History and Wine Law Flashcards
(33 cards)
What cooperative dominated the wine industry in South Africa during Apartheid?
The KWV
Who started the Constantia estate?
Simon van der Stel - South Africa’s first govener
What is a kloof in South Africa?
A valley or canyon
What was South Africa’s response to economic hardship in the winemaking industry in the early 20th century?
The development of Cooperatives to streamline production and centralize resources
How did the KWV operate?
What were some of the effects of its rules?
Mainly it oversaw contracts between growers and co-ops.
Established min mandatory pricing for grapes and, in response to overcropping, also set production maximums.
Each vineyard had to have a government issues quota to operate and they almost completely stopped issuing them after 1970, which froze South Africa’s viticulture in the mid 1900s
Did apartheid help or hurt the KWV?
Helped them. Wine farms were almost exclusively owned by white Afrikaners and the KWV had close ties to the National Party which came to power and formalizes apartheid in 1948
Why was getting new plant material in South Africa effectively impossible in the 60s and 70s?
Cumbersome bureaucracy and strict quarantine laws. It was almost impossible to smuggle in suitcase clones because the KWV had such rigorous accounting keeping
What was the response to the vine smuggling activities of Danie de Wet and Peter Finlayson?
An investigation was launched, but ultimately the KWV began to relax its quarantine laws and in 1986 the Vine Improvement Association was founded
Who was Timothy Hamilton Russell?
He acted against the KWV by establishing two new Pinot Noir vineyards in the cool coastal region of Hemel-en-Aarde in the late 1970s. He had no government quota so these vineyards were illegal, but he made very good wine!
What was the eventual response to Timothy Hamilton Russel’s actions?
The KWV decreed that unused quotas could be purchase or transferred to other farms
What marked the end of apartheid?
South Africa’s first non-racial democratic election in 1994
Who started the Old Vine Registry in South Africa? When?
Rosa Kruger in 2002
Does the KWV still exist today?
Yes, but as a private company since 1997
What two oceans bracket South Africa?
The Atlantic and Indian
What cold current comes up from Antarctica on the Atlantic coast?
The Banguela Current
What intense wind blows in from the South East in South Africa?
The Cape Doctor
What is unique about the soils of South Africa?
The country has been geologically stable for millennia, so the soils are relatively simple and old
What are the primarily soil types found in South Africa?
Granite capped by sandstone and quartz scattered throughout with pockets of slate and shale
What grape varietal enjoyed a near monopoly in South African vineyards during the 1800s?
Semillon
What are the 5 most planted white varietals of South Africa?
Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc ,Chardonnay, and Hanepoot (Muscat of Alexandria)
How old must vines be in order to wear the OVP’s certified vineyard seal?
Farms where the average vine age is over 35yrs
What is Champagne Method sparkling wine in South Africa called?
Méthod Cap Classique
What is the minimum aging requirement for MCC?
12 months of the lees
What are the sweetness levels for MCC?
Brut - less than 12g rs
Extra Brut - less than 6g rs
Brut Nature - less than 3g rs
