Cape Wine, the Cape Winelands’ international trade showcase that takes place every three years, was presented from the CTICC this week. The theme for 2025 was “our warmest welcome” and I believe the welcome was extended through more than our renowned hospitality but also through our wines – and the sunshine!
While a warm welcome has such a positive ring to it, warm is usually not what we want to talk about when it comes to wine. We frequently refer to the contribution cool climate growing conditions make to the quality of our wines and we often go to a lot of effort to secure grapes from vineyards growing close to the ocean for the impact of those cooling coastal breezes. But in South Africa, even when the conditions are cooler, they are still sunny and the wow factor of sunshine was an ongoing theme that I picked up on when I got feedback from my team at the event.
Renowned South African wine personality, Michael Fridjhon presented a Sauvignon Blanc tasting entitled, Taste of Terroir: South Africa’s #wildwhitewine with style. The tasting explored Sauvignon Blanc’s ability to adapt to the dramatically diverse terroir in which we grow it locally. He explained that South African winemakers learned to make the most of Sauvignon Blanc in our warmer climate. Even in cooler areas, sunshine plays an important role. Michael referred to the generosity of morning sun in the Constantia valley for instance, acclaimed for its cool climate Sauvignon Blancs.
Another variety that we often prefer to come from cooler areas is Pinot Noir. And when we make Cap Classique using Chardonnay, we usually harvest the grapes early to capture its natural acidity and delicate aromas. When making South Africa’s famous MCC’s whether as a Chardonnay Pinot Noir blend or Blanc de Blanc, it therefore seems that coolness is also a factor. But at the same time, some of the country’s most acclaimed MCC’s use Chardonnay grown in the Robertson wine region, where cool is not really part of the definition.
In a Cap Classique Tasting this week, Pieter Ferreira, Graham Beck Cellarmaster and SA’s Mr. Bubbles, says: “I embrace the sunshine.” We know about Robertson’s limestone soils and the difference between day and nighttime temperatures, but to him, the sunshine is what really makes the difference. Of course we have to keep an eye on temperature, pick at the optimum time of ripeness for the style you envisage and treat our grapes gently, but there is a certain vivacity in our wines that we might just attribute to the sunshine of South Africa.
Leopard’s Leap winemaker Renier van Deventer told me recently that his secret to making their beautiful Special Edition Pinotage, is that he treats the Pinotage grapes with the same respect as he would have for its two delicate red wine parents, Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. In his opinion, Pinotage can have the finesse of its parents when you treat it carefully – and then it bowls you over with its sunshine-derived sociability and vibrance.
Rainbows come when it rains, but they won’t be there if it wasn’t for the sun. South Africa is a rainbow nation because of our cultural diversity, but perhaps, a strong reason for our friendliness and exuberance lies in the sunshine! We might be a little blasé when it comes to the sun. We never have to endure long stretches of short days and overcast weather like in many other parts of the world, so we might not be as aware of the happiness the sun brings to our every lives. This week all the wine talk about sunshine made me realise what an important factor it is in all that is special about our country.
Whether it is the warmth of our welcome or the brilliance of our wine, let’s raise a glass to sunshine!
UPDATE: Just after I’ve posted this blog, I saw WOSA’s release about “There’s Sunshine Inside“! How’s that for being on the same wavelength!