South Africa was now “among the most exciting wine countries in the world”, internationally respected wine writer Robert Joseph said at a function last week to honour Franschhoek wine estate La Motte, this year’s winner of the annual Great Wine Capitals of the World wine tourism award.

He told top wine producers that there had been “enormous progress” in wine making and in wine tourism since he first came to South Africa in the late 1980s. He was “dazzled by the complete revolution in wine and wine tourism that has been taking place in this country in the last 25 years”.

Wine tourism, which generates income of more than R5 billion a year and is a major creator of jobs, was identified as important in the government’s New Growth Path policy.

The other Great Wine Capitals of the World, against which the Western Cape competes, include Mainz-Rheinhessen in Germany, Bilbao-Rioja in Spain, Bordeaux in France, Florence in Italy, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal, San Francisco and the Napa Valley in the US, and Christchurch in New Zealand.