South African Wine

South Africa has a long and illustrious history when it comes to winemaking, which began with the first vines planted in the Cape of Good Hope in 1655 by the Dutch settlers. Each new wave of culture that came to South Africa after them made their own unique contribution to wine production, from the German Settlers who taught how to create sweet wines from grapes like Muscat and Chenin Blanc, to French Huguenots introducing methods such as cooling cellars for fermenting whites. Today, South African wines span a whole range of styles and quality levels; there are crisp white blends for every taste, full bodied reds crafted from classic varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage, as well as distinctively spicy Shiraz made with intense passion. The ancient soil and vineyards of South Africa continue a near half-millennium winemaking tradition with great pride.