Far more than you need to know about South Africa's new wines

This 3000-word report is designed to be read in conjunction with my Despatch from the Cape and my overview of the Cape wine scene to be published in wine news this weekend, together with a list of my favourite wines (I have given UK/US importers in brackets whenever possible).

• Current vintages
• General observations
• Where to find the wines
• Social inequality
• Cape Blends
• Pinotage
• Rhône varieties
• Newcomers to watch
• Cool newcomers
• Impressive oldtimers
• The dinosaurs

Current vintages

These do vary.

• 2003 – cold, wet winter followed by not too hot a summer; looks very promising
• 2002 – quite difficult...