Wine & Brandy industry information
According to South African legislation wines can be classified as natural or fortified wines regarding its alcohol concentration. When grapes are fermented alcohol is formed and if all the alcohol in a wine is resulting from the fermentation the wine is classified as a natural wine. If however additional alcohol, also called wine spirits which derives from grapes, is added to the wine it is classified as a fortified wine. Port and jerepigos are well known fortified wines.
Did you know?
Jerepigos are usually also referred to as communion wines because all denominations will use these wines for their sacraments. Due to its high degree sweetness it is also sometimes describe as fortified grape juice.
Selected, disease free, overripe, raisin white or red grapes, depending whether white or red jerepigo is made, are picked manually.
The grapes are delivered at the cellar where it is destalked ...
... and the berries are crushed.
Additives like sulphur dioxide are added to the pomace to ensure a sound wine. Skin contact is allowed until fermentation commences to extract sufficient colour and tannins from the skins.
The juice is separated from the skins and the skins are pressed to recover all the wine.
If required the clarified young wine can be matured in barrels or utilised as a unwooded wine. After the completion of fermentation and during maturation, containers must always been kept full to prevent spoilage of the wine.
Different wines are blended to ensure consistency regarding the type and style of the wine to be bottled. The blended wine is stabilised to prevent any colour, flavour and taste changes or precipitations before it is bottled.
Blended and stabilised wines are bottled.
Jerepigos pair well with desserts or as a winter drink at the fireplace.