Water into Wine IN THE LAND OF CONTRASTS!
In the heart of the Northern Cape of South Africa, the most arid of this country’s provinces, lies a wine region which recalls the flowing abundance of grapes harvested in the biblical city of Canna.
A truly unique landscape of mesmerizing contrast, a never ending luscious growth of vineyards paints the rivers shores for 3500 hectares.
Scintillating patches of green colours are set against the clear blue skies, broken by only rocky hills, date palms and the ever present rusty ochre sands of the Kalahari Desert.
Oranjeriviere Wine Cellars (ORWC) was established in 1963 and is the largest co-operative winery in South Africa insofar as harvesting volumes of wine grapes is concerned and as such is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
In aromatic and sensory style, these wines encompass a flavour spectrum that is unique to wines produced elsewhere in South Africa.
The sun and alluvial soil of the region have been used as an advantage to produce 150,000 tons of grapes per harvest. Each of the five cellars in the area renders wines that inimitably reflect the terroire peculiarities of its immediate environment.
The soil is fed by the Orange River that runs through it, feeding the region with precious water. The temperatures vary from one extreme to another; sub zero in winter to plus 40 degrees centigrade in summer. The combination of water, soil and temperature produces the cultivars: Chenin Blanc, Columbard, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Tannat, red and white Muscadel and Muscat d’Alexandre.
Wines from the lower Orange River region have received 12 Veritas Awards since 1995. Their wines have attracted the attention of both wine specialist and those who enjoy a really good glass of wine.
The extensive range of cellars includes dry, semi and sweet wines, dry reds, ros’e and sparkling wines.
Two labels of these quality wines, Oranjeriviere and Riverstale are now available in India exclusively from the South African Wine Company, who launched the wines at an exclusive wine tasting in Goa in July 2007.
The wines attracted great attention and following the wine tasting are now featured on many of the major starred hotels wine lists for this coming season.
The South African Wine Company which is based in Goa imports the wines directly from the winery to the main port of Mourmagao, where the influx of tourist each year to the state will inevitably be consuming
these, quality wines in abundance.
A natural progression to the launch of these wines in Goa will be to make them available to the Indian wine enthusiasts and with The South African Wine Company covering everything from import to their own distribution and marketing, these wines are very affordable compared to other imported wines.
A description of the 12 variants of wine available in India is well described on the company’s website www.sawinecompany.net.
Having tasted the full range of these wines, it is clear that the wines from the Oranjeriviere Wine Cellars have a lot to offer in both quality and affordability and it will not be long before the Indian wine enthusiast along with the tourist visiting India will be sitting side by side enjoying a relaxing tipple of quality wine from this unique wine producing region of South Africa.