Ongoing climate change affects the characteristics of the
grape harvest in many wine regions. Depending on weather conditions and market
needs, it is necessary to correct the composition of the grapes, grape must or
wine, for organoleptically balanced products.
Since 2007 Vititec has been involved in an import program in
order to provide a wider range of cultivars available for South African winemakers
to be more innovative in their plantings. A total of 17 new varieties and 63
new clones were imported over the last 8 years.
Some of these varieties, mainly from the Mediterranean area,
can be the South African wine producers answer to adapt to climate change. Through
this approach, Vititec also provides the
wine industry with internationally renowned grape varieties capable of
producing exciting wines suitable for the changing market.
Vititec, in association with local producers and nurseries, is
currently involved with the planting and evaluation of this varieties new to
the South African wine industry. This work is ongoing with other grape
varieties with a view to adapt to water stress (Agiorgitiko, Nero d’Avola, Zinfandel
(syn. Primitivo) and Torrontes.
It should be noted that the main objectives of Vititec is to
improve the potential of the wine plant material while maintaining all the
characteristics and identity of each variety. Vititec contributes to the
conservation of all varieties of vines grown by both the sanitary quality of
plants free of viruses through the consideration of the diversity of grape
varieties and wine types. This activity is a real link between research and
production, unique in its structure, operations and results. Most of the vine
varieties propagated by Vititec and its partners are under license from
ENTAV-INRA®. The mark demonstrates a
recognized know-how and acquired from vines evaluated over more than 40 years.
It guarantees the origin, authenticity, plant health quality and the genetic origin
of the clones.
The new varieties
available:
- Macabeu (syn. Viura): white variety
from Spain (Catalogne). It is a vigorous and productive variety with large
clusters and medium berry size. It is a late ripening variety and well adapted
to hot climates. The wines are pleasant both often lack acidity. Carefully
grown, with limited yields, this variety known as Viura in Spain, could produce really very delicious,
full-bodied and ageworthy dry white Riojas.
- Vermentino: white
variety from Italy. It is a vigorous and productive variety with large clusters
and medium to large berry size. The cultivar is well adapted to drought and
less fertile soils. This is a typical Mediterranean grape variety, retaining
its acidity well even in relatively warm regions. It is the dominant white wine
grape of Sardinia and Corsica. Vermentino or Rolle is also widely grown through
southern France, where it can produce much livelier wines than some of those
made from fuller-bodied varieties such as Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and
Viognier.
- Counoise: red grape
variety from Provence, France. It has medium clusters and large to medium berry
size. One of the 13 grapes permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Counoise is also
found in the Languedoc and occasionally throughout the Southern Rhone. It is
often use in blends and its contributions to the blend is a peppery flavor and
high acidity. Occasionally encountered as a peppery, dusty varietal that is
usefully high in acid.
- Petit Manseng: white grape
variety from the south west of France. It is a vigorous variety with small
clusters and very small berry size. It has the ability of high acidity at high
sugar levels and produce aromatic dry and seet wines of very good quality. The
small-berried Petit Manseng is also the key to making Jurançon Moelleux, which
owes its sweetness not to noble rot but to shrivelling, or raisining, on the
vine.
- Piquepoul blanc: white
grape variety from Languedoc, France. It is a fertile and productive grape
variety with large clusters and medium berry size. The variety is late ripening
and well suited to sandy soils and hot climates. It is a traditional Languedoc
variety making high-acid, full-bodied, lemony wines of which the best known is
Picpoul de Pinet made around the village of Pinet. The high acidity makes it
also an ideal blending partner to freshen up white wines.
- Terret noir: red grape variety
from Languedoc-Roussillon. It has large clusters and medium berry size and is
well suited to hot and dry climates. It is one of the cultivars permitted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape
and produce fruity, light coloured wines.
- Lledoner pelut: - mutation
of Grenache noir. It is a vigorous variety and is less sensitive to coulure
than Grenache noir. It has medium to large clusters and medium berry size. Now
appreciated as an entirely separate variety, Lledoner Pelut was for a long time
considered to be a clone of Grenache. It differs from Grenache Noir in that it
has a hairy leaves on the lower side, hence its name “Pelut”. Lledoner is the
Catalan name for the “Micocoulier”, or European hackberry tree, a lovely
southern tree that grows small black berries with a large kernel. The variety
is generally grown alongside Grenache gris and Grenache noir in Catalonia. It
ripens slightly later than Grenache Noir, but is less sensitive to oxidation
and gives fruitier wines.
- Sauvignon gris: mutation of
Sauvignon blanc. Description corresponds with Sauvignon blanc, except for the grey
or sometimes rose skin colour at full maturity. Although it is a mutation of
Sauvignon Blanc (in fact it is sometimes also known as Sauvignon Rose), it does
actually taste rather like a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris - seems
to have the extra richness and aroma of a good Pinot gris but the crisp green
acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc.
- Marselan: red grape variety from a cross between Cabernet
Sauvignon and Grenache. It has medium to large clusters and small berries with
low production. Marselan has the creamy, fleshy texture of Grenache along with
the complexity of Cabernet Sauvignon, which also imparts a trace of tannin to
the mix. It has a little of everything: tasty red-cherry fruit, a somewhat
flashy mouthfeel, and soft but discernible tannins.