richer fish dishes and roast chicken. Roast chicken is a
wonderful go-to for any good bottle of wine. It’s the ultimate food and wine combo.

YOUNG, FRUITY & ZESTY MEDIUM-BODIED or RICH BARREL AGED SOME SWEETNESS
OLD VINE
Vegetable dishes Fishcakes Rich fish dishes Spicy foods like
and salads, Cape Malay curries
especially when Scallops Fish pies or other mildly
they include apple Quiches, frittata Creamy sauces on spiced, but fruity,
or pear and omelettes anything curries
All the seafoods, Onion tart Chicken livers Asian food like
including oysters salads and stir fries
Mild cheeses like Roast vegetables
Fish and chips brie that’s not too like parsnips and
Sushi ripe sweet potatoes and SWEET WINES
butternut
Avocado Rich and pungent
Roast pork belly cheeses
Asparagus and with apple sauce
peas Apple or pear tarts
Roast chicken
Light seafood pasta Pear and apricot
and risotto desserts like peach
cobbler

90 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 PINOTAGE

13. PINOTAGE
Cross between Pinot Noir X
Cinsault developed for the
classic Pinot Noir taste with
easy-to-grow Cinsault
characteristics.

Medium sized to relatively

big, dark green, oblong
with five lobes.

Moderate to good vigour,

early ripening.

Early ripening, small

oval dark blue-black
berries with sticky
thick skins and soft
and juicy flesh.

Small to medium bunches

that are cylindrical, wide &
compact.

Not susceptible to powdery

mildew, but it is less
resistant to botrytis (most
problems are moot as it
ripens early).

91 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 PINOTAGE

Pinotage

97th
Ranking 97th on the list of grapes planted around the world, Pinotage
is without a doubt South Africa’s national grape. A cross between
Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (then known as Hermitage in SA), it was
created in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, who was the first professor
of viticulture at Stellenbosch University. His aim was to create a more
robust Pinot Noir that offered the best characteristics of Pinot with the
more dependable traits of Cinsault.

The grape has been maligned with a reputation of ‘rubbery tyre’ and acetone notes in
some commercial wines. And along with a history of insipid wine production prior to
1994 (when the South African Co-Operative Wine Growers Association emphasised
quantity over quality), the grape has struggled to overcome its ‘bad rap’ for some.

The general characteristics are a dry, full-bodied, high tannin wine with both dark and
red fruit but, it can be made in a variety of styles - both single varietal and blends. The
way the grape is grown, choice of rootstock, and winemaking decisions all play a role
in the style of wine being made.

The three styles of Pinotage that are most noticeable are:

• Lighter, fresher, easy drinking styles that show red fruits and can have similarities to
the parent grapes
• Fuller-bodied wines where judicious use of oak creates rich, smoky, concentrated,
spiced red and black berries that have more subtle chocolate and coffee notes
• Commercial wines that make deliberate use of toasted oak staves to produce
pronounced chocolate or coffee aromas.

HIGH

LOW

Pinotage is grown in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, United
States, and Zimbabwe. But South Africa is where the grape originated, and where the
largest volumes and most meaningful wines are produced.

92 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 South Africa
The vines were initially swartland
referred to as “Perold’s
Hermitage x Pinot”. The paarl
name Herminoire was also
considered. The first grapes
were grown at Elsenburg Agricultural
College, and the first Pinotage wines
were made here in 1941. The first
Pinotage wine was made at Elsenburg stellenbosch
in 1941.The first commercial vines were BREEDEKLOOF
planted at either Myrtle Cove near Sir Lowry’s Pass or
Muratie in Stellenbosch.

Kanonkop also planted the vines in 1941. Bellevue Pinotage brought recognition to
the grape when it was named the General Smuts Trophy Winner at the Cape Wine
Show in 1959. In 1961, the Kanonkop Estate Pinotage won the same award. But it was
only in 1961 that the name Pinotage first appeared on the label – to market the 1959
Bellevue Estate Pinotage, branded under Lanzerac.

Pinotage is the third most planted red grape in South Africa. It makes
up 7.2% of all the South African vine plantings, coming in before
Merlot and behind Shiraz. Paarl, Swartland and Stellenbosch all have
close to 2,000 hectares each, followed by Robertson at 875 hectares.

1961
Stellenbosch Farmer’s Winery were the first to
use the name Pinotage on a label in 1961, to
market the 1959 champion Pinotage of
Bellevue Estate under the Lanzerac brand.

The 3 most noticeable styles of Pinotage are:

• Lighter, fresher, easy drinking styles that show red fruits. SOUTH
• Fuller-bodied wines where judicious use of oak creates AFRICAN
rich, smoky, concentrated, spiced red and black berries Pinotage
that have more subtle chocolate and coffee notes
• Commercial wines that make deliberate use of toasted
oak staves to produce pronounced chocolate or coffee
aromas.

93 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 PINOTAGE

Winemaking
Pinotage has the capacity to produce high yields that need to be controlled. This
can be done through water stress or bunch thinning. The vines tend to grow upright,
so they do well as a bush vine. Older fruit is always considered to have more
concentrated flavour.

The cause of the burnt rubber character has never been pinpointed. But Stellenbosch
University has done plenty of research, and it is thought that it could be a result of
microbial spoilage. Picking in the heat of summer allows for a high microbial load
that is then brought into the cellar. And if not treated correctly through basic cellar
hygiene, these bad bacteria can start to take over. The burnt rubber is most likely a
combination of bad grapes along with poor winemaking. Avoiding the heat of the
summer and not waiting to pick too late helps to alleviate the burnt rubber issue as
well as mitigate the volatile acidity associated with the grape.

Pinotage ferments incredibly quickly in the winery, resulting in the danger of over
extraction of tannins and excessive banana flavours. Longer, cooler fermentations,
along with short and frequent pump-overs that are gentler than punch-down, pull out
all the best of the flavours, without too much of the tannin. Pinotage plays well with
oak and can help to restrain the tannins.

The majority of the top rated Pinotages in South Africa are usually single varietal and
not blends.

The Cape Blend is not a legislated, or registered style of winemaking according to

SAWIS (South African Wine Industry Information and Systems). Rather, the minimum
30% and maximum 70% Pinotage guidelines are competition rules when submitting a
wine for awards.

The beauty of Pinotage, Syrah, and Pinot Noir is that, unlike Bordeaux varieties, they
don’t show green methoxypyrazine characteristics.

94 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 PINOTAGE

Tasting Profile
What to expect from your glass of Pinotage? It all depends on the style you’re sipping.
Look for red berries, black berries, plums, cherries, and fig. Banana is also a
common marker in wines that are more extracted. Hoisin, bacon, leather, and smoke
are beautiful descriptors that I often associate with my favourite Pinotage wines - these
remind me of older, funky Pinot Noirs. Smoke, tobacco, chocolate, and coffee are
indications of oak.

Look for wines where these oak notes are more integrated and less jarring - they
should give the wine structure and depth to make an interesting and complex wine,
rather than become the standout feature.

plum blackberry RASPberry black cherry

fig banana hoisin sauce bacon leather

tar smoke coffee tobacco chocolate

95 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 PINOTAGE

Food Pairings
Pinotage works incredibly well with a variety of food and should be considered when
eating spicier foods that are often difficult to pair with wines.

As much as Pinotage is not Pinot Noir or Cinsault, the wine often works well with
similar pairing dishes. Duck works well with Pinot Noir and Pinotage. Cinsault-inspired
Mediterranean pairings such as red peppers and aubergines suit Pinotage too.

Perhaps I'm just obsessed with Moussaka, but the smoky, creamy aubergine bake is
delicious with Pinotage. As are grilled mushrooms with their umami overload. Dark
leafy greens dressed in olive oil, garlic, roasted walnuts, and finished with a sprinkle of
high- quality sea salt could sing alongside the wine.

Pizza with your favourite toppings (I'm a plain jane margherita with extra cheese) just
does so well with any high acid wine. It's the tomato sauce playing with the acid in the
wine that makes this a classic.

And while we're speaking of cheese - Pinotage can hold its own against a solid hunk
of mature cheddar. The richness of quiche and lasagna sometimes needs a palate-
freshening high acidity wine.

Asian foods, made with teriyaki sauce and plum sauce, align with the umami notes
that so many Pinotage wines exhibit. Hoisin is a note that I often pick up in Pinotage.
Aligning those aromas and flavours with Asian meals highlights them in both the wine
and the food.

Braaivleis and potjies paired with Pinotage is like freshly baked bread and butter. They
belong together. I can't think of a more patriotic meal right now.
Slow-cooked meats, such as lamb shanks or pulled pork or oxtail stew, are easy
choices because they're so delicious.

Pinotage is my go-to choice with venison pies and ostrich steaks served with a plum
sauce.

But my all-time favourite Pinotage pairing has to be Indian dishes, such as biryani and
curries. It's the intricate spices that create depth and add depth to the Pinotage. And
when you have fruity, lighter wine, it can soothe the heat in the dishes.

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 14. SPARKLING WINE

We humans are undoubtedly

fascinated by a little fizz in our
wines.

97 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SPARKLING WINE

GENTLE PRESSING FOR A dry, still base wine may go BOTTLES FILLED
high acid, low alcohol, through MLF, oaking, with base wine
neutral base wine blending

YEA
ST
lees is removed by laid to rest horizontally Liqueur de tirage
riddling For slow fermentation IN & sealed with
cool cellar crown cork

WINE IN BOTTLE crown cap releaseD & C02 liqueur d’expedition

NECK IS FROZEN ejects the sediment (or dosage) is added

corked secured with a museleT AND BOTTLES

ARE AGED

98 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SPARKLING WINE

Sparkling Wine
We humans are undoubtedly fascinated by a little fizz in our wines. Entire books have
been dedicated to the marvel that is sparkling wine. We shall be covering the very
basics of the 5 methods of sparkling wine production.

Méthode traditionnelle or Traditional Method

Known as Methode Cap Classique in South Africa, the key difference that sets méthode
traditionnelle apart from all other methods of sparkling winemaking is that the second
fermentation occurs in the SAME bottle in which it is sold.

Base wine Autolysis

We start with a dry, high acidity, neutral Once the second
flavour base wine that may or may fermentation is
not have gone through malolactic complete, the yeast
fermentation and/or maturation in oak. dies and forms lees.
Over time, the lees will
Blending break down and release
The winemaker can then chemical compounds
YEA

blend wines for style, into the wine. This

ST

balance, and complexity. process is known as Yeast Autolysis

In Champagne, with and contributes flavours such as bread,
its erratic weather, biscuit, brioche, and toast. This Yeast
blending is essential Autolysis happens over four to five years,
to making the wine. but can last up to 10 years. The longer
NV stands for Non- the wine spends on the lees, the more
Vintage and is a blend pronounced the flavours.
that includes wines
from previous vintages. Riddling
Blending also allows the The wine is then
producer to make a consistent ‘house’ riddled and disgorged.
style of wine. Traditionally, riddling
was done by hand.
Liqueur de tirage The bottles are placed
The wine, blended or not, is then added horizontally inside an
to the bottle. A liqueur de tirage (a blend A-frame stand called a
of wine, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients, and pupitre. Each day, the
clarifying agents) is added to the bottle stand is slowly raised, moving the bottles
and sealed with a crown cap. This will from a horizontal position to an upright
allow for second fermentation inside the position whilst being given a gentle shake
bottle. and twist. The sediment slides into the
neck of the bottle.
Second Fermentation
The bottles are then stacked on Riddling is now done by machine, but
their sides in a cool cellar for a slow many premium wineries still use the
fermentation. The CO2 that is generated traditional pupitre, which is labour
is dissolved and creates the sparkle. intensive.

99 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SPARKLING WINE

Disgorging A cork is inserted, and a muselet or wire

The upturned bottles are then cage is placed over the cork for added
placed in a cold solution that security.
freezes the neck of the bottle
along with the sediment. When The sealed bottle can be kept
the bottles are set right side up, for a few months to allow
the crown cap is removed, and the the liqueur d’expedition to
CO2 ejects the sediment. integrate with the wine. Most
sparkling wines are ready
Dosage to drink on release, but the
A liqueur d’expedition (mixture of wine premium wines will benefit from
and sugar added as a dosage) is used further ageing in bottle.
to top off the bottle. This is called the
dosage and it can vary in sweetness,
which will adjust the overall sweetness of
the sparkling wine.

Transfer Method
This is an adaptation of the Traditional Method that avoids
riddling or disgorging. The methods are the same up until the
process of riddling, at which point the wines are disgorged
into a sealed pressurised tank. The liqueur d’expedition is
added to the tank, and the wine is rebottled into a NEW bottle.

This method makes good quality wines that are easy on the
wallet as they avoid the complex process of riddling and disgorged into new
disgorgement.
pressurised tank bottle
Charmat or Tank Method
The main difference between the Traditional Method and Tank Method is that the
second fermentation happens in a tank and not in the bottle. The liqueur de tirage is
added to the base wine, which has usually been fermented in stainless steel to retain the
fruit flavours and freshness, and then the mixture is put into a stainless steel pressurised
tank. This process usually takes between one and six weeks. There is no riddling. The
bulk wine is filtered to remove the lees, the liqueur d’expedition is added, and the wine
is bottled under pressure.

With far less time and

labour involved, these
wines cost less to make.
The tank method is
excellent for retaining the
varietal characteristics of
aromatic wines like Muscat,
BASE WINE ferme
gorged into Riesling,new
or for the fruitier
style of Prosecco. base wine + 2nd fermentation BEGINS
dosage + bottlingpause
surised tank bottle
liqueur de FERMENTATION through
tirage a few
100 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 SPARKLING WINE
disgorged into new
base wine + 2nd fermentation dosage + bot
Méthode
pressurised tank Ancestrale
bottle or Pétillant-Naturelle
Méthode Ancestrale is the original method liqueur de sparkling wines. It differs from
for making
the Traditional method in that there is no second
tiragefermentation. The fermentation of the
wine is paused midway by chilling and filtering the wine. The wine is then bottled, and
fermentation completes inside the bottle, resulting in CO2. Once the desired amount
of CO2 is reached, the wine is chilled, riddled, and disgorged as per the traditional
method. However, no liqueuer de expedition is added.

BASE WINE fermentation is BOTTLES FILLED bottles are riddled

BEGINS paused halfway & fermentation & disgorged
FERMENTATION through & chilled for continues NO dosage added!
a few months
Carbonation
Carbonation is by far the easiest method to explain. CO2 is added to a
finished wine that could be dry, or sweet, or somewhere in between. My
friend circle has always joked about MSS - Methode Sodastream! It’s a fun, if
unnecessary, way to liven up a sub-par white wine.

HOW TO OPEN A BOTTLE OF SPARKLING WINE CORRECTLY

Remove the foil

Remove or loosen the

1 4 Twist the bottle, not the cork!

muselet (wire cage) while

holding the cork firmly in
place (allegedly 6 quick
turns of the wrist, or 3 full
2 5 Aim for the softest ‘pffft’
and not a car backfiring!

circles will do)

Hold the bottle at a

45º angle
3 6 Enjoy!

101 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 15. FORTIFIED WINES

Sherry
Port
Fortified Muscats
& Jerepigo

102 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 FORTIFIED WINES

Sherry
The name Sherry can only be used when the
wines are matured in Jerez de la Frontera,
Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de
Santa Maria, which are all towns in Spain.

Only three grapes are permitted to

make Sherry in Spain. Palomino grapes JEREZ
have the majority of plantings. They
are naturally low in acidity, have neutral almond, saline, and lemon peel flavours.
flavours, and are used to make dry wines It is found as a thick layer on the surface
in Jerez. Pedro Ximénez (PX) grapes have of the wine, which also protects the wine
very little varietal flavour. The thin skins from oxidation. The barrels in the solera
allow the grapes to be dried by the sun, are never fully topped up, allowing the
making excellent sweet wines. Muscat of flor to feast on the wine, its nutrients and
Alexandria is grown in small quantities oxygen.
and is used to make sweet wines.
Oxidative ageing
Sherry can be divided into wines made Wines for oxidative ageing are fortified to
through biological ageing, those made 17% ABV as this prevents any flor growth.
through oxidative ageing, and a blend of Oloroso, PX, and some Muscat Sherries
the two. are aged oxidatively. Amontillado is aged
oxidatively after a period of biological
The wines start off as white wines ageing. These Sherries can be aged for
that are fermented in stainless steel more than 30 years.
at higher temperatures than usual to
create a neutral wine. The wines are Solera System
then categorised for either biological Sherry is aged in large, old oak barrels
or oxidative ageing depending on the called butts, which don’t impart any oak
flavour characteristics of the base wine flavour into the wines. Each level of aged
and then sent to a sobretabla where they wines is called a criadera. Solera refers
are fortified with 96% ABV neutral spirits to the final and oldest butt that the Sherry
and kept in this nursery before being is drawn from and bottled. The amount
added to the solera system. of wine drawn from the Solera level
is replaced by younger wine from the
Biological ageing previous level. And in turn, that younger
The wines for biologically aged wines level is topped up with an even fresher
are fortified to between 15% to 15.5% wine. The youngest wine is added from
ABV as this is the ideal environment the nursery. Solera systems can contain
for flor to flourish. Flor is made up of between three to thirteen criaderas.
a number of yeast strains that feed off Despite the handy graphic, these
of the alcohol, nutrients in wine, and criaderas are usually kept in separate
oxygen in the atmosphere to form CO2 buildings to protect against losing the
and acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde gives entire Solera system.
biologically aged sherry its unique nutty,

103 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 FORTIFIED WINES
Base Wine
Film-forming yeast called
flor will have already
started growing on the
surface of the base wines

Nursery
Base wines are transferred
to the nursery

Solera
Sherry is bottled from the
bottom row. Each quantity that
is removed from the bottom
row will be topped up with
wines from the row above.

The top row of the Solera is

topped up with nursery wines

The barrels are called butts,

and are only partly filled to
allow flor to grow

Wines are gradually removed from the bottom row for

bottling but are ALWAYS topped up from the row above.

Sherry can be dry or sweet: There are four categories for aged sherries:
VORS: Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum
Dry Styles (Very old rare Sherry) - at least 30 years
Fino + Manzanilla + Oloroso + Amontillado old
+ Palo Cortado VOS: Vinum Optimum Signatum (Very old
Naturally Sweet Sherry) - at least 20 years old
Pedro Ximénez 12 years: applies to whole Solera system
Sweetened (flexible)
Pale Cream + Medium + Cream 15 years: applies to whole Solera system
(flexible)
Fino and Manzanilla Sherries are only aged
biologically. Oloroso sherries are aged Only Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso
oxidatively. Amontillado is aged oxidatively and PX can qualify for age-indicated status!
after a period of biological ageing. Pedro
Ximenez and Muscat sherries are sweet Sherry-style wines are named Pale Dry,
wines that are aged oxidatively. Pale Medium or Cream, etc., when made in
Cream sherries must undergo a period of South Africa. We essentially drop the
biological ageing before being sweetened word Sherry. They are mostly made
with PX. Medium Sherries must have both from Chenin Blanc, though some are
biological and oxidative properties. Cream made from Palomino grapes.
Sherries are only oxidative.
104 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 PORTO
DOURO

Port
RIVER

Only wines made in the twin coastal cities of Porto and Vila
Nova de Gaia on opposite sides of the mouth of the river
Douro can be called Port.

Port was created when wines were

shipped from Oporto in Portugal to
England. The wines were strengthened
(or fortified) with spirit on their journeys
to act as a preservative.

The best-known red varieties include the Ageing depends on the style being
Touriga Francesa, Touriga Nacional, Tinta produced: vintage wines are aged in bottles,
Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela, and and tawny wines are aged in 500L used oak
Tinto Cão, but in total there are around 30 casks called a pipas or pipes. Ruby Ports are
types of Port grapes. Most of these grape generally transported downstream to the
varieties have small thick-skinned berries cooler coastal town of Vila Nova de Gaia
that produce dense concentrated must for maturation. Some Tawny Ports are sent
(grape juice) needed to make Port. Whilst upriver, where the temps are higher and will
the grapes are planted separately, they are result in faster aging and colour loss.
normally fermented together.
Ruby Ports are deeply coloured with mostly
Traditionally, the grapes were placed in wide, primary fruits. They are aged for a short
thigh high tanks called lagares where large period in stainless steel or large oak barrels.
teams of workers would tread These wines have less complexity, tannins,
the grapes by foot for three and flavour concentration. They are ready to
to four hours. Foot treading drink and don’t benefit from bottle age.
is the gentlest as well as most
complete extraction method. Tawny Ports show browning from long
It is costly and no longer oxidative maturation in barrels called
widely used other than by pipas. With age, they will turn garnet, and
premium producers. eventually brown. Age will also produce
raisin, walnut, coffee, caramel, and chocolate
Fermentation is stopped by fortification once flavours. These wines are ready to drink and
the alcohol reaches 5-9% abv to create a don’t benefit from bottle age.
sweet wine. Fermentation typically lasts 24 to
36 hours. This is done by adding aguardente Reserve / Reserva are Ruby and Tawny
(white spirit at 77% ABV) that leaves 100g/l Ports of higher quality. Reserve Tawny must
RS and alcohol of around 19% ABV. be wood aged for a minimum of six years.

Port style wines are called Ruby or Tawny etc Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) are vintage ports
(without the word Port) when made in South aged in large oak barrels for between four
Africa. In South Africa, they are mainly made and six years before they’re bottled. They are
in Calitzdorp and the Klein Karoo where ready to drink and don’t benefit from bottle
the climate is hot and arid, not dissimilar to age.
the Douro and suited to Portuguese styled
varietals.
105 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 FORTIFIED WINES

Tawny with indication of age wines spend needing decanting because of the sediment.
long periods of oxidative maturation in Vintage Ports are produced roughly three
pipes. They can be labelled 10, 20, 30 or 40 times a decade.
years old, and the label must include the
year it was bottled as they lose freshness
after bottling. The best versions are complex Port style wines are called Ruby
and concentrated. or Tawny (without the word Port)
when made in South Africa. In
Vintage Port needs to be registered when South Africa, they are mainly made
the producer plans on releasing a Vintage in Calitzdorp, and the Klein Karoo,
Port. They must be bottled at least three where the climate is hot and arid, not
years after harvest. They are the most dissimilar to the Douro and suited to
complex, concentrated and tannic of the Port Portuguese styled varietals.
wines and can bottle age for decades, often

Fortified Muscats & Jerepigo

Muscat is used to make fortified wines around the world. There are many different grape
varieties called Muscat. They’re all lower in acidity and show aromas of orange blossoms,
rose, and grape. Muscat is one of very few grapes where the wines smell like grapes!

Unaged Muscat wines are golden in fermentation allowing the aromatics of the
colour and floral and aromatic. They are grape to be retained. Fortifying results in a
made from ripe, healthy grapes that are 17% to 20% ABV wine. The wines are usually
often left in contact with the skins after aged in large old vats for years before
crushing to maximise their aromatics and bottling. Jerepigo can be made from any
add richness. Fermentation is stopped, and grape. They are high alcohol, full-bodied,
96% ABV grape spirit is added to make the sweet wines (at least 160 grams/litre of
wine sweet. These wines aim to preserve residual sugar) that retain their fresh grape
the aromatic characters and primary fruit flavours.
aromas.
Muscadel grapes, thought to be one of the
Fully Developed Aged Muscat can be original four grapes planted by Jan van
amber to brown in colour. Some producers Riebeeck in South Africa, can be made in the
might wait for the grapes to raisinate on vin doux naturel style (where brandy spirit is
the vines to make a more luscious wine. added to the wine at some point before the
Fermentation takes place on the skins end of fermentation). It can also be made
before it is halted by fortifying with grape in the Jerepigo style (spirit is added before
spirit. These wines are then aged oxidatively fermentation starts)
in old, large wood vessels that won’t
impart any flavours (sometimes in warm In South Africa, we often refer to the
environments). The wines develop oxidative Muscat d’Alexandrie grape as Hanepoot.
aromas. Both grapes are part of the Muscat family
that display floral, musk, rose, lychee,
Jerepigo wines are made by adding neutral grape, orange rind, and sweet stone fruit
grape spirit to freshly harvested juice at characters. Their aromatics make them ideal
the start of fermentation. The spirits halt for fortified wines.

106 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 GLOSSARY

16. GLOSSARY
ABC: Anything but Chardonnay - a term that Botrytis: A fungal disease caused by Botrytis Hectare: a metric measurement unit equal
describes a dislike of chardonnay - originated Cinerea that can be both negative (grey rot) to 10,000 square meters (100 meters by 100
as a reaction to the 'butter bomb', heavily or positive (noble rot). Noble rot pierces the meters square) or 2.47 acres
oaked styles skin of the grapes causing dehydration that
Herbaceous: aromas and flavours of fresh
concentrates the flavours, sugars, and acidity.
ABV: abbreviation of alcohol by volume, herbs E.g. rosemary, fynbos and basil
These make the greatest sweet wines, but
required by law to be listed on the wine label
can also make dry wines with typical botrytis Ice Wine: Ice Wine in Canada, Eiswein in
Acidity: all grapes have acidity that gives notes of marmalade, honey, apricot etc. Germany. These are wines made from frozen
liveliness and crispness to a wine and grapes. The water is frozen in the grapes and
Body: a sense of the weight and fullness of
activates your salivary glands - a wine with is left behind in the press, concentrating the
the wine in your mouth
low acid can be described as flabby. sugar, acidity, and flavours of the wine.
Breathe: exposing wine to oxygen to
Aeration: deliberately adding oxygen to Late Harvest: refers to grapes left to hang on
improve its flavours
soften a wine the vine for longer ,resulting in higher sugar
Brut: a French term for dry champagne or levels - they are used for sweet or dessert
Ageing: or maturation - takes place in the
sparkling wine wines.
winery where wine is kept in barrels, vats,
tanks, and bottles to evolve them to their Cooper (cooperage): a cooper is a Lees: sediment made up of dead yeast cells,
desired level. craftsman who makes and repairs wine barrels grape pulp, seeds, and other grape material
Alcohol: xethanol (ethyl alcohol), the product Complex: wines that show a number of Maceration: mostly used in red winemaking
of fermentation of sugars by yeast aromas and flavours - the grape skins, seeds, pulp and stems are
steeped in the must to extract colour, tannin
Angular: think of a triangle in your mouth Corked: or cork taint - a wine fault caused by
and flavour.
- these wines are usually acidic and hit your TCA (trichloroanisole) from the cork, making
mouth in specific places with high impact the wine smell like wet cardboard or mould Magnum: large-format wine bottle
containing double the quantity of a standard
Anosmia: the loss of smell Cuvée: in Champagne this means a blended
bottle
batch of wine. In other regions, it has no
Aperitif: an alcoholic beverage served before
official meaning but generally denotes a Malic acid: one of the three main acids
a meal to whet your appetite. e.g.champagne
proprietary blend by the winery. found in grapes. Malic acid tastes tarts and is
or Sherry
found naturally in apples, plums, cherries, etc.
Decant: to pour a wine out of the bottle and
Appellation: a geographically delineated
into another vessel to aerate a younger wine, Malolactic fermentation: a secondary
wine region
and/or remove sediment from an older wine process that occurs after alcoholic
Aroma: the smell of wine, especially young or vintage Port. fermentation where lactic bacteria transform
wines where it refers to the primary notes harsh malic acids into smooth, lactic acids. The
Demi-sec: French word meaning half-dry - it
wines have a buttery, creamy quality.
Anthocyanins: the red pigments found is used to describe a sweet sparkling wine
in grape skins that are responsible for the Méthode Traditionnelle: the traditional
Disgorgement: the winemaking process of
colour of wine - they are polyphenols with method for producing quality sparkling wines
removing lees from champagne that makes
antioxidant properties used in Champagne, France, and all around
the wine clearer.
the world. The second fermentation occurs in
AOC: abbreviation for Appellation d'Origine
Fermentation: conversion of grape sugars the bottle. Also known as Método tradicional
Contrôlée, (Appellation of controlled origin),
to alcohol by yeast in Spanish, Metodo Classico in Italian,
specified under French law. The laws specify
Methode Cap Classique in South Africa,
and delimit the geography from which a Fining: adding egg whites, gelatin, isinglass
and Crémant in other regions of France and
particular wine (or other food product) may and other materials to add in the clarity of
Luxembourg.
originate and methods by which it may be the wine
made Minerality: a descriptor for the mineral
Finish: the textures and flavours that linger
quality in a wine that isn't edible. E.g. wet
Astringent: harsh, bitter and drying in your mouth after swallowing
stone, petrichor, clay flint
sensations caused by high levels of tannins
Fortified Wine: Adding further alcohol,
Must: the unfermented juice of crushed
Balance: a wine that has harmonious levels usually neutral brandy spirits, to a wine. e.g.,
grapes that can include pulp and seeds
of sugars, tannins, alcohol, and acids Sherry, Port, Madeira, Jerepigo
Negociant: French word for a wholesale
Blanc de blancs: a term for describing white Full-bodied: a wine high in alcohol and
merchant, blender, or shipper of wine
wines made from white grapes and most flavours and possibly tannins
commonly found on sparkling wine labels New World: Generally speaking, these are
Grand Cru: French word meaning Great
wine-making countries outside of Europe -
Blanc de noirs: a term used to describe Growth - it is the highest possible ranking
often these countries have Old World heritage
white wines made from red grapes and given to chosen vineyards within an AOC
e.g. South Africa, Argentina
mostly used on sparkling wine labels

107 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
 GLOSSARY
Non-Vintage: The wine is a blend of grapes Reduction: a term that means the opposite Ullage: The space between the wine and
from at least two different vintage years. Most of oxidation. When wine is protected from the top of the barrel or bottom of the cork. In
commonly seen in sparkling wines oxygen in all areas of the winemaking older wines, ullage can be a way of gauging
process, it can become reduced where the the soundness of the wine as wine evaporates
Nose: term used to describe how wine smells
chemical compounds can display bad odours. through the cork over time and allows oxygen in.
Oak/Oaky: smells and flavours of vanilla,
Sec: French word for Dry Varietal: Describes a wine made from a
baking spices, coconut or cocoa caused by
single grape variety (or predominantly from
barrel ageing Sediment: tiny particles gather at the
one grape variety), as opposed to a blend.
bottom of the tank or barrel during the
Oenology: the science of wine and It can also refer to a typical character in a
winemaking process. These are usually
winemaking grape variety, e.g., black pepper in Syrah,
removed by racking and/or filtering and/or
gooseberry in Sauvignon Blanc.
Off-Dry: A description for a wine that has fining. Tannins and natural compounds form
some residual sugar and tastes slightly sweet. grainy deposits over time and settle along Vegetal: description of fresh or cooked
the side or bottom of the bottle. Decanting is vegetables aromas or flavours of the wine,
Old World: Countries with a long history of
used to remove the sediment in the bottle. e.g., green peppers, grass, and asparagus
winemaking, usually from Europe, but can
include the Middle Eastern and North Africa. Simple: a wine that is not complex and Veraison: originally a French word but now
does not show varying levels of aromas and used in English - it designates the time of
Organic: Wines made from grapes grown
flavours. Most wines are simple, with only the year when grape’s change colour and build
without the use of chemical fertilizers,
best displaying complexity. sugar. It is the start of grape ripening. White
pesticides, or herbicides. An organic wine
grapes change from green to translucent
must be made from organically grown grapes. Sommelier:A wine professional working in
yellow. Red grapes change from green to
the hospitality industry (usually a restaurant)
Oxidation: when wine is exposed to air it pink, red, or black
who has in-depth knowledge of wine.
undergoes a chemical change.
Viniculture: the whole business of
Sound: a way of describing a wine without
Pétillant: Light effervescence sometimes wine production that includes viticulture,
any obvious flaws. Any wine made properly
found in non-sparkling wines, caused by winemaking, marketing and sales
should be sound, therefore it is not used as
leftover CO2. It is called frizzante in Italy.
praise, despite being a positive term. Vinification: the process of turning grapes
Phenolics: also called polyphenols or into wine
Spumante: The Italian term for sparkling
tannins, these are naturally occurring
wine. Frizzante is the term for a lightly Vintage: refers to the picking or harvest
compounds that contribute colour, flavour,
effervescent Italian wine. process each year. The year the grapes were
and tannin to wine
picked is the year/vintage that appears on the
Structure: refers to the framework of wine -
Phylloxera: a microscopic insect that kills bottle label.
alcohol, acidity, tannins, fruit and glycerin.
grapevines by attacking their roots
Viticulture: the study of specifically
Sulfites: SO2 is a common preservative used
Pomace: the skins, seeds and stems left growing grapevines - not to be confused with
in winemaking for antioxidant and antiseptic
behind after pressing. In France it can be viniculture
purposes.Sulfites protect the wine’s flavours
distilled into a brandy known as Marc. In Italy
from being oxidized and prevents spoilage Vitis vinifera: the species of grape that
it is distilled into Grappa.
organisms from developing. They also occur comprises the majority of the world’s wine
Premier Cru: First Growth in French. In naturally, therefore all wines contain sulfur. grapes
Bordeaux these are wineries with the highest
Sweet: wines with perceptible sugar Volatile Acidity (VA): A wine is considered
classification. In Burgundy, this is the second
noticeable on the nose and in the mouth volatile when there are excessive amounts of
highest classification after Grand Cru.
volatile acids. All wines contain VA, but higher
Tannins: Phenolic compounds found in the
Press Fractions: when making wine, the levels of acetic acid and ethyl acetate produce
skins and stems of grapes (most red). They
juice must be separated from the must. unpleasant vinegar and nail varnish aromas.
add structure to a wine and can be felt as a
Initially, there will free run juice that flows
bitter, dry and puckery sensation on the teeth Yeasts: yeasts are microorganisms
naturally from the grapes. Thereafter, pressure
and tongue. Tannins have no smell or taste. responsible for converting sugar into alcohol
is added to extract further juice. This pressing
and carbon dioxide. They occur naturally on
extracts extra flavour as well as tannins. Tartaric acid: the principal acid in grapes
the grape skin (natural/wild/ambient) or can
Winemakers may separate the different that adds flavour and allows ageing.
be created commercially in laboratories.
parcels of free run and pressed wines,
Terroir: French term meaning soil, but that
blending them together at the end to make a Yield: the productivity of a vineyard or wine
is used to describe the combination of the
balanced wine. estate. In the U.S., it is referred to as tons per
various growing conditions in a vineyard,
acre. In South America, Australia, South Africa
Racking: the process of transferring the wine including the climate, soil composition,
and Europe it is referred to as hectolitres per
from one vessel to another in the winery. This exposure (direction it’s facing), topography
hectare.
is done to remove sediment and also adds (angle and position on a slope or plain),
oxygen to the wine. proximity to a body of water, and altitude. In Young: an immature wine that is usually
France, this also includes traditional customs bottled and sold within a year of its vintage
Reserve / Reserva: This word has no
and regulations for various appellations. and is meant to be consumed 'young' to
official meaning in the New World and
enjoy their fresh flavours. In age-worthy
usually denotes a higher quality wine. In Italy, Typicity: a term that describes how well a
wines, it can also mean an undeveloped wine
Portugal, and Italy, the term is governed and wine expresses the characteristics inherent to
that is not yet ready to be enjoyed.
can only be used after a wine has been aged for the variety of the grape.
a legislated period of time in barrel and bottle.

108 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
Tasting Descriptors
Primary Aroma and Flavour Examples
Florals: honeysuckle, chamomile, elderflower, geranium, blossoms, rose, violet, lily,
acacia, lavender, hibuscus
Green Fruits: apple, gooseberry, pear, quince, grape
Citrus Fruits: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime (think about whether it’s the
juice or the zest)
Stone Fruits: apricot, peach, nectarine
Tropical Fruits: pineapple, passion fruit, mango, litchi, melon, guava
Red Fruits: strawberry, red cherry, red plum, raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate
Black Fruit: mulberry, blackberry, black cherry, black plum blackcurrant, blueberry
Dried/Cooked Fruits: prune, raisin, fig, baked or stewed fruit, jam, date, fruit cake
Noble Rot: beeswax, ginger, saffron
Herbaceous: green pepper, grass, tomato leaf, asparagus
Herbal: eucalyptus, mint, fennel, dill, medicinal
Spice: pepper, liquorice, cinnamon, anise, cardamom
Minerality: flint, wet stones, wet wool, clay, pencil shavings, iron, chalk

Secondary Aroma and Flavour Examples

Yeast (lees and/or autolysis): biscuit, bread, toast, pastry, brioche, sourdough
MLF: butter, cheese, cream
Oak: vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, coconut, butterscotch, toast, chocolate, coffee, cedar,
charred wood, smoke, cigar box

Tertiary Aroma and Flavour Examples

Oxidation: almond, hazelnut, cocoa, coffee, toffee, caramel
Fruit Development: dried fruit, marmalade, dried apricot, dried banana (white wines) /
fig, prune, tar, dried red or black berry, cooked red or black berry (red wines)
Bottle Age (white wines): petrol, kerosene, wax, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, toast, nuts,
hay, honey, mushroom
Bottle Age (red wines): forest floor, wet leaves, earth, mushroom, leather, game,
tobacco, savoury, meaty, barnyard
Observation Tip:
If you can see your fingernails through the wine = pale
DATE: REGION:
If you can see your fingers = medium
If you can’t see anything = deep
Tears/legs could indicated alcohol or sugar
NAME OF WINE:
Producer / Name / Grape Variety / Vintage
Primary Aroma and Flavour Examples
Florals: honeysuckle, chamomile, elderflower, geranium, blossoms,
rose, violet, lily, acacia, lavender, hibiscus OBSERVE: Pale Medium Deep
Green Fruits: apple, gooseberry, pear, quince, grape
Citrus Fruits: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime (think about WHITE LEMON-GREEN LEMON GOLD AMBER
whether it’s the juice or the zest)
ROSÉ PINK SALMON ORANGE
Stone Fruits: apricot, peach, nectarine
Tropical Fruits: pineapple, passion fruit, mango, litchi, melon, guava RED PURPLE RUBY GARNET TAWNY BROWN
Red Fruits: strawberry, red cherry, red plum, raspberry, cranberry,
pomegranate SMELL:
Black Fruit: mulberry, blackberry, black cherry, black plum blackcurrant, INTENSITY LIGHT MEDIUM PRONOUNCED
blueberry
Dried/Cooked Fruits: prune, raisin, fig, baked or stewed fruit, jam, date, DESCRIPTION
fruit cake
Noble Rot: beeswax, ginger, saffron
Herbaceous: green pepper, grass, tomato leaf, asparagus
Herbal: eucalyptus, mint, fennel, dill, medicinal
TASTE:
Spice: pepper, liquorice, cinnamon, anise, cardamom DRY OFF-DRY MED-SWEET SWEET LUSCIOUS
SWEETNESS
Minerality: flint, wet stones, wet wool, clay, pencil shavings, iron, chalk
Secondary Aroma and Flavour Examples ACIDITY LOW MEDIUM HIGH BODY LIGHT MEDIUM FULL
Yeast (lees and/or autolysis): biscuit, bread, toast, pastry, brioche, TANNIN LOW MEDIUM HIGH ALCOHOL LOW MEDIUM HIGH
sourdough
MLF: butter, cheese, cream INTENSITY LIGHT MEDIUM PRONOUNCED FINISH SHORT MEDIUM LONG
Oak: vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, coconut, butterscotch, toast, chocolate,
coffee, cedar, charred wood, smoke, cigar box DESCRIPTION
Tertiary Aroma and Flavour Examples
Oxidation: almond, hazelnut, cocoa, coffee, toffee, caramel
Fruit Development: dried fruit, marmalade, dried apricot, dried
banana (white wines) / fig, prune, tar, dried red or black berry, cooked CONCLUSION: Balance Length Intensity Complexity
red or black berry (red wines) [rate the wine 0, ½, or 1]
Bottle Age: petrol, kerosene, wax, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, toast, COMMENTS
nuts, hay, honey, mushroom (white wines)
Bottle Age: forest floor, wet leaves, earth, mushroom, leather, game,
tobacco, savoury, meaty, barnyard (red wines)
 GLOSSARY

Thank you to PQ Wines for kindly proof reading this document, as well as for your support from
the very beginning.

The biggest thanks to Cassidy Dart MW for sharing his time and knowledge.

Wine Wise - some of the stuff you've always wanted to know about wine, from a South African
perspective.

ePDF ISBN: 978-0-620-89323-7

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References:Pages 40, 50, 58 and 68 most planted grape varieties from www.forbes.com ; Pages 45,
53, 62, 73, 81 and 87 vine planting statistics from www.sawis.co.za

111 | WINE WISE SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE