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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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Most Important Wine Grape Varieties in South Africa *
*Statistics of Vines as on 30 November 2003. (More detailed information available from Sawis, Paarl).
PLANTINGS AND UPROOTINGS OF VINES (1998 - 2003)
In 2003 there was a nett increase of 882 hectares of vineyards as opposed to the 707 hectare decrease in 2002. As shown in Table 1, the biggest decrease was in the Stellenbosch district with a decrease of 156 hectares. The Worcester district showed the biggest increase, namely 373 hectares.
1. MOST IMPORTANT WINE GRAPE VARIETIES ACCORDING TO NUMBERS (TOTAL VINES)
Chenin Blanc, with 18,5 per cent (19,4% in 2002) of total vines planted, is still the most important variety in the South African wine industry based on total number of vines. Table 2 shows the ten most important wine grape varieties according to numbers (total number of vines). The shift in positions since 2000 is also indicated.
All six so-called "noble" varieties ("Big six"), namely Cabernet Sauvignon (second with 12,2%), Shiraz (fourth with 7,6%), Chardonnay (fifth with 6,8%), Merlot (sixth with 6,5%), Sauvignon Blanc (seventh with 6,4%), and Pinotage (eighth with 6,3%) count among the top ten varieties.
2. MOST IMPORTANT WINE GRAPE VARIETIES ACCORDING TO NUMBER OF VINES PLANTED - 1 DECEMBER 2002 TO 30 NOVEMBER 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon is the variety of which the most and Chardonnay the variety of which the second most vines were planted in 2003. The position of Chenin Blanc improved from fifth position in 2002 to third position in 2003. The position of Colombar did not change from 2002 to 2003, it remains in the sixth position. Table 3 shows the ten most important wine grape varieties planted in 2003 based on the number of vines.
All the "noble" varieties namely Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc, except Pinotage, counted among the ten most planted varieties in 2003.
Figure 1 shows the total number of wine grape vines per area in hectares for each of the eight wine regions from 2001 to 2003, expressed as a percentage of the total number of wine grape vines in South Africa.
Figure 2 shows the total plantings of white and red varieties in hectares, expressed as a percentage of the total plantings for the period 1996 to 2003. It is clearly noticeable how the percentage plantings of red varieties increased annually from 34% in 1996 to 82% in 2001. In 2002, however, there is a decrease to 65% and a further decrease to 51% in 2003, in the plantings of red varieties as a percentage of total plantings. On the other hand, there was an annual decrease in the percentage plantings of white varieties from 66% in 1996 to 35% in 2002. In 2003, however, we see an increase to 49% in the plantings of white varieties as a percentage of total plantings.
In 2003 white varieties represented three of the five varieties that were most uprooted, Chenin Blanc being the most uprooted with a percentage of 30,45% (2001 - 28,3%) of all vines that were uprooted.
3. AGE DISTRIBUTION OF ALL RED AND WHITE VARIETIES - 1 DECEMBER 2002 TO 30 NOVEMBER 2003
Figure 3 clearly shows that 35,8% of all white varieties are 10 years and younger, while 36,9% are older than 10 years, but not yet older than 20 years, and 27,4% are older than 20 years. The picture of red varieties looks entirely different to that of white varieties, with 76,4% of red varieties being 10 years and younger, while 15,5% are older than 10 years, but not yet older than 20 years, and only 7,9% being older than 20 years. It is obviously a reflection of the fact that more red varieties than white varieties were planted in recent years. The age distribution of selected red and white varieties follows in figures 4 to 12.
Among the selected red varieties Shiraz has the biggest percentage of vines under 10 years old (92,7%), followed by Merlot (80,6%), Pinotage (78,8%), Cabernet Sauvignon (73,8%) and Cinsaut (Noir) 36,9%.
Among the selected white varieties Chardonnay has the biggest percentage of vines under 10 years old (66,5%), followed by Sauvignon Blanc (53,6%), Colombar (43,5%) and Chenin Blanc (24,7%).
4. ANALYSIS OF WINE GRAPE VARIETIES PLANTED IN THE VARIOUS REGIONS - 1 DECEMBER 2002 TO 30 NOVEMBER 2003
Table 4 shows an analysis of wine grape varieties planted, ranked according to number of vines planted in the various regions from 1 December 2002 to 30 November 2003. The rank and percentage of only the five most important varieties of total plantings within a specific district are indicated.
The following is evident from Table 4:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted variety in Malmesbury (25,2%), Stellenbosch (27,9%), Paarl (22,7%) and Worcester (17,2%), and the second most in Olifants River (22,4%).
After a sharp increase to 5 615 ha in 1998, the total number of Cabernet Sauvignon vines increased dramatically to 6 963 ha in 1999, 8 824 ha in 2000, 10 390 ha in 2001, 11 902 ha in 2002 and 13 160 ha in 2003 (Figure 13).
In 2003Chardonnay was the most planted variety in Robertson (33,6%), and the second most planted in Worcester (16,2%).
From 1986 (379 ha) to 2000 (6 067 ha) there was an annual increase in the total number of Chardonnay vines due to no or little uprooting. The planting of 610 hectares in 2003 represents an increase of 186,4% in plantings compared to plantings in 2002. The total plantings of Chardonnay amounted to 6 689 hectares in 2003 (Figure 14).
Chenin Blanc is the most planted variety in the Klein Karoo (32,1%), the second most in Paarl (16,6%) and Malmesbury (22,7%), the third most in Orange River (16,9%) and Worcester (14,5%). It is also the fourth most planted in Robertson (9,1%).
In 2003 there was a decrease of 2,7% in the total Chenin Blanc (19 325 ha) plantings compared to the 2002 plantings. Since 1990, except for 1994 (581 ha) and 1997 (524 ha), after the annual plantings had stabilised at between 340 and 500 hectares, there was a sharp decrease to 191 ha in 2000. Plantings again started to increase to 385 ha in 2002 and to 666 ha in 2003 (Figure 15).
Colombar is the most planted variety in the Orange River (43,8%), Olifants River (29,8%), and the second most in the Klein Karoo (22,9%).
Colombar shows constant growth as from 1990; from 2000 to 2002 there was a negative trend with regard to total plantings, with total plantings decreasing from 11 673 ha in 1999 to 11 013 ha in 2002, and increasing to 11 026 ha in 2003. Plantings of Colombar decreased from 624 ha in 1997 to 257 ha in 2002, and increased by 47,1% to 378 ha in 2003 (Figure 16).
Merlot is in the fifth position in Stellenbosch (9,8%), Paarl (10,5%) and Malmesbury (7,6%) with regard to plantings. Plantings show a decreasing trend for the second consecutive year (Figure 17).
Pinotage does not rank among the top five varietal plantings in any region.
The decreasing trend in the total number of Pinotage vines since 1986 was reversed in 1993, with the accompanying increase in plantings. As from 1999 Pinotage plantings have shown a decreasing trend, with a sharp decrease to just 42,1 ha planted in 2003 (Figure 18).
Viognier is not among the top five varietal plantings in any district.
Ruby Cabernet is the fifth most planted variety in the Klein Karoo (6,9%).
Sauvignon Blanc is the second most planted variety in Robertson (16,8%), the third most in Stellenbosch (14,6%) and Olifants River (13,3%), and the fifth most in Worcester (9,9%).
From 1986 (2 619 ha) to 2003 (6 844 ha) there is an annual increase in the total number of Sauvignon Blanc vines. This represents a 161% increase over this period (Figure 19).
Shiraz was the second most planted in Stellenbosch in 2003 (16,6%) and the third most planted in Malmesbury (10,0%) and Paarl (14,4%). It is also the fourth most planted variety in Olifants River (9,6%).
Annual plantings have shown a steep upward trend since 1997 (282 ha), with plantings reaching a peak in 2000 (1 536 ha), and decreasing to 455 ha in 2003. The total number of vines shows an annual increase since 1991, with a steep increase from 1997 (1 329 ha) to 2003 (8 724 ha) (Figure 20).
Sultana ranks among the fifth most planted varieties in one district only, namely Orange River, where it was in the second position (23,3%).
The planting patterns show that more white varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay were planted in 2003 compared to the trend since 1999; and while the planting patterns of red varieties such as Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon decreased compared to previous years, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz still rank among the top five most planted varieties.
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