Hanepoot
APPEARANCE
ON THE VINE: This late to mid-season ripener has medium to large conical bunches. When ripe, the berries are golden and quite large. Its skin is thin but tough with conspicuous bloom
IN THE GLASS: Bright and golden.
SMELL
Muscat, litchi, pineapple, melon, honey and raisins.
TASTE
Sweet and distinctly ‘grapey’.
ORIGIN
As its proper name suggests, Muscat d'Alexandrie is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt where it was cultivated by the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. The Romans spread the variety throughout the Mediterranean, and hence its synonym Muscat Romain.
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Hanepoot was one of the earliest vinous immigrants to the Cape. The origin of its name is uncertain… During the Anglo-Boer War, British soldiers nicknamed it "honeypot", which may have became "hanepoot" in the local vernacular. It was only in the 1920s that Stellenbosch University professor Abraham Perold proved conclusively that Hanepoot and Muscat d'Alexandrie were one and the same. It is perhaps best known in its fortified form as Jerepigo and Muscadel. It is also widely sold as table grapes and used in the production of raisins, grape juice and concentrate.
ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD
Southern France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, eastern Mediterranean, California and Australia.
AGEING POTENTIAL
Up to 20 years as a fortified wine, possibly longer.
MATCHING WITH FOOD
SERVING TEMPERATURE
Between 8° and 10° C.