2024 looks set to be one of the most exciting years in wine, with environmental, social and technological changes driving significant shifts across the local vino landscape.
Matt Manning owns Culture Wine Bar and Culture at TimeOut Market Cape Town. Culture was recently announced as a winner in three categories at the 2023 Star Wine List Awards, including the highly coveted Grand Prix accolade.
Manning is also the chef patron at Grub & Vine and is known for his ability to pair the country’s best produce with the world’s best wines.
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Manning predicts a shift in consumer behaviour, foretelling a growing preference for quality and value in wine purchases.
He’s noticed an increasing preference for quality wines from smaller producers that provide better value. This trend includes shifting away from popular commercial brands and towards grower Champagnes and South Africa’s Methode Cap Classique (MCC) wines.
‘Ostentatious displays of wealth and prestige are becoming scorned, no doubt driven by a growing sense of community and kinship with those who are suffering the world over,’ says Manning.
He continues, ‘As a result, there’s increased demand for quality wines by smaller producers, but at great value. In terms of bubbly, for example, consumers are learning what constitutes real quality and are moving away from commercial producers such as Moet, favouring grower Champagnes and South Africa’s own fantastic MCCs.’
‘We’re also returning to the values of traditional winemaking, with an emphasis on terroir, while consumers look for sustainability and social responsibility. They want to know what the producer of their chosen bottle stands for,’ he says.
A green light on light reds
Manning highlights the rising popularity of light red wines, dispelling the outdated notion that reds are only for cooler weather or heavier meals.
Varietals like Gamay Noir, Grenache and South Africa’s own Pinotage, a Cinsault and Pinot Noir cross, are increasingly favoured.
‘Internationally, the popularity of varietals like Gamay Noir and Grenache has grown, thanks to the rise of territories such as Beaujolais and the Rhone Valley in France, while red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) remains perpetually in demand,’ Manning explains.
He says that, locally, there’s been a rise in the demand for lighter red styles such as Cinsault and South Africa’s own Pinotage, a crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir grapes.
‘These styles are best served chilled and are really refreshing in the warmer months. They’re convivial and incredibly versatile in terms of food pairing, working well with a wide variety of dishes, from vegetarian to fish, chicken and even lamb.’
‘The ultimate red grape for serving chilled is Gamay, which is passionately championed in South Africa by our friends at Radford Dale, who was also the first to plant Gamay in the Cape for over two decades,’ says Manning.
‘It’s definitely light reds’ time to shine,’ he adds.
The era of anything goes
Events like the well-attended Beaujolais tasting at Culture Wine Bar with top Beaujolais winemakers serve as evidence of the growing interest in South African wines. Producers like Radford Dale are championing Gamay, which is particularly popular in South Africa.
‘They’re bolder, braver and open to experimenting with different styles and varietals. Thanks to this ‘new generation’ winemaker, we’re seeing some really interesting grape crossbreeds and non-traditional matches, such as Chardonnay grapes added to Beaujolais (traditionally purely Gamay Noir).’
The rise of the global wine drinker – but local remains lekker!
Winemakers are not the only ones benefiting from this growing global exposure; wine drinkers are too.
Consumers are travelling to some of the world’s best winemaking regions (luxury travel company Virtuoso recently found that there was a 70% increase in people booking food and wine-focused trips) and want to experience back home the same wines they enjoyed on holiday.
‘As a result, expect to see a greater international wine focus on local wine lists, with far more choice across the board.’
However, Manning maintains that it’s not a matter of eschewing local wines in favour of international, saying that South Africans are loyal to local producers:
‘We know how good we have it here! It’s not either-or; it’s a case of giving South Africans more access and choice so that they can put one of South Africa’s best wines on a table alongside a comparable French vintage, providing them with the opportunity to see just how well SA wines stack up against the world’s best,’ he concludes.
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