Winter Warmers. The secret to great wine!

Wine is a liquid made out of fruit and other cultures. But why does some remain as a distinct taste on our palate and others simply represent the ordinary? The secret lies in the patience, terroir and maker of the wine that distinguishes excellence from acceptable.

African Wine History

Africa went through a dark period and this had an immense effect on the wine culture of the continent. The Germans, Italians and French were key role-players in this history. Bearing in mind that places like Morocco and Kenya were all equipped and producing wine, the Southern African regions were the areas most prominent for international class wine-making.

South Africa had the privilege of experiencing new and old world methods of wine-making which now set the standards for export and new flavours of wines, preserving their quality and maturity to fulfil the tasters’ satisfaction. The wine industry in South Africa went through a slump during the Apartheid era because if the petty production of wine for the mere purpose of trade. Post-Apartheid led to a renaissance of wine production to an astonishing production of 139 million litres being exported during 2000.

Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson in 'The World Atlas of Wine' wrote "The most dramatically beautiful wine country in the world is surely South Africa". With its almost perfect Mediterranean climate, cooling winds and rain usually concentrated in winter, the Cape has perfect conditions for producing great wines. However, it has been hampered by many problems, past and present. Now is that not something to be proud of?

We all know that it is the grapes that make the wine, but what kind of grapes makes South African wine so unique? South Africa can claim her own grape variety in the Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Pinotage was bred in 1925 by Dr. Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch. So we have local wine makers that have the world wrapped around their fingers.

Grape Varieties

The variety of grapes, aspect (direction of slope), elevation, and topography of the vineyard, type and chemistry of soil, the climate and seasonal conditions under which grapes are grown, and the local yeast cultures all together form the concept of "terroir". It opens a range of possibilities that leads to great variety among wine products, which is extended by the fermentation, finishing, and aging processes. Many small producers use growing and production methods that preserve or accentuate the aroma and taste influences of their unique terroir.

The sweetness of a wine is determined by the sugar concentration that is left in the wine after fermentation. For example a dry wine will have very little or virtually no residual sugar. A complex mix of organic molecules can bring about specific flavours. The characteristics of the grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and blackcurrant also play a part in this.

If the grape varieties produce the various aromas and taste of the wine, then what determines the price of wine. How does one distinguish between a ordinary and expensive wine? The answer is vintage! A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown in a single specified year, and are accordingly dated as such. Variations in a wine's character from year to year can include subtle differences in colour, palate, nose, body and development. Good quality red table wines in particular can improve in flavour with age if properly stored. Consequently, it is not uncommon for wine enthusiasts and traders to save bottles of an especially good vintage wine for future consumption.

In a nutshell, one can expect the price of wine to increase the older the vintage is.

Wine Tasting

Now that we understand the wine process, what about wine tasting? For someone that has never gone on a wine tasting tour this is quite something to grasp. Judging colour is the first step in tasting a wine. The primary impression one get from a wine is the sensation experienced on the drinker’s palate. This sensation is made up of compounds that are identical to ordinary tastes such as fruits, vegetables and spices.

The only reason why people go for wine tasting is to enjoy new wines or find a new favourite. There is no right or wrong way of tasting wine. Let us show you how:

1. Start with a clear wine glass. The rim of the glass should bend inwards to help funnel aromas to the nose, and allow you to swirl without spilling.
2. Pour about an inch of wine into the glass. A hint for those who plan on tasting quite a few wines along the line, begin with the lightest wines like sparkling wines and roses, and progress to heavier wines such as light reds to more full-bodied reds. A sip of water between wines can also help preserve your palate.
3. Now what colour is the wine? In order to assist you with this, hold the glass up to the light against a white back ground. The colour of wine gives you an indication of the age of the wine. In this view white wines gain colour with age whilst red wine loose colour.
4. Hold the glass by its stem and swirl the wine a few times. This will release vapours that allow you to properly smell the wine.
5. Finally, you can now taste the wine! Take a sip and swirl it in your mouth so that your taste buds pick up all the flavours within it. Keep it there for a brief moment. Does the taste correspond with the aroma? After savoring the taste of the wine you can either drink it or spit it out. Now think for a moment, what memory do you have of this wine on your palate?

The full enjoyment of wine tasting makes use of your four senses i.e. sight, smell, touch and taste. Now aren’t you glad you were created with them because now you are able to put them to good use. Wine tasting that is!

Wine Storage and Packaging

Now that you tasted fine wines and have discovered your preference buy a bottle or two or three and store them for a few years. Preserving wine for future use matures the wine. Giving you a more mature and enriched taste. But how do you store them?

Wine needs to be kept lying in a cool, dark and quiet place, which is slightly damp. Why? Laying it down keeps the cork wet and expanded which improves the seal, keeps oxygen out of the wine and keeps the wine in the bottle. If the wine is stored in a cool place (5-18 degrees Celsius), it ensures that the wine's maturing process is subtle, reaching its maturity gracefully. If the cellar is too warm, the wine will mature too rapidly, become tired and ultimately mature poorly. Temperature fluctuations should be kept to a minimum, as this, too, affects the optimum maturing of wine, and the corks could weaken, which could cause leakage and evaporation of the precious liquid.

Wine loves the dark. The bottle does afford the wine some protection, but light, direct or indirect, could over-expose the cork and lead to a 'tired' wine. Wine does not like to be moved too much during storage (unless it is in a glass!), as this disrupts the maturing process.

Why slightly damp? To keep the cork wet ensures a good seal on the bottle and minimal leakage. Please do not keep your wine, even every-day drinking wine, in the airing cupboard, near radiators and boilers, or in your greenhouse or pre-fabricated structures. The temperature fluctuations are too great, and this will ruin the wine over a period of time. Keep all of this in mind because you will reap the benefit of drinking a matured wine on a special occasion, who knows.

Wine Members

So how do you get in touch with wine people? Who do you have to contact to be updated on latest wines and wine sales? To make everything easy we have compiled a list of organisations that will assist with all you need to know about South African wine as well as international.

Visit www.wine.co.za, www.blankbottle.co.za, www.friendsofwine.co.za, www.wineoffers.co.za, www.wineweb.co.za and www.wineofthemonth.co.za.

Now what are you waiting for! Go online and get involved. Loving wine is not just a hobby it’s a way of life!