Sauvignon blanc wine is the most popular cultivar in South Africa in terms of sales, and it is climbing in double digits every year, says Thys Louw, winemaker of Diemersdal wine estate.
Louw, also vice chair of Sauvignon Blanc South Africa and a board member of Vine of South Africa (Vosa), was one of the speakers at the unveiling of the landmark sauvignon blanc wine by the Durbanville wine valley last Wednesday at De Grendel wine estate.
It is the first time since 2019 that the valley releases its Durbanville Sauvignon Blanc wine. It was blended this year with between 300 ml and 400 ml wine made by all 13 wineries of the valley, while in previous years it was made with grapes from all the wineries.
Louw says in South Africa sauvignon blanc is also the white wine variety with the highest average price per litre and bottle.
“Between 6 000 and 7 000 tons of grapes (of the sauvignon blanc cultivar) are harvested in the Durbanville wine valley – definitely the most of a single cultivar,” he says.
Another feather in the cultivar’s cap is that it is the cultivar with the highest average price per bottle – regardless whether it is white or red wine – in the world. “This is in New Zealand, where 80% of vineyards are planted with sauvignon blanc, Louw says.
“I am passionale about sauvignon blanc, especially the ones from the Durbanville valley where we have two oceans, the Atlantic and Indian oceans, which creates a cool climate that is ideal for the slow and flavourful development of specifically sauvignon blanc,” he says.
Durbanville is consistently taking top international honours for sauvignon blanc in particular, according to a media release.
Most recently, Diemersdal The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2021 received the trophy as overall winner in its category at the 2022 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon, while Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve – Cape Mist Sauvignon Blanc 2019 was among the few gold-medal winners at the UK based Global Masters wine competition.
Both wineries were contributors to the collaboration wine, along with Altydgedacht, Bloemendal, Canto, D’Aria, De Grendel, Groot Phesantekraal, Klein Roosboom, Maastricht, Meerendal, Nitida and Signal Gun.
The wine’s final production was entrusted to veteran winemaker Charles Hopkins and Morgan Steyn of De Grendel.
At the unveiling of the wine Hopkins said he has 39 years of experience in the wine industry, starting in Franschhoek and the past 15 years at De Grendel.
“The Durbanville wine valley has an amazing camaraderie, which is scarce to find,” he says.
Commenting on the latest addition, Hopkins calls it a “truly remarkable wine for the support and genuine enthusiasm that fruit was contributed by wineries of the valley”.
“From the start, everyone grasped the significance of showcasing the quality and image of Durbanville sauvignon blanc,” he says.
The label was designed by Steven Falmore of Bravo Design.
The Delft blue design of the label pays tribute to the history and many facets of Durbanville, with the vineyards and wine grapes as centrepiece alongside proteas – South Africa’s national flower, as well as an indicator of nature-aligned viticulture.
The region’s Dutch heritage is reflected in images of the historic Dutch Reformed Church, 1840 Onze Molen windmill and Cape Dutch homestead, as well as the Delft blue rendering.
Its proximity and link with the Cape are depicted through the view of Table Mountain, but also cannons traditionally used to signal local farmers that trading ships had arrived at Table Bay.
The association with agriculture also emerges in the tractor, grape harvesting, and pumpkins with the latter also a reference to the region’s original name, Pampoenkraal, which is further represented in the word “oesjaar”, meaning vintage.
- Visit www.durbanvillewine.co.za or send an email to info@durbanvillewine.co.za for more information about the Durbanville wine valley,
