South Africa is known for stellar wines, but you knew that already.

According to the latest data from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) list of world’s biggest wine producers, our recent drought woes have caused us to slip slightly in the rankings, although we still cracked the top 10.

Don’t stress too much – while the quantity of wine produced has decreased, the quality of the wine produced is actually higher.

News24 reported back in March that the grapes – or berries as they’re called in the business – are smaller, better quality, and packed with more flavour.

According to Anton Smuts, chair of Vinpro, which represents around 3 500 wine producers, the smaller grapes produce better quality wine.

“The smaller berry has less weight and that usually gives rise to better quality. There is a lot of flavour in the husks, or skins, and the smaller the ratio between husks and juice, usually the higher the quality,” Smuts said.

In other words, if there’s a silver lining to the drought it’s the incredible wines that we’ll be enjoying in the next year or so.

Back to the OIV. BusinessTech reports that South Africa dropped from being the eighth biggest wine producer in the world to the ninth.

The table below outlines the top 15:

Quality over quantity.

Something to look forward to is the wine that this crop will yield from winemakers like Anthonij Rupert Wyne, who already produce some of the best terroir specific wines in the country.

Each site offers optimum varietal specific growing conditions, allowing Anthonij Rupert Wyne to adhere to the requirements of their different brands.

The Protea Shiraz, for example, is made from grapes that are specially selected from the Groenekloof ward in the Darling area, and also from the Swartland area.

These areas are unique for their warm days and cool nights. This, together with the deep red soils, shows beautifully in the wine as a mix between dark and red fruit flavours, good concentration, and a soft juicy tannin structure.

To try it, paired with delectable local and international charcuterie, check out the Shiraz & Charcuterie Festival, taking place at the picturesque Anthonij Rupert Wyne Estate in Franschhoek later this month.

Worth every drop – and with the new smaller berried crops, likely to get better and better.

[sources:news24&businesstech]