From the first of January 2012 no new bottling of South African Port may be labelled as Port. Instead all SA produced port-style wine will in future be labelled as Cape Pink, Cape Ruby, Cape Tawny and Cape Vintage to describe a particular style. Producers may continue to sell product bottled and labelled as Port prior to 1 January 2012 in the South African market through all existing channels whilst stocks last.
  
For many years the members of the Cape Port Producers Association (previously the South African Port Producers Association) have focussed on improving the quality of Cape Ports. Many local and overseas wine experts reckon that South African Port is by far the best in the New World and as good as the best from Portugal.
   
Although Port may not be used on labels, South African Port Producers will still advertise their products as Cape Ports and Calitzdorp will still be known as the Port Capital of South Africa. The Cape Port Producers Association will also recommend that all South African wine competitions refer to the product as Cape Port (for Cape Ruby, Cape Tawny and Cape Vintage) on their entry forms.

  
Dave Hughes (Chairman - Port panel at Veritas) and Carel Nel
(Chairman – Cape Port Producers Association)   
  

Cape Port Producers feel strongly that Cape Ports have a great future and furthermore that South Africa table wines made from the same Portuguese red and white cultivars will be something that wine lovers are bound to seek out. Cape Portuguese Red blends and single cultivar wines have a unique and excellent quality profile and combine extremely well with food.
   
The 2012 annual Cape Port Challenge organised by the Cape Port Producers Association will for the first time include table wines produced from Portuguese cultivars as an innovation to celebrate the unique characteristics of these wines.
   
For more information regarding port and the Cape Port Producers Association, please contact the chairman for the association, Carel Nel, at 044 213 3326 or boplaas@mweb.co.za.