MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Rising Star award at ‘wine Oscars’ is great for SA

On the same weekend that the Springboks broke the hearts of French rugby enthusiasts, SA also signalled its presence in a place ordinarily regarded by the French as territory safe from foreign invasion. Eben Sadie stepped up onto the stage at the Golden Vine Awards to collect the trophy for the World’s Best Rising Star producer.

A glimpse of the programme for the event — which bills itself as “The Oscars of Fine Wine” — makes it clear that in wine industry terms this is hallowed ground. For a producer from the Cape to be celebrated at the Palais Garnier is not an act of imperial condescension. The Golden Vine Awards are arrived at via a jury of more than 1,000 international industry professionals. They reflect the changing world of wine.

In 2017 Sadie was the recipient of the Winemakers’ Winemaker Award, a ballot conducted under the auspices of the Institute of Masters of Wine and regarded by many producers as the highest accolade within the profession. So he’s no stranger to the podium. Given the relatively small batches that make up his production, the question is “do achievements such as his offer any meaningful benefits for the Cape wine industry?”

This is not a frivolous concern. Wine exports are down (compared with the pre-Covid era). More importantly, roughly two-thirds (by volume) of the wine leaving the country is sold in bulk — the most anonymous form of packaging. Clearly, brand SA doesn’t deliver much cachet, even without the potential downside of the government’s “neutral” position over the Ukrainian war or the ANC’s inability to distinguish between expressing support for Palestinians and supporting terrorist atrocities.

Despite successes like Sadie’s, it’s clear that Cape wine sales abroad are not going well. Selling the Cape’s wine properties appears significantly easier. Many of the big name Stellenbosch and Constantia estates are now foreign owned, a process which began before 1994. Evidence that offshore ownership of high-end properties is good business is indisputable: the German proprietors of Alto have just added another chunk of the Helderberg to their not inconsiderable landholdings. In fact you have to look long and hard to find vineyards there still in local hands.

This is what makes the investment by Cape producer DGB in a sizeable chunk of the Helderberg important for reasons other than vinous patriotism. At least 130ha are (or will be) replanted, across six different properties that lie along the fabled slopes of Stellenbosch’s most maritime ward. Many of our best vineyard areas suffer urban encroachment. In Stellenbosch, premium red grape vineyards younger than 15 years have declined by 70% over the past 20 years.

Investing in productive viticulture has a major knock-on effect on the regional economy. Consider Glenelly, once a rundown fruit farm close to suburban Stellenbosch. It was acquired about 20 years ago by May de Lencquesaing, owner at the time of Chateau Pichon Lalande in the Medoc. She planted vineyards, built a winery and established a restaurant. She also added a glass museum and a creche to her investment budget.

The latest release of her flagship red wine, the 2018 Lady May, reveals that, at least in wine terms, she has spent her money wisely. A Platter Five Star laureate, it was pretty much sold out (at about R800 a bottle) before it came to market. Previous vintages have been just as successful. I recently sampled the 2008 (five stars in Decanter magazine) and would battle to tell it apart from a high-end Bordeaux red. A tasting of back vintages of the estate’s unoaked chardonnay revealed the same impeccable wine quality.

If the Cape wine industry is to continue to make a valuable contribution to our economy, it must remain attractive to investors. Achievements such as Sadie’s serve to throw a spotlight on our wines. Successful investments such as Glenelly vindicate those willing to risk their capital to sustain our viticulture. It is worth reminding ourselves of the importance of these accomplishments, achieved despite the best efforts of our national government.

• Standard Bank WineX takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre October 25-27. More than 150 of SA’s finest producers will present more than 900 different wines each night. Tickets available from Webtickets.