Pinot Noir, the greatest and most temperamental wine grape in the world, has flourished in various wine regions in South Africa. South African Pinot Noir wines are admired and loved by wine connoisseurs for their ability to age, complex aromas and flavours, and tremendous food-pairing versatility.
The history Pinot Noir in South Africa
Pinot Noir found its earliest South African champion in Abraham Izak Perold, professor of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University, who imported the Swiss BK5 Pinot Noir clone into South Africa. Professor Perold would go on to describe the Pinot Noir South Africa grape as “a wine of high quality, beautifully coloured, strong, full-bodied wine with an excellent bouquet.” The first Pinot Noir was planted on Muratie Wine Estate on the advice of Professor Perold.
Pinot Noir found its way into the modern South African wine era in the form of a tax break. Tim Hamilton Russell ran a successful advertising agency in Johannesburg and turned to farming to offset his personal income. Tim’s wine mentor was Desiderius Pongrácz, who was obsessed with finding new vinicultural sites despite the strict quota laws. He convinced Tim to buy Hamilton Russell Vineyards in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
There are currently 1200ha of Pinot Noir in South Africa, making up 1.5% of the total plantings in the country.
Pinot Noir in the vineyard
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest wine grape varieties with a history dating back to the first century. The name ‘Pinot Noir’ is derived from the French words for ‘pine’ and ‘black’. The reference to a pine tree alludes to the pinecone-like shape of the grape bunches, while the reference to the colour black is an acknowledgment that the Pinot family also has white and grey variants called Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. The existence of these variants is a result of the relative genetic instability of Pinot Noir, which makes it susceptible to mutation.
Pinot Noir in the cellar
Pinot Noir wines are light to medium bodied wines with fine tannins. They have a lighter colour than other red wines due to the thinner grape skins with lower tannin content compared to other black grape varieties.
Wine made from Pinot Noir tend to have aromas reminiscent of cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, raspberry, strawberry, and many other small red berry fruits. These fruity aromas are often accompanied by a flowery perfume consisting of the scents of violets and roses. Maturation in oak barrels adds caramel, clove, spice, and vanilla aromas, assisting with the transformation of softer tannins. Some styles of Pinot Noir can also develop farmyard, forest floor, mushroom, and other savoury aromas that contribute to the complexity of the wine.
South African Pinot Noir red wine is perfect for many food pairings due to its delicate nature and red berry profile. The wine matches well with most chicken, duck, fish, pork, sushi, and vegetarian dishes.
South African Pinot Noir production areas
South Africa’s diversity in terroir, combined with the skills of local viticulturists and winemakers, allows for the production of some of the best Pinot Noir wines in the world.
Walker Bay
Walker Bay, which includes the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, is home to many established Pinot Noir producers. Much of Walker Bay’s successful Pinot Noir production is a result of the cold Benguela current which exposes the grapes to cooling temperatures.
Pinot Noir producing wineries in the Walker Bay include:
Benguela Cove Wine Estate
Bouchard Finlayson Winery
Creation Wines
Domaine Des Dieux
Kat Se Snor Wines
La Vierge Wines
PaardenKloof Winery
Seven Springs Winery
Spookfontein Wines
The Brew Cru
Walker Bay Wine Estate
Whalehaven Winery
Elgin
Elgin is situated in the Overberg region of South Africa and is circled by mountains. Historically renowned for apple and pear orchards, it is increasingly famous for the production of high-quality Pinot Noir wines.
