Plus a controversial suggestion about appellation rules

From Ori Berkowitz:
I'm not one for the vagueries of terroir when the ultimate expression of quality and personality really boils down to climate common sense. I was wondering, though, whether there are certain regions, for the consumer's sake, that one could rely on for good Cab for instance or Merlot or any varietal. And then, if we can assume, that quality wine emerges from ward X or region Y, then surely there is some merit in an appellation system here that insists on what can be grown where, or at least what can be sold or certified? This from an Easter investigating wines from Elgin and being very disappointed. The ward really has become everyone's parade ground and all the wines are unimpressive or, at the very least, not living up to the opinion that the region is some cool climate holy grail.

Wow! That's an idea: start having rules like the French do, just as many of them are looking with envy at the New World's freedom. Anyone have any suggestions about whether there are any areas that are particulalry reliable for any particular variety/style? The obvious ones, I suppose, are Constantia for sauvignon blanc and semillon, Elgin also for sauvignon, the Helderberg for cab franc. To which  I would add the Swartland for shiraz and shiraz-based blends. But I'd hate to see Buitenverwachting not allowed to make their red blend Christine! And I wonder if Ori is being fair to Elgin? Angela Lloyd was very positive in a recent article about Oak Valley, for just one producer, and I reckon there are a few others that are making wines that should impress.
– Tim James

From Karl Lambour (winemaker at Constantia Glen):
I was present at the first co-ordinated get together of the Elgin producers held at Andrew Gunn's beautiful residence on Iona.  My mind does not, however, recall the date - somewhere between my final year at University and my first year at The Bergkelder.  I was, and still am in a lesser way, a chenin blanc fan and suggested at the meeting that a cool climate chenin might be a good thing.  One of the winemakers from the area shot the suggestion down and also suggested that appellation criteria be established for the Elgin area as soon as possible to stop indiscriminate plantings of varieties less suited to the area. I do not think that this has happened. Tim’s comments on the sauvignon blanc and semillon in the Constantia area are most valid.  In my first harvest in the area I have also been privy to greater understanding of red varieties and their adaptation to the cooler interpretation of the Cape climate. With monitoring techniques available to us now I believe that red grapes are better understood. And I must echo your sentiments about the Christine, it is a thing of great beauty!

From Angela Lloyd:
While I understand Ori's frustration - without agreeing about his assessment of Elgin; perhaps his expectations are unrealistically high: he shouldn't forget that South Africa is still near the bottom of the learning curve about which varieties grow well where. Victoria Carey and her colleagues at Stellenbosch University might have started to take the guesswork out of the equation with their identification of natural terroir units in Stellenbosch but even this gives no guarantee that the wine itself will be of world-beating quality.

This is just as true in regions where varieties have been restricted, such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. We might view the Lafites and Romanée Contis as worldclass benchmarks, but they are cream on top, underneath lies a wealth of ordinary wine as well as much rubbish.  Just think what the Bordelais would be missing out on if it transpired riesling could make worldclass wines in that region! Would Ori deny them that just ‘for the consumer's sake'?

That said, what quality ultimately comes down to (even allowing that matching of soil/climate to variety here is now much better understood and implemented) is the hand of man (which doesn't imply I discount the notion of terroir!). Just as the producer is important when choosing a Bordeaux or Burgundy, so it is when choosing a South African wine, whether from Elgin, Stellenbosch or Constantia.

I queried in my article on Oak Valley how well the concept of quality is understood – and guess not very well as far as wine is concerned. As much as there are some excellent winemakers in South Africa, too many are average, turning out average wine. This is, of course, true throughout the world. So I would urge Ori to search out the great producers, regardless of where they source their fruit; in this way, he's less likely to be disappointed.