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South Africa
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, and at one time
Constantia was considered one of the greatest wines in the world. Access to international markets has unleashed
a burst of new energy and new investment. Production is concentrated around
Cape Town, with major vineyard and production centers at Paarl, Stellenbosch
and Worcester. There are about 60 appellations within the Wine of Origin (WO)
system, which was implemented in 1973 with a hierarchy of designated production
regions, districts and wards. WO wines
must be made 100% from grapes from the designated area. "Single vineyard" wines must come
from a defined area of less than 5 hectares. An "Estate Wine" can
come from adjacent farms, as long as they are farmed together and wine is
produced on site. A ward is an area with
a distinctive soil type and/or climate, and is roughly equivalent to a European
appellation.
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