SOUTH AFRICAN WINE

South African wine country is considered primarily to be the Western Cape area, clustered on the country’s west and south coasts, where the country’s generally hot climate is moderated by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. (A small amount of wine is made more inland, especially in the Klein Karoo area to the east of the Western Cape, mostly in river valleys or at high mountain altitudes.) The Western Cape is split into 30 wine regions and more than 100 smaller appellations. The Coastal Region (home to Paarl, Stellenbosch, Swartland and Wellington) and Cape South Coast (home to Elgin and Walker Bay) are the most prominent.

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.

Chenin Blanc (known as Steen, locally) is the most widely planted white wine grape in South Africa, followed by Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. South Africa’s most planted red wine grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, followed closely by Shiraz (also known as Syrah) and Pinotage. Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape, created in 1925 from a crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir.

A red wine grape called Pinotage, created in 1925 from a crossing of Cinsault and Pinot Noir, is the most famous wine from South Africa. However, in the last five or so years, winegrowers have been planting more white wine varieties than red, and Chenin Blanc has emerged as a top wine both within the country and internationally.