Calitzdorp: a good port of call 2 May 2007

The region might be arid and inhospitable, the port producers and their wines are anything but, as Angela Lloyd discovered on a recent visit to this Klein Karoo town

The End. This phrase - both words receiving equal emphasis - announced the conclusion of anything from a TV programme to a bedtime story to the evening meal when I was a child. Regrettably, the evening meal in those days did not conclude with a glass of port and good conversation!

South African ports have come a long way in the last twenty years and if the above scenario typifies the way port is enjoyed, it should certainly not be the only one. A well-chilled glass of white port, sipped as the sun slides behind a dramatic mountain backdrop with a fish eagle streaking across the dam below makes a pretty good start to an evening.

This was just one opportunity offered to a small group of media by the hospitable port producers of Calitzdorp (now affectionately known as Calitzporters!) over a recent weekend. The purpose was to show how far they've come, the works in progress, and to drum up interest in this year's Port Festival in July). 

The success of this event holds a lesson about marketing for many other regions; that the area has been dubbed the port capital of South Africa has as much to do with the residents' efforts as a group (all pulling together, nota bene) to promote the area as with the quality of the wines themselves. The town's isolation (it's five hours east of Cape Town) might be an incentive for co-operation, but genuine enthusiasm is the driving force.

So to the wines: it is encouraging to be able to list not only white but Ruby, Tawny (of different ages), Vintage and Vintage Reserve in the Calitzporters Port-folio. All are preceded by the local descriptor ‘Cape', though with the EU agreement at deadlock over other wine industry names, the exchange of euros for names appears less certain than it did - but let's not go there now! We tasted examples of each from around the area; all of a standard that shows year-on-year improvement.

A tasting of Portuguese ports from the house of Niepoort a few days later (these wines will soon be discussed elsewhere on this website) confirmed one of the more noticeable differences lies in the Portuguese wines' greater spirited and spirity grip; the spirit in the local fortified versions is smoother, more aged brandy than young and vigorous. Boets Nel of De Krans and Carel Nel of Boplaas agree that the Portuguese use less refined spirit, and they are exploring the possibility of getting something along the same lines available here. Nevertheless, it doesn't hinder the local vintage wines from aging well; 1997 De Krans Vintage Reserve is going very strong a decade on - as any self-respecting vintage port should, mind you!

Well, that's The End and The Beginning accounted for – though if your taste is to start with a glass of sauvignon blanc, no problem. Boplaas 2007 sauvignon, blended from Darling and Langkloof grapes, is everything an enticingly fresh, flavoursome sauvignon should be; we made a sizeable dent in it over this last weekend of summer. Now with The Middle being attended to, the Calitzdorp producers are aiming to cover all bases.

Unfortified wines too 

Much of today's excitement in the international world of wine is centred on Portuguese red table wines, especially those from the Duoro. Port varieties such as touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta roriz and tinta cao among many other locals go into these wines. A selection of Niepoort table wines sampled at the above Port tasting showed fresh fragrance, pure spice, clean lines and fine tannins - not at all ‘porty', which is a problem the Nels have found.

For this reason, in their wines touriga nacional presently represents the Port varieties, accompanied by lesser quantities of cabernet and/or merlot. Far from this approach producing Bordeaux blend look-alikes, the wines have a real touch of individuality. Boplaas Ring of Rocks 2006 (touriga with 30% each merlot and cabernet sauvignon) and De Krans Red Stone 2005 (touriga with 30% cab) allow the port grape's enticing fragrance and delicate spicy flavours centre stage; alcohols are moderate, around 13.5% and the wines are accessible, even at this early age. Several producers also bottle a varietal touriga; at under R40 these have to be the bargains of the year and great partners to Portuguese dishes.

No one pretends this new direction remains anything more than a journey rather than a destination, nonetheless it's a development with much potential and one to be watched.

Talking of travelling, make the journey to destination Calitzdorp, whether this July or any time; there'll be no regrets.

• The Calitzdorp Port Festival takes place from 20-22 July. Visit the Festival website for more information