The Spice Route winery – inspired by the seafarers
Where tobacco leaves were once dried, wine is now made. Charles Back founded the Spice Route winery in the heart of the Swartland in 1997. The wine cellar is located in Malmesbury and the vineyards on Klein Amoskuil Farm are close to the town. In this blog post, you will learn background information about our Spice Route wine as well as interesting facts about the export of South African wines last year – and what the plans are for 2021.
The Spice Route, the old sea route from Europe around Africa to the Indian subcontinent and the Spice Islands (Moluccas), gave this vineyard its name. Spice Route is reminiscent of the 15th century sailors who sailed around the Cape of Good Hope on their way to Europe, their ships laden with spices from the Far East.
The tobacco hut became a wine cellar
Where Spice Route wine is produced today, tobacco and wheat used to be grown. Charles Back, founder and owner of Spice Route, recognized the potential of these sites for wine and acquired the land. Without further ado, Back converted the shed where tobacco leaves used to be dried into a wine cellar.
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Wine accompaniment for meat and Asian cuisine
We have the Chakalaka wine from Spice Route in our range, also available in a magnum bottle. The taste of cherries and blackcurrants in this aromatic wine goes perfectly with meat dishes and is the perfect accompaniment to a summer barbecue. The weather doesn’t look like it’s ready for a barbecue yet, but as we all know, anticipation is the greatest joy. And if you already have the right wine in the cellar – perfect conditions. This fruity red wine is also ideal with Asian dishes.
Sounding name of a spice blend
The melodious word Chakalaka comes from the Zulu language and means “togetherness” and refers to a fiery, aromatic blend of spices from South Africa. The wine reflects the “Rainbow Nation”, a term for South Africa that stands for the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity. The Chakalaka wine is inspired by this diversity of South Africa and combines six different grape varieties.
Importance of exports increases
2020 was also an exceptional year for the wine trade. South Africa’s wine industry was able to stabilize export volumes in 2020 compared to 2019 despite massive restrictions on export processing. Normally, however, around 50% of South African wines are sold on the domestic market. This was not possible due to the pandemic. Between March and May as well as July and August, winegrowers were not allowed to sell their wine domestically. The ban on alcohol sales in South Africa has also been in force again since the end of December 2020. This makes export business all the more important.
Focus on the 2021 grape harvest
Preparations for the 2021 grape harvest are already in full swing in the country’s wine regions. According to the Wines of South Africa Association (WOSA), the new vintage will be promising in terms of quality and quantity, but at the same time, harvest planning is proving to be very challenging. At least there is one less problem: after several years of extreme drought, water supplies are well replenished thanks to sufficient rainfall and, in some cases, snow in the mountains. (Source Export and wine year 2021: Faxline from Wein und Markt, German online publication about the world of wine)
About the author
Isabelle Heiniger
Managing Director of SAVINIS
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