350 years of winemaking in South Africa

Most people call South Africa a "new world" wine producer, and in a way it is. But it is by far the OLDEST of the new world wine regions, and has just had its 350th anniversary of winemaking. The first grapevines were planted in the Cape of Good Hope (now Cape Town) after the establishment of a colony there in 1656 to serve as a stopping place for traders/travelers between the East Indies and Europe. The first grapes were pressed in 1659, and the settlers quickly realized how ideal the growing conditions were in this part of the world. Napoleon and Marie Antoinette reportedly used to enjoy South African wines, especially the dessert wines of the Constantia region. So, this is not your typical "New World" wine region.

Now the world is increasingly recognizing the wines and other attractions of beautiful South Africa. See two new articles in the last month from the New York Times on SA wines and the joys of visiting the Cape:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/dining/reviews/21wine.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/travel/22capetown.html?ref=travel

Vineyards in Franschhoek, South Africa

The next posting will feature some fabulous SA wines that are available in the USA!