A Review of the Wine of Origin System

Importance of Origin

Because the role of origin is so important, an origin control system has for many years been in place in the traditional winelands of Europe, to protect both the producer and consumer.

The two factors which play the most important role in determining the character and quality of a wine, is nature (soil, climate and location) and the human hand (cultivar choice, viticultural practices and winemaking techniques). Of these two, nature is considered to be the more important factor with a greater influence. In certain areas the vine grows better and within the South African wine producing areas, there are differences in soil, climate and location which causes wines to differ from region to region.

If a wine claims origin, it is the statutory regulations which ensure that the wine really is from that origin.

When the term “Wine of Origin” or the abbreviation "W.O." appears together with the name of a production area, such as Stellenbosch, Durbanville or Robertson on a label, it confirms that 100% of the grapes from which the wine is made, comes from that specific area.