Altydgedacht winemaker Oliver Parker says their barbera was planted in the late 1920s by his grandfather primarily to go into the port - but it was also sold unbottled to some merchants, and to members of the large Italian community in the Durbanville area, who would have recognised barbera as one of Italy's most-planted (especially in Piedmont) black grapes. In 1981, after a few decades during which the grapes were sold rather than processed on the farm, Altydgedacht began making wine again, including Tintoretto, a 50/50 blend of shiraz and barbera. Ten years later came the estate's Barbera - the Cape's first single-Italian-variety wine.

Parker values the link, to a grandfather he never knew, provided by the estate's nine hectares of barbera. He also acknowledges its role as a 'USP' - unique selling point. 'In 1991, it felt right to come onto the market with something different, special', he says. 'Barbera made us stand out from the crowd then, and it continues to do so today.'

Point of difference is exactly what Bernhard Veller at Nitida Cellars is seeking with the southern Italian variety negroamaro he intends planting shortly. So too is ever-innovative Fairview, currently exploring barbera, nebbiolo and sangiovese. (To add further Italian flavour it is seeking official permission to re-label the Zinfandel as Primitivo.) Marketing manager Jeremy Borg says Fairview continually seeks to broaden its spectrum of raw material, while still carefully matching plantings to terroir. 'I appreciate the savoury, dry finish of Italian varieties', he says. 'But I also value their affinity with Mediterranean food, the excitement they bring to a wine range, and their ability to produce medium-bodied wines which ripen fully in warm viticultural areas to produce wines with lower alcohols than some of the current mix grown locally.'

Pieter Ferreira of Graham Beck Wine's Robertson cellar was drawn to sangiovese - the great grape of Tuscany, best known for its starring role in the Chianti blend - because of the challenge of producing it in a warm area, and its potential for adding complexity to existing wines or making a range more interesting. The vineyard, just outside Robertson, was planted in 1999 and has undergone some experimentation with different vine-training methods, aimed at curbing too-vigorous growth. Ferreira is amazed by the way the grapes retain a natural high acidity, sufficient to need no acidification - rare in Robertson!

He finds the grape temperamental, however. And its tannic structure demands that 'you have to really respect its fruit and strictly monitor your oaking regime' - a combination of second- and third-fill French and American barrels seems to be working well. 'In the future, I will source barrels from an Italian cooper in Italy and mature the sangiovese in these for a home-grown Italian touch - a real Italian pinch on the bum, perhaps', he chuckles.

Terra del Capo was the baby of the late Anthonij Rupert, who had a vision of a locally grown range of Italy's leading varieties. The Sangiovese is made at Rupert-owned L'Ormarins in Franschhoek. The team there agrees with Ferreira about sangiovese's vigour, but does not find it posing too many problems in the cellar - except for colour extraction. To help here, some 15-20% of the juice is drawn off the Terra del Capo, and it is cold-soaked on its skins before fermentation.

Nebbiolo, undoubtedly one of the world's great grapes, is notoriously difficult to grow outside its native Piedmont, where it is the single variety used in the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. In Constantia, Steenberg Vineyards is brave enough to bottle a varietal Nebbiolo, and winemaker John Loubser uses Ferreira's word 'temperamental': 'You treat Italian varieties the same way you treat a temperamental Italian - gently. Nebbiolo burns easily yet doesn't naturally produce a very vegetative canopy. In Piedmont they use table-grape trellising systems to provide the grapes with maximum shade; in Constantia we've modified the trellis system to encourage shoots to hang over the grapes to provide extra cover. It is also very sensitive to wind during fruit-set, so you can imagine, given the Cape weather, that yields are inconsistent - in 2001, for example, we harvested nine tons per hectare compared to 2.5 tons in 2002.'

Most of Steenberg's Nebbiolo goes to Britain; in years when there is some to spare it is also sold locally, but Loubser believes it only appeals to serious winedrinkers who know what to expect: 'Low colour, tart and tannic wines are not your average consumer's cup of tea - but you'd have to go far to find a better food wine!' he claims.

For dedicated lover of pinot noir Peter Finlayson of Bouchard Finlayson, his Italian blend Hannibal is the answer to a question that has been beleaguring him for many years: Why should Cape wines appeal to Europeans conditioned to a different taste profile? 'My own experience with Italian wines relates back to my first trip to Europe on the cruise liner Africa in 1975', he explains. 'During the trip to Europe my preference was for South African red wines, while on the return trip after eight months abroad I preferred the Italian reds on offer. my exposure to other wines on the continent of Europe had created a cultural palate change.'

The Cape's first commercial plantings of nebbiolo and sangiovese were made at Bouchard Finlayson in 1994. Experimen-tal wine-making showed, however, that perfecting the art of styling these cultivars required some accommodation. Finlayson found this challenging. 'Sangiovese is not unlike pinot noir in its challenges. Depending on location, it also can be a wine without resolve, but given the right clay terroir and the same attention as pinot noir, it's a different experience. When it works, it is exciting and delicious!' The initial intention was to bottle the two varieties separately, but Finlayson's experiences of the test batches revealed that a blend offered more. A little barbera is also added - with some French influence on the Italian base coming from pinot noir and mourvèdre.

Our search for Italian varieties in South Africa unearthed a mere dozen wines - vastly fewer than would be found in either Australia or California. More are already on the horizon, however. In Somerset West, Morgenster is experimenting with nebbiolo and sangiovese; and there will be negroamaro on the hills of Durbanville.... In Stellenbosch, Mon-terosso (with Italian name, and Italian famiglia in control) already has sangiovese in the cellar, for release within a year or two.

TASTING NOTES

A dozen Cape wines with Italian red varieties were poured for retailer and Italian wine aficionado Caroline Rillema (Caroline's Fine Wines surely has the best and largest selection of Italian wines in the country), and Meerlust winemaker, Giorgio Dalla Cia. Many of the wines were 'works in progress', so we did not ask for scores - but, rather, comments on typicity and potential.

Poderi Aldo Conterno Barbera d'Alba 1998
From a top producer in Piedmont (pulled from Caroline's shelves), this had the lighter colour, sharper acid and subdued fruit associated with cooler viticultural regions but the 13.5% alcohol indicated ripeness. Nearly five years old, it was showing some fatigue, but was still balanced and delicate.

Woolworths (Merwida Winery) Barbera 2003 (sample)
This Breede River wine is bottled exclusively for Woolworths, as was the maiden 2002. While Caroline found the aromas not overtly barbera, the palate had characteristic dry tannins, a fresh acidity balanced by a touch of sugar, and a typical clean, short finish. Giorgio, however, felt the grapes were over-ripe, and found a shortage of acidity.

Fairview Barbera 2003 (sample)
This highly coloured wine was praised for its focused fruit and sweet-and-sour finish but criticised for its high acid. Giorgio predicts it could be 'stunning' if allowed to go through softening malolactic fermentation.

Altydgedacht Estate Barbera 2001
Still youthful, this wine showed better what Cape vineyards can do. Ripe grapes contributed to a pleasant vinosity combining well with bitter cherry notes. Nevertheless, Giorgio felt this was not the best example he'd had from this pioneering producer.

Altydgedacht Estate Barbera 2000
'A pleasure to drink' was the consensus. The bloom of youth gone, but still fruity (black cherries) and meaty on the nose with, said Giorgio, characteristic 'black truffle' notes. Refreshing acidity.

Graham Beck Sangiovese 2003 (sample)
This is the second vintage from a five-year old, low-yielding two-hectare vineyard on Red Karoo soil. Abundant black cherries battle it out with coffee/char aromas. Caroline found it well-balanced, but for Giorgio work and time is needed to tame the woody flavours and enliven the fruit.

Fairview Sangiovese 2003 (sample)
Wonderful deep colour and fruit with a slight garlic pong (from recent malolactic fermentation, suggests Giorgio). The acidity too high and the palate slightly lean, was the verdict on this unfinished wine.

Terra del Capo Sangiovese 2000
The wine stayed on its skins for nine days after fermentation, and then went into oak barrels (75% French, 25% American) for malolactic fermentation. One of Caroline's favourites; she believes it will improve further with bottle age. Its garnet colour were right for its age and variety; an earthy, farmyard nose, and a cleansing astringency.

Steenberg Vineyards Nebbiolo 2002
Characteristic pale hue, with a faint bouquet of roses and a dry, lean palate. British wine writer Oz Clarke enthused that the 2001 was the best non-Italian nebbiolo he had tasted. Giorgio wanted the 2002 to be more intense on all levels - he thinks this will come as Steenberg's young vines age.

Fairview Nebbiolo 2003 (sample)
We were warned that this wine is very much an experiment and unlikely to be bottled, as it is from exceptionally young vines, and too acidic and lean for the Fairview team's taste. Caroline agreed, finding the wine dilute and lacking nebbiolo typicity.

Waterford Petit Verdot/Barbera 2003 (sample)
Predominantly from petit verdot, with only a touch of barbera, this wine had just been blended when tasted. Praised for its structure, and excellent potential. Giorgio suggested more time in barrel to soften and round the tannins - the wine is in second-fill French oak doing just that.

Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal 2001
Sangiovese comprises 67% of this wine (pinot noir 15%, mourvèdre 9%, nebbiolo 6%, barbera 3%). It spent 18 months in mostly older French oak barrels. Floral notes as well as meatiness and tarriness, but most impressive were the balance, velvety texture and poised tannins. Should improve for many years in bottle.

Nederburg Private Bin 'Italian Blend' 2001
Comprising 70% sangiovese, 20% barbera and 10% nebbiolo, this wine was well received both at the Nederburg Auction last year and at other tastings. Certainly, it showed the sweet-and-sour cherry and high acidity of many Italian blends and had a long, balanced finished. Both tasters expressed some disappointment, Giorgio finding it a bit reductive and light-bodied.