South Africa

In 1652 explorer Jan van Riebeek arrived at the Cape of Good Hope and instigated the planting of the first grape vines. Thus, South Africa has one foot in the Old World with over 350 years of winemaking history and the other in the New World. While South Africa was successful and highly regarded as a wine producing nation in the 60s and 70s, the "sanction years" harmed the industry and it has only recently begun to free itself of its Old World bias, government controlled export body and started producing wines that are once again attracting the attention of the wine world.