South Africa is the most European of 'new world' wine makers

Red soil, breezy air, steep mountains and an all-embracing sun. It's still the end of winter in the wine-making region around Cape Town, so work in the vineyards is yet to begin. But inside the caves, barrels are being cleaned, wine-tanks are being monitored and bottles are lining up one by one, under the careful watch of supervisors.

The names of the wines in the barrels - Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot - sound European. So are most of the rules and standards applied, from crushing...