2017 isn’t yet over, but that doesn’t mean it’s too soon to start getting your ducks in a row for next year.

Or, in this case, wine bottles.

According to MoneyWeb, the South African wine industry is “experiencing one of its most exciting phases in history”:

Overall wine quality has increased dramatically over the last five years, international recognition is at an all-time high and the consumer is now spoilt for choice, with a wealth of new producers, varieties and styles.

Though winery input costs have risen and the continued drought may mean a significant drop in yield, the battered rand has helped exports and aided profitability. South African wine offers tremendous value locally and abroad, but premium South African wines are surging in price, widening the gap to everyday beverage wines.

In light of this, fine wine merchant Roland Peens took a look at some emerging trends for 2018. Here are three you might appreciate:

1. Drought will affect prices

The drought in the Western Cape is set to severely impact yields in 2018, and as volumes of wines decrease, so costs will rise. Not only will entry-level price wines, such as The Wolftrap and Porcupine Ridge, “become more expensive as stocks are diminished and the drought continues,” but large volume wineries will have to operate at marginal profitability levels.

So get in there now as we’re not quite sure how long The Wolftrap will sell for the ridiculous price of around R40 at Checkers. It’s worth it.

2. Buy the great vintages. On en primeur if you can

Sure, you might have to stock up on your entry-level wines to save on those increasing prices next year, but you should also get in on buying premium wines like The Chocolate Block or Boekenhoutskloof:

Lower yields and smaller berries make for more concentrated and perhaps better quality wines. Farming and production costs will, however, continue to push SA’s premium wines up faster than inflation. With relatively small volumes for South Africa’s top wines, especially gaining huge international following, demand will be bigger than supply.

The Chocolate Block, for example, is a massive hit overseas and was recently reviewed by the UK’s Neil Bennett – here’s a snippet of what he had to say about the “complex blend”:

A lot of wines from South Africa are big single grape varieties so it is nice to come across not only a blend, but a fairly complex one at that. The main grape is Syrah, but it is given spice with both Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, and a twist with a few drops of both Cinsault and Viognier. The blend is changed each year by winemaker Marc Kent and the result is impressive. This is a big brooding wine, but one with surprising finesse. There are lots of deep red berries here but also spice and, yes, it is even a bit chocolatey.

And then there’s the Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2015 to consider. It got a 94/100 rating on Wine Mag:

South Africa’s old vines and their potential to produce wines of greatness is very much under discussion right now but Boekenhoutskloof have been working with old-vine Franschhoek Semillon since the late 1990s and its quality credentials are impeccable.

The 2015 is as good as ever. Noteworthy about this vintage is that the wine contains 3% Muscat as opposed to the fraction of Sauvignon Blanc which was added in the past. The Semillon, meanwhile, comes from three vineyards planted in 1902, 1936 and 1942 respectively. Maturation lasted 13 months in French oak, 90% new.

Oh, and watch out for the fine 2017 versions of these vintages as they get released. You can expect there to be strong demand to buy 2017 en primeur already in 2018, and you should get on board as early as you can.

And let’s quickly touch on getting your hands on South Africa’s rarest wine – read all that here.

3. Online retail boom

South Africa might still be behind in online retail (with mature markets like the US or UK buying five times more of all goods online than SA), but this is set to change. While you can buy each of the premium wines mentioned above on Wine Cellar – here – it is expected that new sites offering more options will be available sooner than we think:

It is great to peruse the bottles on a shelf, but expect lower prices online, more information, no lugging of heavy wine boxes, shopping in your nightie and of course, no parking issues….

Capiche?

Peens provided two more tips for next year – which you can read here.

In the mean time, stock up, because things are going to get gnarly in the not too distant future. Having a stockpile of wine to drown those sorrows will no doubt help the cause.

[source:moneyweb&cityam&winemag]