South Africa is one of the world’s more prolific wine producers, with incredible varieties made by family-run vineyards and major businesses alike.
South Africa’s presence in the wine aisle is felt keenly, but the total amount of South Africa ‘under vine’ only comes to less than 480 square miles – placing it outside even the top ten for vineyard plantings by country. This hasn’t stopped the country from making a name for itself as a prolific producer of great wines.
Though it is considered a ‘New World’ country of origin for wine, South Africa’s viticultural history stretches back to the 1600s, and the Dutch East India Company. The early efforts of budding vintners in the 17th Century would not pay off until the end of Apartheid at the end of the 20th, when new technologies and export opportunities stoked international interest, and revealed some of the country’s best-kept boozy secrets.
The vast majority of South African wines are produced in one region: the Western Cape, which is an expansive swathe of the southwestern tip. Though large, this area constitutes little more than a sixth of South Africa’s area, with even less devoted to winemaking. A small amount of South African wine is also produced in the Northern Cape, which is largely arid and sparsely populated as a result – making precious few areas suitable for the planting of vineyards save for the well-watered banks of the Orange River.
What to look for in a South African Wine
Between different regions, wards and grape varietals, it can be difficult to know exactly what to look for in a South African wine.
There are few secrets though, and hunting for a good wine is the same here is it is for any European country of origin. For example, while there is absolutely nothing wrong with blended wines from South Africa – indeed, more than a few have made it to this round-up – an excellent crib by which to narrow down your wine search is to look for ‘wines of origin’.
Best South African wines to buy at a glance
In a somewhat similar fashion to the EU’s PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) appellation scheme, which protects the likes of Champagne and Bordeaux from non-regional namesakes, South Africa has the WO (Wine of Origin) scheme.
The W.O. scheme ensures only wines made from grapes within a single ward can claim to be a wine of said ward. For example, a vineyard in Stellenbosch that only uses its own grapes can call each of its wines a Wine of Origin Stellenbosch, whereas a blended wine containing grapes from multiple wards can only signify the region in which it was made.
Choosing a WO wine will, at the very least, give a much clearer picture of how the climate and terroir impact flavour – hence giving you a much more sophisticated snapshot of South African wines at their best.
That said, there are some accessible and exciting blended options from a broad range of vintners that still achieve astonishing things. Speaking of which…
Journey’s End Queen Bee Viognier 2024
Best overall: best white
Journey’s End is a relatively young wine brand, having started in the mid-1990s as a new project for the Gabbs – most notably behind the supermarket wine-aisle success story Kumala. Though part of a wider brand network, Journey’s End’s output is no lesser for it, and the Queen Bee Viognier is powerful evidence for this.
The Queen Bee is a love letter to the Cape honey bee, a species of bee solely native to southern South Africa and the catalyst by which so much South African produce is made possible. Apt, then, that Queen Bee is a viognier – a grape which imparts Mediterranean and stone-fruit notes alongside a honeyed, floral nose.
Indeed, the Queen Bee is surprisingly sweet and characterful at first sniff; you would swear that the vintners had snuck honey into the fermentation vessels. That honey-sweetness isn’t lost in the mouth, but rather supplemented by a complex sharpness and tartness: over-ripe peaches; sour dragon fruit. This is enjoyably complex and full-bodied, and could easily stand its own against more fragrant and unctuous dishes.
Buy now £14.99, Laithwaites
Vergelegen Millrace Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2019
Best: red
Vergelegen’s estate is the oldest one in this list, having been established in 1700; though it has changed hands more than once, its rich history has had an indelible impact on the quality of its wines. The estate is based in Somerset West, a region of the Stellenbosch ward known for its cabernet-rich viniculture. Its climate and terroir combine to make for memorable wines, rich in flavour and ripe for ageing – which is precisely how the Millrace Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot comes to stand out so well.
This red is deliciously full-bodied on the nose, making the absolute most of both grapes; plum and black cherry are backed up by 14 months of barrel ageing, and softened by the four further years on the shelf. The flavour is markedly more subtle, with age having wicked away some sweetness in favour of a developed, woody, tannic and tobacco-rich experience. This is a wine that rewards each successive sip with another layer of complexity, that would sit well atop rich roasted and Mediterranean dishes.
Buy now £13.99, Majestic
Dynamite Factory Shiraz
Best for: early Shiraz adoptees
Dynamite Factory is a new brand concept from Flagstone Wines, named for the explosive prior purpose of the winery’s second home in Somerset West. The Dynamite Factory wines are designed with accessibility in mind, landing at a cheaper price point with some quintessential flavour profiles in hand.
Indeed, this shiraz is a uniquely accessible red, though perhaps more endearing to budding red wine converts than discerning red wine drinkers. It is extremely sweet smelling, with strawberries coming straight to mind and a hint of raspberry behind. To drink, this sweetness disappears in favour of a lightness and near-effervescent sharpness. There is some chocolate to be found here, but not altogether much.
This would be a fine red for tomato-based seafood starters, and also a great introduction to what South African Shiraz can mean.
Buy now £8.50, Morrisons
Amandla 'Our Future' Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Best for: righteous quaffability
Amandla is a striking new brand from the HER Wine Collection, and all-black, all-women business rightfully carving out success in an unequal industry. Amandla (“power” in Zulu and Xhosa”) is at once an apt descriptor and a call to action, providing a delicious set of socially-conscious alternatives from an extremely exciting business.
The Our Future Sauvignon Blanc is a surprisingly well-rounded wine, with a robust fruity scent and backbone. There is fresh pome-fruit at the top end of the nose, as well as that stereotypical passionfruit character. On the tongue, though, it is delightfully subtle.
There is a word that has rightfully become something of a meme in craft beer circles, but which I cannot help but apply here: quaffable. The Our Future is exceedingly drinkable, exhibiting lime zest, passionfruit sharpness and a rounded sweetness that gives it enough body to sit well - whether as an afternoon session drink or as an accompaniment to shellfish.
Buy now £9.50, Sainsbury’s
Dynamite Factory Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Best for: the second wine of the evening
The Dynamite Factory Sauvignon Blanc is something of a quintessential Sauvignon Blanc experience, with all the trademark trappings of an accessible entry-level white. There’s citrus, herbs and tropical fruits aplenty to be found here, all in relative balance and without challenging the palate too heavily.
The nose is probably the best part of this sauvignon blanc, offering toffee apples alongside lemon peel and tarragon. In the mouth, it’s a tad clash-y, but nonetheless rounded; think fig and pear, washed down with a soft silver tequila (i.e.: the spirit-esque sharpness that lingers after each mouthful). This is a perfectly serviceable white that would go well with practically anything – even if as a second or third bottle.
Buy now £8.50, Morrisons
Vergelegen Millrace Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Best for: a sophisticated, complex experience
Like the Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot of the same vintner, Vergelegen’s Millrace Sauvignon Blanc 2022 is a certified Wine of Origin Stellenbosch, making the most of that rich terroir to bring out the best in an oft-overplayed grape. This sauvignon blanc is a tight number, with an upfront crispness about it on the nose and on the tongue. Behind that first dry impression, though, is a candy sweetness, not unlike the first whiff from a bag of Skittles. This sweetness can be found at the back of the throat later, but not before the immediate evocations of gooseberry and apple skin that come from the first sip.
Despite its dryness, it is a remarkably well-balanced wine. A heady top-end is supported by a subtle earthiness, a product of the Sauvignon grape given the wine’s un-oaked nature. At no point does the Millrace’s sharpness overwhelm, making this an outstanding white for pairing with lighter salads and white fish.
Buy now £12.99, Majestic
Amandla ‘Our Power’ Shiraz-Zinfandel 2022
Best for: red meats and warm evenings
Our Power is another strong entrant from the Amandla oeuvre – this time a shiraz-zinfandel red that lives up to its name. Bold flavours abound, from forest berries and dark chocolate on the nose to cherry-forward depth in the mouth.
Indeed, by sniff this is a port-like red, high in sugar content and rich in fruit expression – macerated black cherries and berries come to mind, lashed over a bitter chocolate ganache. When tasted, the spiciness of the zinfandel grapes comes forward, offering hints of vanilla and cinnamon to complement the oak body (delivered by French oak staves added to the fermentation vessel). With a hint of sharpness, this is an otherwise warming wine that would suit red meat dishes well, but easily stands alone as an evening sipper.
Buy now £9.99, Waitrose
Bosman Family Vineyards Nero 2021
Best for: heady flavour
Bosman is a familiar figure in South Africa’s wine history, with its present-day CEO being an eighth-generation descendant of the original founder in 1810. Bosman’s remit is wide, owing to its size; it has fingers in a great many different pies across South Africa – including the aforementioned HER Wine Collection. The Nero exemplifies Bosman’s investment in innovation, being a South African wine made from the usually-Sicilian Nero d’Avola grape.
The Nero has a rich nose, and a fun one at that; you’ll find everything from fresh plum and forest berries to cacao nib. The taste, though, is a little tighter and more discerning. There’s sweetness to be found between the tannins and alcohol, making the Nero taste like a liqueur more than anything else. There’s silk and hair alike, wrapped up in a tight flavour package that sits well with hearty tomato-based dishes.
Buy now £10.50, Sainsbury's
Nature & Sun Organic Grenache Noir 2020
Best for: summer picnics
This grenache noir is a bit of a jump-scare out of the bottle, as what looks to be a relatively bright wine in the bottle pours as if a summer fruits cordial. This lightness of colour shouldn’t mislead you as to its flavour, though. While the nose is very much what you’d expect, both from the grape and the diluted Robinsons-red colour – bright sugar, strawberry and apple – it tastes enjoyably complex.
The tannins add intrigue to conventional berry notes, and the high abv carries both through to a sharp finish. This is another very quaffable wine, light-bodied and kind; as such, it would be a great starter red, or even a good fixture for the summer picnic cooler.
Buy now £12.99, Waitrose
Amandla 'Our Freedom' Blush 2022
Best for: garden parties
Our Freedom is another from the Amandla trifecta – a soft affair, and a wine that to some extent could even be described as ‘delicate’. Chenin blanc grapes are the star of the show, bringing their idiosyncratic sweet-sour yin-yang to proceedings alongside a touch of berry from the dash of Pinotage that gives Our Freedom its colour. The pinotage slots in well, as lighter berry flavours subtly waft up between lemon-lime juice and gomme syrup notes to create a veritable flavour-profile cocktail.
The nose is the subtlest part of the package, giving little away besides some citrus sharpness and herb-garden aroma. On the tongue, though, Our Freedom zings, leaving behind hints of watermelon and strawberry. This is a Sunday afternoon wine if ever there was one.
Buy now £9.50, Sainsbury’s
Bosman Pinot Noir 2021
Best for: accessible complexity
Another from the Bosman flock, this 2021 Pinot Noir is a Wine of Origin Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley, a relatively new ward within once-ward Walker Bay. It is distinguished from the other two Hemel en Aarde wards by its terroir – which lends it uniquely well to the production of pinot noirs.
The Bosman Pinot Noir is proof positive of this assertion, being an absurdly well-structured red for its type. This wine is a bright and clear red, with a deep and rewarding nose that puts berry compote scents at the forefront. This is an easy drinker, too, with surprisingly little alcohol on the tongue for its 13%.
To drink, it is refreshing – and refreshingly complex, despite its lightness of flavour and colour. A rounded oak flavour gives way to those same berries, with a hint of tannic mouthfeel that makes the next sip even more inviting. Though by no means simple, this is a light wine – perhaps better suited to pre-dinner drinks than a full-bodied main course.
Buy now £14.99, Waitrose
Verdict
The best white was a difficult race, but the Journey’s End Queen Bee Viognier 2024 stood out with its nominatively deterministic flavour profile – at once rich, sweet and eminently accessible, and a favourite overall to boot.
As for the reds, the Vergelegen Millrace Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2019 edged out from the competition for its medium-full body, an expert blend of flavours pulled straight from Stellenbosch soil.
