A rethink of our wine classification system may be a good idea. Can we learn elsewhere?

With the fights (and scandals) around and about (the multitude of money-driven) competitions turning South African wine culture into nothing more than a commodity-driven exercise, a relook at our official rules and regulations, definitions and descriptions, may be worthwhile.

Once the pride of the industry and quite pioneering, the Wine-of-origin scheme, introduced in 1973, has had so many ups and mostly downs (and silly debates) while being ‘adjusted’ to the literal and figuratively changing Cape wine landscape, it seems to offer very little succour these days. Does anyone really care anymore? Winelovers, I mean. Just how foolish is an origin classified as ‘Western Cape’?

A look at recent developments in the booming Austrian industry is quite an eye-opener. The small wine-producing country having had to climb out of a deep hole after a scandal now 25 years ago, has meticulously developed a system that puts every accent on that word ‘origin’. And it is paying huge dividends for the smallest producer.

What makes the Austrian system work so well is that it is driven by producer consensus, and implemented step by step, from the bottom up. Regional committees advise and decide and then the process is driven up to government level for legislation.

Recently, for example, the Weinviertel region introduced a reserve level (or ‘tier’) to the established Austrian DAC (‘Districtus Austriae Controllatus’) appellation for wines representative of a region. (Other DAC regions are Mittelburgenland, Traisental, Kremstal, Kamptal, Leithaberg and Eisenberg). The regional committee decided that a Weinviertel DAC Reserve level wine “must demonstrate a clear, region-typical taste profile – it must be a peppery Grüner Veltliner from the Weinviertel. But it also must have other distinguishing features: dry; a dense structure; a long finish and a robust style.” Four out of six tasters must agree to the classification. It works in Austria - and it sells their wine.

Until 1990, South Africa’s official Wine and Spirit Board could award a wine a ‘Superior’ classification in the form of a pretty golden ‘bus ticket’. The demise of that was the direct result of industry cat fights and typical, systemic local vinous obstreperousness. (Platter Guide 1990 - the one with the funny cover - makes fascinating reading on this: page 34. The first one, 1981, was very positive about the ‘Superior’ idea.)

Despite the complaints, there were many excellent wines that carried that golden sticker, and there is no doubt that those played a positive part in the developing industry.

Is it such a wild idea to suggest that one can revisit the idea of a ‘superior’ or ‘reserve’ regional classification (bearing in mind the Austrian accent on typicity) - reached by consensus in regional tastings by experts?