Hoewel Suid-Afrika as wynland bekend staan vir die ongelooflike diversiteit van sy wynstreke, bly daar tot vandag nog een onderskeiding wat gemaak word tussen twee gebiede, naamlik di\u00e9 kant van die berg en d\u00e1\u00e1i kant van die berg. <\/p>\n
Eersgenoemde is nou die meer tradisionele Kaapse wynbedrywe in Stellenbosch, Constantia, Durbanville, Franschhoek en die Paarl, terwyl die \u201cander\u201d kant aangetref word as \u2019n mens deur die Dutoitskloof-tonnel ry, binne-in die digte wingerdlandskap van Worcester, die Breedekloof en Robertson.<\/p>\n
Hierdie twee wyngebiede word steeds in te veel o\u00eb as verskillende w\u00earelde beskou \u2013 een waar spogplase teen berghange blou-bloed wyne maak en onder duur etikette in die mark plaas, en die ander een di\u00e9 van \u2019n \u201cwingerd-fabriek\u201d wat grootmaat, goedkoop wyne in die mark uitstoot om die dors van die drinker te les eerder as om op gehalte en beeld te konsentreer. <\/p>\n
Natuurlik is hierdie bewerings onsin, maar die historiese bagasie van die ou Suid-Afrikaanse bedryf, waar Worcester, Robertson en verder gedruk is om wingerde te kweek vir ho\u00eb tonnemaat met die oog op distilleer- en grootmaat-wyn, is steeds op die treinspoor te sien.<\/p>\n
Dat die benadering tot wynmaak en wingerdverbouing in hierdie afgele\u00eb gebiede anderkant die berg die afgelope vier dekades drasties verander het, het vir baie mense en kommentators egter ongesiens verbygegaan en die beeld van Robertson, Worcester en Breedekloof \u2013 as wynstreke \u2013 word gevolglik afgeskeep.<\/p>\n
Dit kan \u2019n mens maklik sien in die media-dekking en algemene blootstelling wat die wynstreke van \u201canderkant\u201d ontvang. Met enkele uitsonderings suig wyne van Robertson, die Breedekloof en Worcester aan die agterste speen weens te veel self-aangestelde kundiges wat beweer dat goeie Suid-Afrikaanse wyn slegs in daardie genoemde \u201crojale\u201d streke \u2013 Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Elgin en sekere dele van die Swartland \u2013 gemaak kan word. <\/p>\n
En selfs die Suid-Afrikaanse wynowerhede speel driftig saam. Byvoorbeeld, Wines of South Africa (Wosa) is die bedryf se eie liggaam wat die land se wyne internasionaal moet bemark. Tog, wanneer mediatoere vir buitelandse joernaliste plaasvind en die wynskrywers van Amerika, Japan, Brittanje en Duitsland as gaste van Wosa op die Kaap toesak, word die moeite nooit gedoen om hierdie skrywers anderkant die berg by Robertson of die Breedekloof te kry nie.<\/p>\n
\u2019n Onlangse media-toer na Robertson \u2013 vir plaaslike skrywers \u2013 het weer eens bewys dat hierdie streek wel behoorlik kan saampraat met die beste wat in die Kaapse wynlande te vinde is. <\/p>\n
\u2019n Wynstreek se getuigskrifte begin immers by sy wyne, en hier bied die Robertson-streek wyne wat eiesoortig is in die manier hoe hulle die terroir van hul herkoms weerspie\u00ebl, met die klem op die unieke geografiese aspekte van die gebied.<\/p>\n
En dit is die kalkrykste wingerdgrond in die land, die oorblyfsels van honderde miljoene see-gediertes wat hier geswem en gewei het toe als miljoene jare gelede onder die see was. Kalkgrond gee daardie gewenste pH-vlakke in die wyn wat toesien dat die druif se energie, vrug en gebalanseerde sure in die eindproduk vasgevat word. <\/p>\n
Chardonnay, veral, gedy in hierdie kalkgrond nes in die druif se tradisionele tuiste van Boergondi\u00eb in Frankryk.<\/p>\n
Di\u00e9 som het Danie de Wet van De Wetshof reeds in die jare sestig as student in Duitsland gemaak, en met sy terugkeer het hy die eerste chardonnay in Robertson geplant. <\/p>\n
Die res is geskiedenis \u2013 Robertson is vandag die streek met die grootste aanplantings van chardonnay in Suid-Afrika (1 700 ha), met plaaslike produsente soos De Wetshof, Weltevrede, Arendsig, Rietvallei en Excelsior, wie se chardonnay\u2019s gerieflik kan kers vashou by die res van die land se aanbiedings.<\/p>\n
Trouens, die gehalte van Robertson se chardonnay is s\u00f3 goed dat talle van daardie bloubloed- Stellenbosse wynplase chardonnay uit Robertson koop en onder hul eie etikette botteleer. <\/p>\n
Met 1 650 ha onder sauvignon blanc is Robertson ook die land se grootste sauvignon blanc-streek, met die plaaslike landgoed Springfield wat vir een van die land se voorste handelsmerke vir hierdie kultivar verantwoordelik is. En as dit kom by Cap Classique-vonkelwyn, gaan dit moeilik wees om een enkele van hierdie vonkelwyne te noem wat nie \u2019n skeut Robertson Chardonnay en\/of Pinot Noir by het nie. Weer eens, daardie perfekte pH-telling skep \u2019n balans vir vonkelwyn-bereiding wat geen ander streek op so \u2019n skaal kan bied nie.<\/p>\n
Een van die verveligste bewerings van sogenaamde wynkommentators is dat Robertson \u2019n warm streek is, en \u2019n mens kan mos nie goeie wyn in sulke hitte maak nie.<\/p>\n
Ek laat die kommentaar hieroor aan John Loubser van Silverthorn Wines tussen Robertson en Bonnievale oor, wat jare lank die keldermeester by Steenberg in Constantia was: <\/p>\n
\u201cAs voormalige wynmaker in Constantia ken ek koel wynareas, glo my,\u201d s\u00ea Loubser. <\/p>\n
\u201cRobertson verdien gewis nie die etiket van \u2019n warm streek nie. In die somer kom die suidelike winde elke middag van die see ingewaai, wat 90 km weg is, om die wingerde af te koel. <\/p>\n
\u201cEn die dag-nag-temperatuur verskil dramaties namate die nagte afkoel. <\/p>\n
\u201cWat baie belangrik is, is dat die wingerde in die winter uiterste koue kry in die kritieke tyd van hibernasie \u2013 kusstreke koel nie so dramaties af nie, en hierdie situasie sorg vir besonder gesonde wingerde in Robertson.\u201d<\/p>\n
Die belangrikste van als \u2013 jy proe dit in die wyn. <\/p>\n
En nadat \u2019n mens self kom kyk het, smaak dit n\u00f3g lekkerder.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hoewel Suid-Afrika as wynland bekend staan vir die ongelooflike diversiteit van sy wynstreke, bly daar tot vandag nog een onderskeiding wat gemaak word tussen twee gebiede, naamlik di\u00e9 kant van die berg en d\u00e1\u00e1i kant van die 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