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.
Roussane is a white grape variety, planted on an area of more than 700 ha. Originally from Montélimar, it is also found in Savoie, Languedoc and Roussillon, and grows very well in calcareous, poor, stony soil. It prefers to be pruned short. Roussane is also called fromenteau, barbin or bergeron. The young leaves are bubbled with fine down. When adult, they become thicker. It flowers in June and matures in mid-September. The grapes are cylindrical in shape, the berries are small and turn red when ripe, and the wine produced from pure Roussane is of extraordinary quality. It has a delicate aroma reminiscent of coffee, honeysuckle, iris and peony. The taste of this wine improves with age. It is part of the blend of the appellations Vin-de-Savoie, Côtes-du-Vallée du Rhône or Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
sweet wines from the region of Western Cape go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, lean fish or fruity desserts such as recipes of pasta with vongoles (flat clams), pan-fried swordfish with herbs or grandma's cherry clafoutis.
On the nose in the region of Western Cape often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, marzipan or caramel and sometimes also flavors of almonds, orange or nutty. In the mouth in the region of Western Cape is a powerful with a good balance between acidity and sweetness.
Shirakawa 1958 is the only official single malt bottling from the demolished distillery, and is also said to be the earliest single vintage Japanese whisky bottled to date, although part of its back story remains shrouded in mystery. The whisky was distilled at the Shirakawa distillery, located 200km north of Tokyo, in 1958, and survived an era when Shirakawa’s malt whisky was almost all used in owner Takara Shuzo’s flagship ‘King’ blend. Shirakawa was opened in Fukushima Prefecture by previous ...
Prospective students from around the world can apply for the new MSc course in sustainable wine tourism and gastronomy, beginning in the 2022 academic year, said the School of Wine & Spirits Business. Based in Dijon, a short distance from the heart of the Côte d’Or’s famous vineyards, the institution is part of the Burgundy School of Business (BSB). It said the MSc in sustainable wine tourism and gastronomy will be taught in English and reflects ‘strong demand from companies for ...
Police raids in Jiangsu province uncovered more than 8,000 bottles of counterfeit Penfolds wines as part of a larger anti-fraud investigation spanning several regions of China, reported the Vino-Joy publication, citing local media. A workshop suspected of producing imitation Penfolds wines was also discovered, alongside and tens of thousands of other items, from packaging to trademark logos. Six people were arrested, the publication said. Australia’s Penfolds has a long-standing and strong reput ...
