South African wine has gained well-deserved recognition, offering beautifully crafted, high-quality bottles at reasonable prices. Many of the country's top wineries are conveniently located less than an hour from Cape Town, making it an ideal destination for wine enthusiasts.
Vineyards in Franschhoek, South Africa
South Africa's Top Wine Regions
South African wine country is primarily located in the Western Cape area, clustered along the west and south coasts. Here, the generally hot climate is moderated by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The Western Cape is divided into 30 wine regions and over 100 smaller appellations. The Coastal Region, encompassing Paarl, Stellenbosch, Swartland, and Wellington, and the Cape South Coast, home to Elgin and Walker Bay, are the most prominent.
If you’re looking to experience a good range of South African wine, the Cape Winelands region in the Western Cape is your best bet.
Key Wine Regions:
- Stellenbosch: Known as the birthplace of Pinotage, Stellenbosch offers a range of wines from Bordeaux-style blends and Syrah to Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Viognier.
- Franschhoek: Dubbed the "French Corner" of South Africa, Franschhoek is celebrated for its culinary excellence and laid-back charm.
- Paarl: Known for its robust but smooth red wines.
- Swartland: This warmer region is at the forefront of developing Rhône varietals and home to some of the best old Chenin Blanc vines.
- Constantia: Thanks to the influence of the two oceans, Constantia is known for its cooler climate.
- Elgin: Elgin is an up-and-coming, very cool region for Sauvignon Blanc.
Key Grape Varieties in South Africa
If there is a trio that represents South Africa’s signature grape varieties, it’s chenin blanc, pinotage and cabernet sauvignon.
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Chenin Blanc, known locally as Steen, is the most widely planted white wine grape, followed by Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted red wine grape, closely followed by Shiraz (Syrah) and Pinotage, a uniquely South African grape created in 1925 from a crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc has a remarkable history in South Africa, and its stylistic versatility and resurgence as a fine wine ensure a wealth of choices to try. For years it made cheap-and-cheerful stuff, perhaps not South Africa's finest hour, but in the last two, three decades, the winemakers there have really realised what they've got, particularly the fantastic old vines that produce some of the top examples these days, either straight chenin or the Cape White Blends, which tend to be a base of chenin blanc, or an element of chenin blanc blended with other things.
The beauty of chenin is that it retains a certain freshness. It retains its acidity, it retains a minerality, even in those hot, dry temperatures of the Cape, including the Swartland region, which is home to many of those old bush vines. And it's those old vines that are low to the ground, rather sprawling. Chenin is made in a wide range of styles, whether it's bottled as a solo grape or indeed in a Cape Blend. It's very versatile because it has some body, it doesn't have too strong a flavour, a little bit like chardonnay.
Pinotage
Today I'm going to talk about pinotage, which is South Africa's very own red grape. It was actually created by a crossing, which many grapes are created that way, cross fertilisation between pinot noir and cinsault, which is originally from the south of France, and that happened back in the 1920s. Professor Perold at Stellenbosch University made that crossing, but the first commercial plantings weren't until the 1950s, so it took some time to actually get the grape material going.
Pinotage continues to evolve into a plethora of different styles meaning there’s never been a better time to explore, or revisit, its charms. You can get light, fresh styles made in a much more modern, accessible way. Great served cool, whether it's with a summer barbecue or even in the winter months, it’s a lovely wine to have with mushrooms. Or they can go full up to the big, traditionally vinified, open fermenters, big hefty reds tend to be quite high in alcohol. It's a grape that needs to be as physiologically ripe as possible. It gets naturally high sugar levels.
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Pinotage's 'parents' are pinot noir, which imparts its strawberry aromas and lovely texture in young wines, and more complex, farmyard characteristics in more mature examples, and cinsault, the southern French grape, which adds spice and body.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Now, as a previous buyer of Bordeaux wines, you won't be surprised to hear that I'm a lover of the cabernet sauvignon grape champion of the left bank in Bordeaux, most commonly used for blending in classic French wines. But it's a grape that stands well on its own, as well as in blends. It's a grape that is well structured. You can get lovely characters as the wine matures, of cedar, tobacco, cigar box, pencil lead, those are the classic pointers. When it's young, it's more berry fruit with a lovely freshness to it.
You get some super top examples where you will have very good use of oak and you get some very affordable wines. Probably the best rule of thumb is that at the lower price bracket, you're better off with a blend. So, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, petit verdot, increasingly, occasionally shiraz and sometimes cinsault.
Map of the Cape Winelands
Other Wine Styles
South Africa makes a wide variety of wines in an even wider variety of styles. A wide range of wines is made in South Africa, including still and sparkling white, rosé and red wines. Most wine from South Africa is dry, but sweet wines are made there, including fortified wines, late-harvest wines and botrytized wines. There’s something for everyone.
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Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) is South Africa’s answer to Champagne. If you love Champagne like we do but not the price tag, MCC is your new best friend. It’s made the same way but without the markup.
Notable Producers
The most important factor in deciding whether or not to buy is often the producer's name. This is easily achieved when some of the grandest 'old' names, such as Meerlust, Hamilton Russell, Kanonkop, and Klein Constantia, still rank among the country's best producers.
Two of the Cape's stars, whose wines are stocked by The Society, are Eben Sadie and Chris Williams. Sadie began his career with one of the most dynamic winemakers of the previous generation, Charles Back (Fairview and Spice Route).
Some wineries to look out for include:
- Graham Beck
- Creation
- Hamilton Russell Vineyards
- Kanonkop
- Meerlust
- Warwick
- Klein Constantia
- Boekenhoutskloof
- Eben Sadie
- Chris Williams
South African Wine in the Market
South African wines are mostly invisible on wine store shelves. Either the South African “section” consists of half a dozen bottles crammed into a corner or worse, it doesn’t exist at all.
The good news is that exports of South African wine to the United States are on an upswing. Sales of South African wine in the US were up 13% last year, compared to the same period in 2021.
South African wines offer impressively good value, and feature styles and tastes that are food friendly.
Quick & Easy Guide to Wines of South Africa - Where to find Great Value Wines
Table of Key South African Grape Varieties
| Grape Variety | Color | Description | Common Styles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chenin Blanc (Steen) | White | Versatile, fresh, acidic, mineral-driven | Dry wines, Cape White Blends, Sparkling wine, Sweet wine |
| Sauvignon Blanc | White | Crisp, aromatic | Dry white wines |
| Chardonnay | White | Full-bodied, adaptable to oak | Dry white wines, Sparkling wines |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | Red | Well-structured, cedar, tobacco, berry fruit | Single varietal, Bordeaux blends |
| Shiraz (Syrah) | Red | Spicy, rich | Single varietal, Blends |
| Pinotage | Red | Unique South African grape, strawberry, farmyard notes | Light and fresh styles, Big, traditionally vinified reds |
