South Africa has finally arrived at the ne plus ultra of gastronomic fashion: Fauchon on the Place de la Madeleine in Paris, France.

At least, rooibos tea has - in the shape of Le Marchand de Rêve, an infusion made from "rooibos, camomile, verveine et miel", which plutocrats in the business-class lounge of Air France trouser as classy mementos from a visit to the City of Light. Except for Japanese travellers, who bring along their own pot noodles, Western fare being alien to Asian fashionistas.

Japanese suspicion of Western cuisine was reinforced by Jancis Robinson in the Weekend Financial Times. Writing on "natural wine", starting to make an impact in the UK, Robinson observes: "The Japanese, the most enthusiastic importers of natural wines, were ahead even of the Americans . There is something about the Japanese physiology that makes it difficult for them to metabolise alcohol and, especially, sulphur, the all-purpose fruit disinfectant."

I'm betting Chinese tipplers share this reaction and, as Asia is the only likely salvation for SA wine exports, which are collapsing like paper bags in a gale, low-sulphur wines are something SA winemakers must take seriously.

Natural wine is old hat at Carm in the northern Douro of Portugal. "We don't enter into blind tastings," says Filipe Madeira of his 2009 Touriga Naçional, "as our wines burn other wines."

And sure enough, the vivid floral flavours and lively palate were like nothing I'd tasted before in the Douro. With only 5mg/l of sulphur dioxide (a tiny fraction of the allowable limit), the wines are the taste of the fruity future. "I open a bottle and leave it for 10 days. For the first five, the fruit flavour develops and then reaches a plateau but is still fresh on the 10th day."

The first Carm charmers were made on a hill outside the medieval village of Almendra in 2004, although the first vintages date back to 1999 and were made in rented cellar space.

"We're located in the Portuguese Douro, a region conventional wisdom held was only good for wild animals," laughs Madeira. "The British Douro is down by the river with the best vineyards south-facing. We're moving upwards and our preferred aspect is north. But we're now being joined by some big names. Quinta do Crasto have bought some property up here. Rain misses us - we get 150mm/year".

Madeira is no stranger to SA, as New Year's Eve is traditionally celebrated with his friend, Cape Town restaurateur Giorgio Nava (95 Keerom Street and Carne), famous for organic beef raised in the Karoo.

Oh, and the "50 models from Miami" may have something to do with it, as well.