Press release: Old vines a special feature of the South African Wine Industry. – Old Vines Project
Press release: Old vines a…
Afrikaans version below
“An increased focus on South Africa’s old vines has accelerated an unprecedented interest from wine thought leaders around the world, in the country’s wine heritage and the industry itself, with wines made from fruit sourced from these heritage vines proving their mettle,” according to André Morgenthal of the Old Vine Project (OVP).
He says that membership of the OVP has grown by leaps and bounds from 10 members late last year, to over 40 as it currently stands, including a number of cooperative producers, with over 80% of old-vine wines represented within these systems. The popularity and rising interest in the OVP have also been seen first-hand at tastings in London and Canada, supported and organised by Wines of South Africa (WOSA), as well as locally at Klein Karoo Klassique and the US Woordfees.
The OVP was formally established in 2016 with seed funding from the Rupert Foundation, although the effort to document South Africa’s old vines was embarked on by viticulturist Rosa Kruger back in 2002. Named International Wine Personality of the Year at the 2018 International Wine Challenge in July, she’s still the driving force behind the project. Under her leadership, the Certified Heritage Seal was launched earlier in 2018, highlighting South Africa (as far as is known) as the first country to certify via a single industry body (SAWIS), vineyard blocks older than 35 years.
It is considered an important step in protecting old vines and has become a high-profile marketing strategy, setting a standard and establishing a new category, to highlight the depth of character evident in wines made from older vines.
International wine experts including Tim Atkin, Neal Martin and Jancis Robinson are ardent ambassadors of the project and have highlighted the exemplary wines produced from old South African vines. In addition, at the recent Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blanc Challenge most wines were sourced from older vineyards, indicative of the confidence SA producers have in old vine Chenin Blanc.
Tim Atkin, in the lead-up to the release of his 2018 South Africa Special Report during the CapeWine 2018 international wine trade show for South African wines from 12 to 14 September at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), states: “It’s no surprise to me that a significant number of my wines and winemakers of the year have an old vine connection, confirming how vital the Old Vine Project is to the South African wine industry and why the country’s heritage vineyards are so unique.”
In a recent report published on Vinous.com, Neal Martin noted that “South Africa has one big advantage over much of the New World…old vines.” His support for the OVP is underscored in a further comment that states: “Certainly, for readers just getting into South African wine, this project is well worth a look because it has given rise to many of the most positively reviewed wines in this report.”
Moreover, Morgenthal revealed that cutting-edge, old vine category pricing research in the retail sector, undertaken in a joint collaboration between Winetech, the University of Cape Town Graduate School Of Business (UCT GSB) and the University of Stellenbosch, revealed some exciting results. Co-authors Jonathan Steyn and Associate Professor David Priilaid, from UCT’s School of Management Studies, constructed a hedonic pricing model to answer the question of whether, to what extent and how wine price-setters in the supply chain prioritise old vine bottle cues, relative to more conventional extrinsic cues of worth.
Steyn said of the findings: “In addition to the contribution of established cues such as aggregate ratings, exemplar brands, prototypical varieties, and origin, our study confirmed that vine age contributes significantly to wine price.” He added: “The introduction of the Certified Heritage Seal is an important step and is likely to sharpen and further shape the category boundaries, globally. The sharpening of the value proposition through such objective criteria may inspire greater confidence amongst price-setters in the ability of old vine cues on wine labels and associated marketing to unlock further value. This is crucial in the current global competitive environment.”
In addition, research to investigate possible genetic influences to improved wine quality in old Pinotage vines has been conducted by Professor Johan Burger at the University of Stellenbosch. His team compared both gene expression levels and total microbiomes in old (>40 years) and young (7 years) Pinotage vines inter-planted in the same commercial vineyard. Dr Helene Nieuwoudt worked on the sensorial profiles of old vine Chenin Blanc wines and compared that to profiles of younger vineyard wines. Distinguishing features of the old vine wines are manifested on the palate through balance, length and complexity.
CapeWine 2018 visitors are encouraged to visit the OVP area, as well as individual member stands, to experience these unique wines. The OVP will also be presenting a number of tastings (see schedule below ) as well as a seminar on 13 September at 10:30, open to only 60 guests. Go to www.capewine2018.com and www.oldvineproject.co.za for more information.
FOR OLD VINE PROJECT
QUERIES ANDRÉ MORGENTHAL, OLD VINE PROJECT, +27 82 658 3883
OU WINGERDE IS ’N SPESIALE ASPEK VAN DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE WYNBEDRYF
“Verhoogte fokus op Suid-Afrika se ou wingerde het ’n ongekende belangstelling onder wynkenners regoor die wêreld, in die land se wyn-erfenis en die bedryf self tot gevolg gehad, met wyne wat gemaak word van vrugte afkomstig uit hierdie erfenis-wingerde, wat hul slag wys,” volgens André Morgenthal van die Old Vine Project (OVP).
Hy sê OVP se ledetal het met rasse skrede van 10 lede verlede jaar, tot die huidige 40, gegroei, waaronder ’n hele aantal korporatiewe produsente, met meer as 80% van ou wingerd wyne binne hierdie stelsels vervat. Die gewildheid en groeiende belangstelling in die OVP is ook eerstehands ervaar by proeë in Londen en Kanada – wat ondersteun en georganiseer is deur Wines of South Africa (WOSA) – sowel as plaaslike proeë by Klein Karoo Klassique en die US Woordfees.
Die OVP is amptelik in 2016 met saad-kapitaal van die Rupert Stigting gestig, hoewel dit al in 2002 die wingerdboukundige, Rosa Kruger, se idee was om al Suid-Afrika se ou wingerde op te teken. Sy is in Julie aangewys as die Internasionale Wynpersoonlikheid van die Jaar by die International Wine Challenge 2018 en is steeds die dryfkrag agter die projek. Die Gesertifiseerde Erfenis-seël is vroeër vanjaar onder haar leierskap bekend gestel en lig Suid-Afrika (sover bekend) uit as die eerste land wat deur ’n enkel bedryfsliggaam (SAWIS), wingerdblokke ouer as 35 jaar sertifiseer.
Dit word gereken as ’n baie belangrike stap om ou wingerde te beskerm en het ’n hoë-profiel bemarkingstrategie geword, waarin ’n standaard gestel én ’n nuwe kategorie gevestig word om die karakter-diepte – kenmerkend aan wyne uit ouer wingerde – uit te lig.
Internasionale wynkenners waaronder Tim Atkin, Neal Martin en Jancis Robinson, is trotse ambassadeurs vir die projek en het die uitmuntende wyne wat van ou Suid-Afrikaanse wingerde gemaak word, uitgelig. By die onlangse Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blanc Uitdaging was meeste wyne uit ouer wingerde afkomstig en dit is ’n aanduiding van die vertroue wat SA produsente in ou wingerd Chenin Blanc plaas.
Aan die vooraand van Tim Atkin se vrystelling van sy Suid-Afrikaanse Spesiale Verslag by die CapeWine 2018 internasionale wyn handelskou vir Suid-Afrikaanse wyne, van 12 tot 14 September by die Kaapstad Internasionale Konferensiesentrum (KIKS), sê: “Dis vir my geen verrassing dat ’n beduidende aantal van my wyne en wynmakers van die jaar ’n ou wingerd-verbintenis het nie. Dit bevestig hoe noodsaaklik die Old Vine Project in die Suid-Afrikaanse wynbedryf is en hoekom die land se erfenis-wingerde só uniek is.”
In ’n onlangse verslag wat op Vinous.com verskyn het, het Neal Martin genoem dat “Suid-Afrika een groot voordeel bo meeste van die res van die Nuwe Wêreld het…ou wingerde.” Sy ondersteuning vir die OVP word verder onderskryf in ’n ander opmerking: “Vir lesers wat nou eers vertroud word met Suid-Afrikaanse wyne, is hierdie projek beslis die moeite werd om na te volg, want dit het gelei tot baie van die uitstaande wyne wat in hierdie opgeneem is.”
Morgenthal het ook verklap dat voorste, ou wingerd kategorie prysnavorsing in die handelsmark, wat in ’n samewerkingsooreenkoms tussen Winetech, die Universiteit Kaapstad Besigheidskool (UCT GSB) en die Stellenbosch Universiteit onderneem is, opwindende resultate getoon het. Die skrywers, Jonathan Steyn en mede-professor David Priilaid, van die Universiteit Kaapstad se Skool vir Bestuurstudies, het ’n hedonistiese prysmodel ontwerp wat die vraag rondom hoe en tot watter mate wyn-prysbepalers in die leweringskettting ou wingerd bottel-aanduiers prioritiseer teenoor die meer konvensionele sigbare waardebepalers.
Steyn het in reaksie op die bevindinge gesê: “Behalwe die bydrae van gevestigde faktore soos aggregaat prestasie-maatstawe, model-handelsmerke, prototipiese variëteite en oorsprong, het ons studie bevestig dat wingerd-ouderdom beduidend tot die wynprys bydra.” Hy het bygevoeg: “Die bekendstelling van die Gesertifiseerde Erfenis-seël is ’n belangrike stap en sal heel moontlik die kategorie riglyne globaal duideliker uitstip en verfyn. Die opskerping van die waarde aanbieding deur sulke objektiewe kriteria, mag groter vertroue onder prysbepalers oor die vermoë van ou wyn aanduiers op wyn-etikette en soortgelyke bemarking, om verdere waarde te ontsluit, teweegbring.”
Navorsing om die moontlike genetiese invloed om wynkwaliteit te verbeter in ou Pinotage wyne is ook onderneem deur Professor Johan Burger by Stellenbosch Universiteit. Sy span het beide gene-uitdrukkingsvlakke en totale mikrobiome in ou (>40 jaar) en jong (7 jaar) Pinotage wingerde, wat saam in dieselfde kommersiële wingerd geplant is, vergelyk. Dr. Helene Nieuwoudt het op die sensoriese profiele van ou wingerd Chenin Blanc wyne gewerk en dit vergelyk met jonger wingerde se profiele. Onderskeidende kenmerke van die ou wingerde kom na vore in balans, lengte en kompleksiteit.
CapeWine 2018 besoekers word uitgenooi om die OVP-area, sowel as indivuele lede-stalletjies te besoek, om hierdie unieke wyne te proe. Die OVP bied ook verskeie proeë (sien aangehegte skedule) en ’n seminaar op 13 September om 10:30, vir slegs 60 gaste aan. Gaan na www.capewine2018.com en www.oldvineproject.co.za vir meer inligting.
VIR OLD VINE PROJECT
NAVRAE ANDRÉ MORGENTHAL, OLD VINE PROJECT, +27 82 658 3883
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