MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Stellenbosch has what it takes to deliver the best
I can think of no other area where fine wine can be produced from so many different varieties
Much has been written about Stellenbosch’s failure to capitalise on its position as the pre-eminent South African wine appellation. Given the prominence accorded to the name of the town that lies in the heartland of the wine industry, this is tantamount to not getting the chequered flag after starting from a pole position. While some of this marketing lapse may be due to complacency, there’s no doubt that part of the problem lies in the region’s extraordinary versatility, which makes it almost impossible to deliver a focused message. I can think of no other well-known production area where benchmark fine wine can be produced from so many different varieties. Some of the Cape’s best chenins — DeMorgenzon’s is an example — come from Stellenbosch old vine sites. The same property also made this year’s Old Mutual trophy-winning chardonnay. A few years back, this accolade went to another Stellenbosch property, Rustenberg. Likewise, a recent vertical of Vriesenhof wines showed that Boland...
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