☰ NAV
Menu

Wines from South Africa

  • Filter
Type
Type
Region
Find a region
Region
Grape
Find a grape
Grape
Bottle contents
Bottle contents
Show more options
Winery
Find a winery
Winery
Sustainability
Sustainability
Alcohol percentage
Alcohol percentage
Show more options
Vintage
Vintage
Show more options
Flavor
Flavor
Show more options
Special
Special
Show results

Order wine from Wines from South Africa

Wine from Wines from South Africa you buy at Wijnclub Amsterdam.We have a large assortment of quality wines from small winemakers to exclusive top wines.

  • Exceptional wines from small winemakers (also organic, natural wine, and vegan)
  • Many popular wines with high scores on Vivino
  • All wines can be ordered by the bottle.
  • Clear information about grapes, origin, and vintage
  • Ordered before 15:00 = shipped the same working day
  • Delivery by cargo bike in Amsterdam
  • Pickup available in Amsterdam city center
  • Advice via telephone, email, WhatsApp, or by appointment
  • Customer rating 9+ via Webwinkelkeur

Order your favorite Wine from Wines from South Africa at Wijnclub Amsterdam..

South Africa is located in the southernmost part of the country. Cape Town is the economic heart as well as the wine center. Here, the two ocean currents of the Atlantic and Indian meet. Consequently, the best South African wine regions are found particularly to the northwest of Cape Town and under the influence of the cool ocean current.

History

The Dutchman Simon van der Stel was the first to plant vineyards in Constantia and produced delicious sweet wines there, which were taken back to Holland and were widely praised.
Moreover, the French Huguenots who also emigrated to South Africa at the end of the 17th century brought the necessary knowledge with them, and the development is gaining momentum.
At the beginning of the 19th century, South Africa experienced an enormous boom in viticulture due to a large new market. After the departure of the English and also the outbreak of the phylloxera  viticulture collapses completely.

Modern times

It was not until the mid-20th century that South African viticulture gained momentum again. Initially, grafted vines were imported from America. In the early stages, this was the cause of enormous surpluses, which led the government to decide in 1918 to establish the Cooperative Winegrowers Association (KWV) as a regulatory body. They ensured the stabilization of wine prices and put a halt to the ever-declining quality and overproduction.
Later, in 1925, South Africa experienced a high point in wine history. Professor Abraham Izak Perold crossed the grapes Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (then called Hermitage), and Pinotage was born. The quintessential South African grape variety.
The reputation and quality of South African wines experienced clear growth in the 20th century, despite the apartheid embargoes.

Thus, the first wine route, the "Stellenbosch Wine Route," was created in 1973, and in the same year, the controlled designation of origin "Wine of Origin" was introduced by affixing a guarantee seal to the bottle.
After the liberation of Nelson Mandela, new impetus emerged for additional investments in viticulture. Better barrels and modern wine cellars.

Viticulture

The Wine of Origin was established in 1973. This wine legislation was created to improve the quality and uniformity of South African wines. Among other things, European legislation was taken into account due to the emerging export to Europe, and a clear framework was created to which wineries had to conform. The Wine & Spirit Board exercises oversight of the Wine of Origin.

Some important provisions of the Wine of Origin are:

  • When the name of the grape is stated on the label, at least 851 TP3T of the wine must be from that grape variety.
  • If the vintage year is stated, at least 85% of the wine must come from that vintage. Moreover, all quality wines state a vintage year on the label.
  • The consumer receives a guarantee of the label's accuracy through a certified seal. The seal provides absolute assurance that all information on the label is correct and that the wine was of good quality during the inspection. Every wine receiving this seal has been checked for grape variety, vintage, and origin.
  • The wines are also tasted by a panel for unacceptable faults and undergo chemical analysis. If the wine is approved, it receives a seal. Each seal has a unique number with a track and trace back to the vineyard.

The wine regions

The classification of wine regions in South Africa differs from the AOC areas in France, for example, which are more familiar to us. Here, it is referred to as a place of origin. Four possible appellations of origin are recognized.

  •  “Estate”. This is the smallest appellation. The wines from this estate are designated with the name “estate wine”. The condition is, of course, that the wine must come from a single estate with its own production and vineyards; for comparison with France, for example, AOC Margaux. Often, these are not supermarket wines….
  • The “Ward”. A ward is a collection of several different domains and is usually part of a district. When defining the Wards, strict requirements regarding terroir, climate, and ecological factors were applied to produce wines of exceptional character. Examples of wards are Constantia and Franschhoek. By way of comparison with France, for example, Haut-Médoc. This therefore contains multiple Estates.
  • A “district” is a third place of origin. The same criteria apply to a district as to a Ward, but the area is much larger, leading to greater diversity. Examples of a district are Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Robertson. By way of comparison with France, for example, Médoc.
  • a “region” is a fourth and final designation of origin, such as Coastal Region. A region is a combination of districts or parts of districts. This gives the producer the opportunity to make wines from grapes originating from various districts and still assign a designation of origin. By way of comparison with France, for example, Bordeaux.

Overview Ward, District, Regions

An overview of the classification of the wine regions:

Region District Ward
Breede River Valley Worcester
  • Nuy
  • Goudini
  • Snake corner
  • Scherpenheuvel
  • At the Thorns
Robertson
  • McGregor
  • Klaasvoogds
  • Vink River
  • Eilandia
  • Boesmans River
  • Agterkliphoogte
  • The Hunter
  • Hoops River
  • Bonnievale
Swellendam
  • Buffalo hunts
Coastal Region Tullbagh
Paarl
  • Wellington
  • French Corner
Swartland
  • Riebeekberg
  • Green Gorge
  • Durbanville
  • Constantia
Stellenbosch
  • Simonsberg
  • Jonkershoek
Little Karoo
  • Montagu
  • Tradouw
Elephant River
  • Spray drift
  • Cookie monkey
  • Lutzville Valley
  • Vredendal
Piketberg
  • Cederberg
  • Orange River
Overberg
  • Walker Bay
  • Elgin
  • Andalusia
Douglas
  • Ruiterbosch

Terroir & Climate

South Africa has a mild Mediterranean climate. Even though the sun is in the sky all summer, a cool breeze from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans ensures a cooled ground and average temperatures in the afternoon and evening.

Artificial irrigation is recommended for most wine producers if they want to get through the dry period (from November to March). The wineries from Constantia are an exception to this. With warm summers and mild winters, frost rarely occurs in South Africa.
However, climates can vary by region due to the proximity of mountains or the sea. The most suitable climate for producing elegant and fresh wines from cool-climate grapes, such as Pinot Noir, can be found in Elgin, for example, where warm air collides with the mountains, subsequently rises, and condenses in colder upper air. For this reason, a cloud cover forms in the afternoon, causing temperatures to drop.

Grape varieties

Around 70 grape varieties are permitted under Wine of Origin legislation. The name of the grape may be stated on the label if it is at least 85%.

The most important grape varieties for red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage (the quintessential South African grape variety), and Merlot. In addition, Shiraz is also on the rise.

For white wines, think of Chenin Blanc (locally also called Steen), Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

The rating of wijnclubamsterdam.nl/ at WebwinkelKeur Reviews is 4.9/5 based on 54 reviews.