Question about wine

[dananne]

I would argue that SA wines aren't unknown, and have made a great deal of progress since the end of the apartheid. Some wines sell quite well, such as the Fairview/Beck wine Goats Do Roam. Qualitatively, the wines have made great progress, as well. The only lingering problem is marketplace niche. For awhile, it looked like they would hang their hat on the unique Pinotage, and some good producers got some recognition in the marketplace (such as Kanonkop). Steen/Chenin Blanc looked to be a good bet for whites, but never really gained any traction. Now, I'd guess that reasonably-priced Syrah will turn out to be their red star, offering a bit more stuffing and nuance than similarly-priced competition from Australia, while Sauvignon Blanc will try to find a place alongside the NZ versions. That's just my two cents.