7/23/2019 Noble varietals take siesta as the Mediterranean heads South

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Noble varietals take siesta as the Mediterranean heads South

Tempranillo, Carignan, Macabeo, Nebbiolo, Grenache. A drop in the ocean of theMediterranean cultivars that have garnered praise as part of local wine produce. However,

when comparing these varieties to the famous “Nobles, who will remain standing! "e

can than# $apan%s rugb& team for showing us that the 'little gu&s% (or not so little)* can bema+or contenders too)

ndoubtedl&, -outh Africa%s viticulture is still on the noble variet& bandwagon. ut therehas been a ma+or shift in the mindset of wine consumers. Much li#e -outh Africa%s

uni/ue breed of hipsters, so too has our wine culture matured and evolved. No longer can

an& individual remain ignorant of the development within the wine industr& and the

replacement of old with new.

 Not to mention that with the delicious lightness which can come with Mediterranean

wines, there is also a definite financial advantage. eing wise financiall& is something

that has been ingrained in A0M1-T ever& -outh African. 23eesmustfall! And so the&did) The movement awa& from heav& oa#ed wines to lighter st&les, which so elegantl&

suites Mediterranean wines, will ma#e a substantial contribution to cellars new oa# e4penditures. & lowering production costs, the final product will also be more

affordable. Hello to ine4pensive, non5ban#5brea#ing -panish blends)

Having had a conversation with a New 6or# importer of wine recentl& reall& opened m&

e&es. "e were discussing the oh5so5familiar trend of individuals bu&ing wine, not

 because the& have tasted it and want to re5e4perience its pure bliss, but alas, because it

has a stic#er on it) 7t has been stic#ered to such an e4tent that &ou feel it a shame N1T to bu& it. 7t must be good! 8ight!

 Not necessaril&. A 9:: point wooded Cab can be +ust the same as the prett& bottle withthe nice stic#ers on it. 7s it good! ;robabl&. "ill 7 li#e it! Ma&be. <oes it ma#e it better 

than the wine with the unheard of varietal names! <efinitel& not) All that is gold does not

glitter.

 Noble varieties are named so because the& come from a lineage producing e4ceptional

wines and have throughout the centuries, continued to produce outstanding wines in most

regions. Historicall& (and an& wine lover who is worth his (or her* weight in salt will#now this*, is that most of these noble varieties originate from 3rance. -imon van der -tel

#new this and was familiar with producing wine with a sturd& #nowledge of viticulture

and viniculture. And it was not +ust our ancestral wine patron who #new this. Mostcountries that have started producing wine within the last half5millennium have, in most

 parts, also adopted the 3rench%s preference for noble varieties.

ut considering the ordeau4 region%s climate and then comparing it to our own -outh

African climate, are we actuall& planting cultivars which are adapted to our put5a5fan5on5

me heat! This is a /uestion that remains to be answered.

7/23/2019 Noble varietals take siesta as the Mediterranean heads South

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-outh Africa%s wine industr& has trul& evolved since our first plantings of -teen. ut have

we been trul& honest with what wor#s for our terrain! 1r have we ta#en what another 

countr& has proven wor#s for them, and merel& adapted it! This might be the case. utan& person that has tasted our wines compared to a urgund& Chardonna&, #nows that

-A is a ma+or contender in the international wine scene. e it a 8io+a Tempranillo or a

German 8iesling. "e do it and we do it well.

"e as -outh Africans have a constant internal battle. This becomes utterl& tangible when

we are facing the gruesome tas# of selecting a bottle of wine from our local “Tops.Colours, fonts, prett& flourishes, names that we are &et able to pronounce. e it a bottle of 

wine for dinner, or a gift for &our boss. This is never an eas& tas#. And it is

understandable that most fol#s resort to pic#ing the one with all the stic#ers, the one

 bec#oning &ou with its golden whisper= “u& me because 7%m worth it)

-o what has it come to! "here will -outh Africa find itself within the ne4t few &ears

regarding the planting of varietals and production of wine! "e have ta#en what 3rance

has 'given% us and made it wor#. "e have also found our own voice in the internationalmar#ets and started ma#ing interesting blends and uni/ue wines. The -wartland is a good

e4ample with >ben -adie and Adi adenhorst being considered pioneers of themovement. "e cannot change our st&le ever& decade, for we will fade into wine mar#et

oblivion.

How do we choose though! The answer is /uite simple. "e don%t. "e tr&. -outh Africa

has a histor& of tr&ing, sometimes failing miserabl&, but we also have a histor& of tr&ing

and coming out victorious ? with a glass of ;inotage in hand. Tr& the interesting -panish

or 7talian blends. @eep tr&ing those spic& shiraes. And at the end of the da&, decide onwhat wor#s best for &ou and &our palate.