The Western Cape is home to the vast majority of the South African wine industry, and the country's two most famous wine regions, Stellenbosch and Paarl. The city of Cape Town serves as the epicenter of the Cape Winelands, a mountainous, biologically diverse area in the south-western corner of the African continent.
A wide variety of wines are produced here. Wines from the Shiraz and Pinotage">Pinotage grape varieties can be fresh and juicy or Full-bodied and gutsy.
The Western Cape's Elegant, ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon wines and Bordeaux Blends were at the vanguard as exports recommenced in the mid-1990s, while Burgundy-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Walker Bay are gaining global acclaim, and cool-climate style Sauvignon Blanc from Darling and Overberg is rivaling that made in any other New World country.
The Western Cape's wine regions stretch 300 kilomers (185 miles) from Cape Town to the Mouth of the Olifants River in the North, and 360km (220 miles) to Mossel Bay in the east. Areas under Vine are rarely more than 160km (100 miles) from the coast. Further inland, the influence of the semi-arid Great Karoo Desert takes over.
The climate can be cool and rainy (as in Cape Point and Walker Bay) but is more often than not Mediterranean in nature.
The Western Cape is littered with spectacular mountain ranges that form the Cape Fold belt. These are extremely important for viticulture across the whole region, contributing soils and mesoclimates ideal for the production of premium wines. Of particular importance are the Boland Mountains, which form the eastern border of the Coastal Region, and the Langeberg range, which separates the Breede River Valley from the Klein Karoo semi-desert.
Carménère is a grape variety of Bordeaux origin. It is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet. In France, it occupies only about ten hectares, but it is also grown in Chile, Peru, the Andes, California, Italy and Argentina. The leaves of the carmenere are shiny and revolute. Its berries are round and medium-sized. Carménère is susceptible to grey rot, especially in wet autumn. It can also be exposed to the risk of climatic coulure, which is why it is important to grow it on poor soil and in warm areas. Carménère is associated with an average second ripening period. This variety has only one approved clone, 1059. It can be vinified with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It produces a rich, highly coloured wine, which acquires character when combined with other grape varieties.
red wines from the region of Western Cape go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of chinese noodles with beef, moroccan tagine with lamb and cardoons or duck breast with goat cheese and local ham.
On the nose in the region of Western Cape often reveals types of flavors of cream, cherry or oaky and sometimes also flavors of smoke, butter or earthy. In the mouth in the region of Western Cape is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
