South Africa

MadWine has a special passion for this unique wine producing region, maintaining connections with some of the best experts in this area. South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, and at one time Constantia was considered one of the greatest dessert wines in the world. Since the mid-1990s, access to international markets has unleashed a burst of new energy and new investment. Production is concentrated around Cape Town, with major vineyard and production centers at Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester. The country boasts some of the oldest soils on Earth. The winemaking traditions of South Africa often represent a hybridization of Old World winemaking and New World winemaking. Since the end of Apartheid, many producers have been working on producing more world-class wines. Grape varieties produced here include Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, South Africa’s own Pinotage (a grape variety that they created by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsault), and Sauvignon Blanc.