5 Great Resources to Learn More About South African Wine

Whether you are diving deep into the world of South African wines for a research paper, boning up for an exam or just want discover more about this dynamic wine-producing country, we’ve got you covered with our recommendations of five great resources (3 books and 2 websites) that are most worth your time to check out.

Also, don’t miss our upcoming December 4th webinar - What the SWOT South Africa? where we look at possible wine business questions (such as SWOT—strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats—analysis) that could appear on wine exams or be relevant to research papers on the South African wine industry.

Note: Elevage Wine Coaching participates in Amazon’s affiliate program so we may receive a small commission for purchases made from these links. But, where possible, we will also include links where you can purchase directly from the publisher.

Books

• The Wines of South Africa (2020) by Jim Clarke - Published late last year by Classic Wine Library (publisher link), this is the most up-to-date wine book on the South African wine industry. Authored by Jim Clarke, the US. Marketing Manager for WOSA (Wines of South Africa), this book covers the usual suspects of a regional wine book with the history, climate, geography, grapes and notable wine regions described in great detail. But where this book really shines is how Clarke weaves in the unique historical, cultural and business dynamics of South Africa and how they’re still seen today.
  
  For example, perhaps you were as confused as we were about the very draconian measures that the South African government took with multiple full alcohol bans during the COVID pandemic lockdowns. While the drastic nature of those measures could still be debated, Clarke’s explanation of some of the sordid history of alcohol abuse in South Africa—particularly the “dop system” used by white farmers to pay colored workers alcohol as part of their wages—was incredibly eye-opening.
  
  Bonus resource: Jim Clarke and the WOSA USA team have a very active Instagram channel and have done numerous IG Lives with South African winemakers that you can find on their page.
  

• Wines of the New South Africa: Tradition and Revolution (2013) by Tim James - Before Clarke’s book, this edition from the University of California Press (publisher link) was the best South African wine book out there. Written by wine journalist Tim James (Platter’s Guide, which we’ll talk about below, and the regional SA expert for Jancis Robinson & Hugh Johnson’s awesome The World Atlas of Wine), it still has a lot of value for wine students—especially if you can find used copies at a good price.
  
  Compared to Clarke, James goes a little more into viticulture and winemaking details (especially in the producer profile sections) though I would say that Clarke does a better job of explaining climate and terroir influences (as well as the business & cultural dynamics noted above). So while there is certainly overlap, there are enough differences to warrant having both references.
  

• Pinotage: Behind the Legends of South Africa's Own Wine (2009) by Peter F. May - Fairly or unfairly, Pinotage is intimately associated in many consumers’ minds with South African wine. So if you want to go WAAAAAAAY beyond the one page devoted to the grape in Robinson’s Wine Grapes tome and the couple pages devoted in each of James & Clarke’s works, then this is the book for you.
  
  Written by Peter F. May, founder of The Pinotage Club blog and fan club, this self-published (? - you can get a signed copy from the author here) book obviously aims to get folks to take another look at the much-maligned variety. But it does provide very fascinating details about the origins of the grape variety, including more in-depth background info on Abraham Perold and his other works.
  
  I particularly enjoyed the focus given to Cinsault—often overlooked in favor of Pinot noir’s role in Pinotage’s parentage—which is another grape that certainly deserves more attention and some fresh set of eyes. For wine students, this book is also peppered with a lot of great viticulture and winemaking details that shed light on how some of the different profiles of Pinotage can emerge due to decisions made in the vineyard and winery.

Websites

• Wines of South Africa (WOSA) - Probably one of the most overlooked resource for any wine region are the official websites and social media channels of the local marketing and promotion boards. Now it’s true that not all regional sites are the same—and there certainly are some lackluster sites out there—but that is definitely not the case with the Wines of South Africa site.
  
  While there are tons of goodies throughout the site, a few must-clicks are their library of downloadable wine maps, detailed regional presentations with lots of great photos that help you get a feel for each region, and the replay section for all their excellent 2021 WOSA Insider Sessions webinars that cover numerous wine business and marketing concepts such black empowerment and investment programs, sustainability and dealing with the threat of climate change as well as the changing future of wine markets.
  
  Oh and, of course, statistics galore for the numbers geeks (and MW students!) out there.
  
  Bonus resource: WOSA also has their own (still active as of Nov 2021) podcast, hosted by Jim Clarke. I’m still working my way through all the episodes but the ones on the Swartland and Elgin are particularly excellent for wine students to listen to.
  

• Platter’s Guide - Founded by John and Erica Platter but now owned by the Diner’s Club, this is the iconic South African wine publication. Each year they publish their ratings book which you can purchase on the site or on Amazon. However, apart from the book, their website offers wonderful details for wine students seeking to understand more about the South African wines they find at shops and on supermarket shelves.
  
  Below is a screenshot I took of a (non-subscriber) search I did for the well-known Goats do Roam wine. Even without subscribing (which is only 175 rand, about $11 USD, a year for online access), there is a lot of helpful info here with website and email addresses, social medial channels, winemaker (sometimes viticulturist and cellarmaster) as well as whether or not the wine is bottled on-premise or, presumably, shipped in bulk and bottled elsewhere.
  
  Scrolling down, you can also find a list of different labels made by producers such as the multiple brands that are owned by Anthonij Rupert or Kleine Zalze’s several labels. Subscribers get a little more details about the producers with wine reviews that often shed some light on the winemaking. But even if you don’t subscribe, having this site on your phone as you go through the names of South African wines at your local supermarket or wine shop will definitely help you learn more about producers as well as potential bulk or private labels you may come across.