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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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Most Important Wine Grape Cultivars In The RSA
In 2000 there was a nett decrease of 1 971 hectares of vines compared to the 420 hectares increase in 1999. It is clear from
Table 1
that the biggest decrease was in the Malmesbury and Stellenbosch districts, with decreases of 577 hectares. Just one, namely Olifants River, showed an increase (45 ha), while all the other districts showed decreases.
1. MOST IMPORTANT WINE GRAPE CULTIVARS, IN TERMS OF NUMERIC STRENGTH (TOTAL PLANTED)
Chenin blanc with 22,5 per cent (24,7 % in 1999) of total vines planted, is still the most important cultivar in the South African wine industry as far as numeric strength is concerned. In
Table 2
, the ten most important wine grape cultivars are indicated according to numeric strength (total vines planted). Also indicated is the shift in positions since 1998.
All six so-called "noble" cultivars ("Big six"), namely Cabernet Sauvignon (third with 8,8 %), Chardonnay (fourth with 6,4 %), Pinotage (fifth with 6,2 %), Sauvignon blanc (sixth with 5,6 %), Shiraz (seventh with 5,2 %), and Merlot (eighth with 4,9 %) fall under the first ten cultivars. For the first time Shiraz also forms part of this group of ten cultivars.
2. MOST IMPORTANT WINE GRAPE CULTIVARS PLANTED, IN TERMS OF NUMERIC STRENGTH - 1 DECEMBER 1999 TO 30 NOVEMBER 2000
Shiraz was the most planted cultivar and Cabernet Sauvignon the second most planted cultivar in 2000. The position of Chardonnay weakened further from the most planted in 1996 and 1997 to fifth most in 1998, ninth most in 1999 and twelfth most in 2000. The position of Chenin blanc weakened marginally from the sixth position in 1999 to the sixth position in 2000.
Table 3
indicates the ten most important wine grape cultivars planted in 2000, in terms of numeric strength.
Chardonnay lost its position among the top ten planted cultivars, while the rest of the "noble" kultivars, namely Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Sauvignon blanc all resorted under the ten most planted cultivars in 2000.
In
figure 9
the total planting in hectares, from 1997 to 2000, of eight different cultivars, is expressed as a percentage of the total plantings over the period. From the figure it is obvious that over the four year period, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz together were the most planted, followed by Pinotage and Merlot.
Figure 10
indicates the total plantings of white and red cultivars in hectares, expressed as a percentage of the total plantings for the period 1995 to 2000. It is clearly noticeable that the percentage plantings of red cultivars increased annually from 28 % in 1995 to 84 % of all plantings in 2000. Clearly noticeable on the other hand is the annual decrease in the percentage plantings of white cultivars from 72 % in 1995 to 16 % in 1999.
3. ANALYSIS OF WINE GRAPE CULTIVARS PLANTED IN THE VARIOUS KWV DISTRICTS - 1 DECEMBER 1999 TO 30 NOVEMBER 2000
Table 4
gives an analysis of wine grape cultivars planted, in terms of numeric strength, in the various districts from 1 December 1999 to 30 November 2000. Only the five most important cultivars' position and percentage of total plantings in a specific district are indicated.
From
Table 4
the following is clear:
Cabernet Sauvignon was the most planted cultivar in Paarl (32,8 %), Malmesbury (33,4 %), Stellenbosch (31,1 %) and Robertson (27,5 %), second most in Worcester (16,1 %), and fourth most in the Olifants River.
From 1990 (3 504 ha) to 1993 (4 660 ha) there was an annual increase in the total plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon vines, while the total vines, compared to the 1993 figures, showed a slight decrease in 1994 (4 621 ha) and 1995 (4 650 ha). After the sharp increase to 5 615 ha in 1998, the total number of vines increased very steeply to 6 963 ha in 1999 and 8 824 ha in 2000 (
Figure 1
).
In 2000, as in 1999, Chardonnay was not among the first five cultivars planted in any district.
However, from 1986 (379 ha) to 2000 (6 067 ha) there was still an annual increase in the total number of Chardonnay vines, due to no or very little uprooting. The uprooting of 40 hectares in 2000 represented the third consecutive decrease in the planting trend of Chardonnay since 1993 (
Figure 2
).
Chenin blanc was the fourth most planted cultivar (8,6 %) in the Orange River, and the fifth most in the Little Karoo (5,9 %) and Paarl (4,1 %). However, Chenin blanc did not feature among the first five cultivars planted in the Olifants River, Malmesbury, Robertson, Stellenbosch and Worcester districts.
From 1990 (29 355 ha) to 2000 (22 566 ha) there was an annual decrease in the total Chenin blanc vines. From 1990, except for 1994 (581 ha) and 1997 (524 ha), once the annual plantings stabilised at between 340 and 500 hectares, there was a sharp decrease to 191 ha in 2000 (
Figure 3
).
Colombar was the second most planted in the Orange River (16.9 %), and the third most in the Little Karoo (11,4 %). In Olifants River, Malmesbury, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Worcester and Robertson, Colombar did not feature among the first five planted cultivars.
Following constant growth from 1990 onwards, Colombar showed a negative trend in 2000 with regard to total vines, which decreased from 11 673 ha in 1999 to 11 432 in 2000. Plantings of Colombar decreased to 536 ha, 483 ha and 174 ha in 1998, 1999 and 2000 respectively. (
Figure 4
).
Merlot occupied the second position in the Olifants River (15,4 %), the third position in Paarl (14,1 %), Robertson (21,6 %), Stellenbosch (20,7 %) and Worcester (14,4 %), and the fourth position in Malmesbury (7,5 %) and the Little Karoo (11,1 %) with regard to plantings. The 838 hectares established in 2000 are roughly equivalent to the total plantings of 1990. (
Figure 5
).
Pinotage was the second most planted in the Little Karoo (21,6 %) district, and the third most in Malmesbury (12,9 %). Pinotage was the fourth most planted in Paarl (5,8 %), Worcester (11,0 %) and Stellenbosch (8,0 %) and the fifth most in Olifants River (11,1 %).
The decreasing trend in the total Pinotage vines since 1986 was reversed in 1993, with increased plantings from that year onwards. From 1999 Pinotage plantings showed a decreasing trend once again, with 500 ha planted in 2000. (
Figure 6
).
Ruby Cabernet was the third most planted in the Orange River (5,6 %) and Olifants River (12,6 %) districts, fourth most in Robertson (8,3%) and fifth most in Worcester (10,5 %).
Sauvignon blanc was the fifth most planted cultivar in Stellenbosch (4,1 %).
From 1986 (2 618 ha) to 2000 (5 436 ha) there was an annual increase in the total Sauvignon blanc vines (
Figure 7
).
Although Shiraz, with regard to total vines, still did not feature among the ten most important cultivars in 1999, it occupied the eighth position in 2000, being altogether the most planted cultivar in 2000. In 2000 it was planted most in Olifants River (33,0%), Little Karoo (34,6%) and Worcester (24,6%). It was also the second most planted cultivar in Malmesbury (24,3%), Paarl (28,8%), Robertson (24,2%) and Stellenbosch (25,2%) and the fifth most in Orange River (2,2%).
Shiraz is the only cultivar which featured among the five most planted cultivars in all the districts. Annual plantings since 1997 (282 ha) showed a sharply increasing trend, with plantings in 2000 (1 536 ha) alone more than twice the total Shiraz vines in 1992 (748 ha). The total vines have also been showing an annual increase since 1991, with sharp increases in 1997 (1 329 ha), 1998 (1 999 ha), and especially 1999 (3 469 ha) and 2000 (5 631 ha). (
Figure 8
).
As in the previous year, Sultana occupied the first position in one district only, namely the Orange River (53,6 %), as far as plantings are concerned.
The countrywide planting patterns indicate a sustained increased focus on the establishment of premium red cultivars, so as to further reinforce the contribution of these cultivars to the South African wine industry.
*Data of Vines as on 30 November 2000. (Complete information obtainable from SAWIS, Paarl).
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