South African wines have emerged as serious players in the wine world, surprising both connoisseurs and newbies alike. With the perfect climate for winemaking, warm sunshine, and captivating landscape, it is no wonder that the local wine and tourism industry are thriving. South Africa is considered a New World wine region but has a winemaking tradition stretching back 300 years. Winemaking in South Africa began in 1652 when the Dutch East India Company set up a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope.
Here's what you should know about the South African wine region:
Key Grape Varieties of South Africa
South Africa makes a wide variety of wines in an even wider variety of styles. If you’d like to try some South African wines, here are a few of my favorites.
Main White Grape Varieties
Chenin Blanc: The Underappreciated White Wine
Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted grape in South Africa, and for centuries was referred to as Steen. It wasn’t until the 1960s that winemakers discovered that it was in fact Chenin Blanc, the very same variety responsible for some of the great wines of the Loire Valley in France. Unlike examples from the Loire, South African Chenin tends to be almost always dry, with the characteristic floral note and lots of rich, ripe peachy fruit flavours. Fresh, young Chenins are a great match for seafood, particularly oysters, while the richer styles, which are more akin to a Viognier or oaky Chardonnay, are perfect with fish pie or chicken in a creamy sauce. Chenin Blanc contains apple, pineapple, pear, spices, peach, and honeydew melon notes. The fruitiness of Chenin Blanc is an excellent companion to meats, seafood, and salads.
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Colombard (or Colombar locally) is the next widely planted grape after Chenin, although a substantial amount is used for brandy production. This French variety is often used to add a zesty character to Chenin Blanc. Known in South Africa as ‘Colombar’, this esoteric white wine grape from central France (close to Bordeaux) is quite commonly used to add Sauvignon Blanc-like zestiness to Chenin Blanc based white wine blends. Still, a large chunk of the wine production goes toward brandy making.
Sauvignon Blanc saw increased plantings during the 1980s and 90s as there was greater interest in international varieties. The flavors of Sauvignon Blanc in South Africa are similar to those in New Zealand; they are zesty, grapefruit-y, and grassy, and usually cost around $10 a bottle.
Other white varietals include Sémillon, Riesling, and Viognier which are often used for blending, but increasingly found in single-varietal boutique bottlings.
Main Red Grape Varieties
The most popular South African red wines are shiraz (syrah), cabernet sauvignon, along with cinsault (or cinsaut), pinot noir and the homegrown Cape favourite, pinotage.
Pinotage is synonymous with South Africa, created at Stellenbosch University in the 1920s. This crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault is largely ignored by the rest of the wine-producing world, yet remains a mainstay of the South African wine industry. It is something of a marmite wine, being loved and maligned in equal measure, but is capable of producing wines in an array of styles, from a juicy, fruity number, to earthy, full bodied wines packed with red fruit flavours, often with smoky tobacco or tar notes. Pinotage can handle a fair amount of spice and smoke, so is a great match for barbecues and chargrilled meats. In the winter try with hearty game dishes or a fiery chilli con carne. Pinotage offers juicy raspberry to blueberry fruit flavors with spiced chocolate and tobacco. The wines are much denser, have higher alcohol content, and are typically more savory than Pinot Noir. Pinotage often gets blended with Syrah.
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Cabernet Sauvignon is known for its Bordeaux-esque Cabernet Merlot blends, which can offer incredible value for money when compared to their French counterparts. South African Cabernet Sauvignon falls somewhere between the New and Old Worlds in terms of style, with plenty of ripe blackberry and plum flavours, and a savoury complexity, but smoother and less austere than a chewy Bordeaux. It makes a great match for a slow roast leg of lamb with oodles of garlic and rosemary. The flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon are blackberry, black cherry, plum, cedar, green bell pepper, and tobacco. Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with foods--containing fats and protein. This includes a rack of lamb, prime rib, ribeye, New York strip, and filet mignon.
Syrah has grown in popularity in recent years, and as with many varieties, South Africa produces differing styles due to its varied terrain and microclimates. Cooler regions produce more savoury examples, with a good hit of spicy black pepper, while Syrahs from warmer areas tend to be more intense and fuller bodied, with a chocolatey richness. Syrah from South Africa is becoming popular due to its dark spiced fruit flavors and chocolate-like richness. It’s important to note that since Syrah grows throughout South Africa, it has a wide range of styles. You will find savory wines from cooler regions such as Paarl and Stellenbosch and richly intense wines from dry areas such as Robertson and Swartland.
Other red wines grown in South Africa include Malbec, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, and Cinsault (spelled ‘Cinsaut’ in SA). While most of the above varieties are blended, South Africa’s cooler climate regions (including Elgin and Walker Bay) are making single variety Pinot Noir.
Most Important Regions
The traditional heartland of South African wine production has long been the so called Coastal Region, which it remains influential today as the home of notable zones Constantia, Paarl and Stellenbosch. 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.
Here are some of the most important regions:
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- Constantia, located south of Cape Town on the Cape Peninsula, is the oldest wine region. Owing to its position and the cooling influence of the sea, it has a cooler climate and longer growing season, which helps to ripen the grapes slowly. It is particularly noted for quality Sauvignon Blanc and its sweet Muscat, Vin de Constance. By 1788, the sweet wines of Constantia enjoyed an unparalleled reputation among the European nobility. During the mid-1700s to mid-1800s, dessert wines were some of the most in-demand wines of the day. Constantia was as famous as other dessert wines of the day, including Hungarian Tokaji and French Sauternes.
- Stellenbosch is the second oldest wine region in South Africa, and arguably the most well known. It accounts for around 14% of total production and is particularly noted for its Cabernet and Bordeaux blends, although it is responsible for a range of styles, both red and white. Specific South African wine regions - like Stellenbosch - have the perfect blend of ocean breeze, altitude and soil to make a world-class Cabernet. Rich, powerful yet vibrant and soft. This is the wine capital of South Africa - renowned for those Bordeaux varieties (like the Cabernet) - but also for its iconic scenery. While the region is renowned for its reds, the white varieties are exceptional too. Chardonnay, in particular, has turned some heads - one of which includes the 2020 Le Bonheur Estate Chardonnay.
- Paarl is less famous than its illustrious neighbour Stellenbosch, Paarl is still worthy of attention. It’s slightly further inland, and so less influenced by the cooling sea breezes, therefore its warm climate is perfect for producing rich, robust reds. Paarl boasts a variety of different soils and terrain, so makes a range of quality wines from both red and white grapes. With a quick 20-minute drive north of Stellenbosch, you can reach Paarl and its extraordinary vineyards. This region is much lesser-known but offers an incredible range of robust (yet smooth) red wines.
- Swartland is a large wine producing area situated around 40 miles north of Cape Town in the Western Cape. This area has a hot and dry climate and specialises in rich, fruit driven wines. Syrah based Rhone blends and Chenin Blanc are the real stars here and worth looking out for. Lying in the north of Cape Town lies Swartland. Its area encompasses a significant amount of land. As a result, vineyards can be on mountain foothills or gentle hillsides.
- Elgin, 40 miles southeast of Cape Town is South Africa’s coolest region and is an exciting and innovative area for wine production. It’s unique location surrounded on all sides by mountains means that its climate is especially suited to white varieties, and indeed it has already experienced great success with Sauvignon Blanc. It’s also the one region in South Africa where the temperamental Pinot Noir can reach premium levels of quality.
- Franschhoek: 30 minutes east of Stellenbosch you’ll find the city of Franschhoek, a town that takes you back to the early South African history - with historic architecture and culture.
The South African wine region is something not to be missed for anyone who appreciates good wine, unique culture and a tasting experience like no other. Not only are the wines exceptional, but the locals have crafted an entire culture around unique and memorable wine tastings.
Ideal Timing for a Wine Tour
- Spring (September to November): This is the time the vineyards awaken with new life - filling the vineyards with blossoms, greenery and the first signs of growth.
- Harvest Season (January to March): January and February are some of the hottest months of the year - making them ideal for a summer vacation. This is also when most grapes are harvested - allowing a range of activities for tourists or locals to partake in.
The Uniqueness of South African Wines
As mentioned, the South African wine region could not have had a more perfect setup: Sunlight, altitude, ocean breeze, mountains and the most diverse soil in the world. Naturally, this would mean every possible grape you could think of grows here.
South African wines offer impressively good value and feature styles and tastes that are food friendly. The aroma and taste of South Africa’s wines range from silky fruit flavors to acidic, mineral notes.
