South Africa 

Despite not having a deep-rooted winemaking tradition, South Africa today stands 7th in the ranking of the largest wine producers in the world. This is due to the presence of a good number of large cooperatives which in recent decades have focused on quantitative rather than qualitative production. Since the mid-1980s however, a growing number of new private wine producers have been focusing essentially on quality wines, bringing results that are gradually making their way onto international markets, even reaching peaks of absolute excellence. The most cultivated grape in South Africa is Chenin Blanc , called “ Steen ”, with which are mainly produced common wines, even with some notable exceptions. White grapes are however the most cultivated in South Africa, in particular the "international" ones such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon , Riesling and Colombard , the " Cape Riesling ", also called Crouchen and Hanepoot , which is none other than Moscato d'Alessandria, from which fortified wines are mainly obtained. Among the red berried grapes the most important is Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Cinsaut , Merlot , Shiraz . The local Pinotage is a cross produced between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, with which excellent medium-high quality wines are produced. The oldest production area in South Africa is Constantia on the Cape of Good Hope, where it benefits from both a cool climate and the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. About 45 kilometers to the east is Stellenbosch , one of the oldest growing areas in the country and one of the most important, both in terms of production and quality. North of Stellenbosch is Paarl , which produces white and red wines, fortified wines, sparkling wines and brandies. Fortified wines are produced with the same technique as Jerez in Spain. A well-known area in this area is Franschoek , the ancient settlement of the French Huguenots, where quality wines are produced from Sémillon grapes.