Stellenbosch Wine Region

Description of South Africa’s premier wine region

Daniel Hoey
Publisher, All About The Grape

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of mountains, rivers and oak trees, the climate in Stellenbosch consists of hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Stellenbosch lies at the foot of the Cape Fold mountain range, which gives it favorable soil for vineyards.

Stellenbosch Wine Region

Pinotage, a 1920s Cape crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, is the national specialty and has a very distinctive, sometimes slightly burnt flavor; wine experts are divided on whether or not it has the potential to make great wine.  While Pinotage remains the most produced wine varietal, in recent years Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon is gaining an international reputation as a fine wine.  Merlot and Shiraz are also produced here, and among white wines Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are most notable.

The wine route in Stellenbosch has been divided into 5 sub-routes, and each makes for an enjoyable wine touring experience.  Stellenbosch wine country has been described by famed Master of Wine Jancis Robinson as “the most dramatically beautiful in the world.”

The basics of decanting old and young red wines.

Decanting has two purposes: The first is to remove the sediment from a wine, and the second is allowing the wine to breathe. This typically applies to red wines as white wines do not usually need to be decanted.

Learn About the Grape with winemaker Matthew Loso

We were in Walla Walla, Washington right after a harvest that was sped along dramatically by a frost the previous week. I met with Matthew Loso, award-winning Washington state winemaker, and talked with him about harvest – the “crush”.

Top Ten Wine Destinations for 2012

Where people are planning to wine tour and taste in the coming year

A recent survey of U.S. respondents found 48 percent planned to visit a U.S. vineyard in 2012. The top ten planned destinations were:

How to Pair Wine with Chicken

When pairing wine with food, it is much more critical that you think about the sauce than the particular kind of meat. For example, because chicken is a light white meat...