South Africa
With an industry mainly located in the south-western flank of the country known as the Western Cape, South Africa's wine industry has endured a turbulent 300-year history, much like the country itself. The first vines were planted by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, and the production of the sweet Vin de Constance in the 18th and 19th centuries brought global fame. A succession of setbacks, starting with a phylloxera outbreak in the 1860s and culminating in apartheid-driven trade sanctions in the 1980s put South African wine in the wilderness until Nelson Mandela's government began rejuvenating the industry in the 1990s. Today, a more diverse industry is again producing wines of excellent quality, and the prominent regions of Stellenbosch and Walker Bay are two at the head of the pack.
The climate is distinctly Mediterranean, with cooler Antarctic currents and the chilly south-easterly wind known as the Cape Doctor helping ward off rot and disease. South Africa is most well-known for Chenin Blanc and Pinotage, while the country's recent drive for vineyard diversity has seen it produce highly regarded wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
