Desert Districts
The winelands of South Africa are scattered around the country, reaching even the northernmost corners of Mzansi. Successful wine production areas can now be found in the Northern Cape, Free State, Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces.
Although unconventional, the northern regions of South Africa have dipped their toes into the art of wine making quite successfully. These areas have started producing top quality wines with a unique flavour and style. The northern regions tend to be much hotter than the Western Cape, and the absence of cooling ocean breezes and rainfall has made the vineyards grow hardy in dry, sandy soil.
The Northern Cape is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking of wine production, but at least 10% of SA’s vineyards – more than 23 million vines – are found here. Lush vineyards line the fertile valleys of the Orange River, thriving in semi-desert conditions, with warm temperatures, chilly nights and very little rainfall. Wine-producing regions in the Northern Cape includes Central Orange River, Douglas and Sutherland-Karoo.
The Orange River wine region stretches from Boegoeberg in the east to the Augrabies Falls Valley in the west, covering quite an expansive distance. White wine grapes are planted extensively in the region, such as Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Colombard and white Muscadel. Some red wine varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Shiraz. The Orange River plays an important role in regulating temperatures, and the mesoclimate is suited to both table and wine grape production.
Vineyards throughout the Northern Cape and the Rietrivier area in the Free State are managed carefully to ensure the mesoclimate does not cause any damage to the grapes. The vineyard soil is red and gravelly along the aforementioned river banks, and around 140,000 tons of grapes are harvested in the provinces annually.