MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Silvermist bucks trend of Constantia’s forceful sauvignons
Constantia is pretty much the cradle of the South African wine industry. While the earliest plantings were very close to the city centre, growers swiftly moved southwards down the peninsula. Wynberg, unsurprisingly, derives its name from the beverage produced from the fruit grown on its slopes. Less than 30 years after the founding of the Dutch settlement, vineyards were established in what is now Constantia. Less than a century later the wines produced here had become the most sought after and most expensive in Europe. The best-known of them were known simply as "Constantia" in England and as (Vin de) Constance in France. They were sweet and perfumed — made from muscat varieties — though the area was also known for its pontac and even, it seems, for its pinot. It would seem a safe assumption that given its international recognition in the 18th century, the appellation would have flourished. However, by the end of the 19th century the properties were all bankrupt, the state took ove...
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