The north and the south never seem to meet, and not just physically. There seems to have existed an odd tension between the two geographic oppositions in every region since time immemorial.
You don?t venture into Marseille wearing a ?I love Paris? t-shirt. You don?t step into a bar in Sicily and root for Milan FC. You definitely don?t walk into an Udupi and make fun of how people eat (no matter how funny it appears). Given such an inexplicable yet indelible divide, it is no surprise that even in the world of wines, such contrasts and biases blatantly exist. But at least, in this case, the division is a tad more understandable.
Wines were made first in modern-day Europe and spread to other areas with the immigrant populations. In the northern hemisphere, the US was perhaps the most obvious and celebrated of conquests. But a much larger chunk was invaded and settled in the southern hemisphere. From South American countries such as Chile and Argentina, (even Uruguay), to Australia and New Zealand, and also, South Africa.
Amongst all these, one country was blocked to the rest of the world till as recent as 1994. This was South Africa and the reason was the prevalence of apartheid, which sort of kept them cut off from the rest of the world. A very major French population that had migrated here in the 17th century brought with them their wines. But given this embargo, the wines were never sold internationally and hence were nothing close to what the rest of the world was making for the same price. Post the lifting of the trade ban, the wine industry had to do a turnaround in record time. A lot of work was needed and was put in.
I have been to South Africa a few times and each time I have been mesmerised by how good their food and wine scene is! The opening up to foreign markets made them realise just what they were lacking and soon enough they made necessary changes to improve quality and consequently, image. They have recently introduced an ?integrity and sustainability? seal that further testifies and assures the buyer of the quality of the wine, which has to pass stringent tests and regulations before it can carry the seal.
India, in contrast, is still trying to protect its local wine producers who are continuing to bottle crap and sell it to the unsuspecting public, who, one sip later, swear off wine forever. If only the authorities would realise how competition is a healthy thing, no local winery would have the stones to hock their ware for the ridiculous prices they actually do. Most of our wines are worth $4 a litre and no more, but given the high taxes on foreign wines at a similar competitive price, they can afford to sell at almost thrice that price. The losers: we the consumers.
The proof is in the final pudding and recently, when South Africa overtook France to export the fourth-largest contingent of wines to the UK (one of the world?s most mature wine markets), there must have been celebration aplenty.
With FIFA around the corner and such good wine to present, they are truly geared up to welcome the world in style.
?The writer is a sommelier