South African Wine List | The Wine Centre

South African Wine

Stellenbosch, Paarl and Western Cape are producing some delicious wines across most of the style and price spectrum, but Chenin Blanc remains the most prolific white grape. Here in South Africa it is mostly off-dry and very fruity. The best make a good aperitif and are a match for creamy fish dishes and pork with apple sauce. However, in truth the part of wine-with-food is played better by Sauvignon and Chardonnay, the styles somewhere in weight between Europe and New Zealand (for Sauvignon) and Australia (for Chardonnay). Certainly they fare better with seafood, and in the case of Chardonnay generally roasted meats as well. The indigenous grape of South Africa is the less well known red variety known as Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. At worst they can smell over baked and leathery and dry out all too quickly due to insufficient fruit, but there are also juicy variations best drunk young, and even some rather delicious mature examples with interesting notes of sweet damson, tar and leather spice. Surprisingly, another grape which doesn`t always fare so well in South Africa is Cabernet Sauvignon which can be a little aggressive and tarry, like poor Pinotage. But the good news is that both varieties will show at their best when drunk with meat stews, and both have been mastered – and even perfected – by at least some winemakers. Small pockets are also given to Pinot Noir which can be very good, produced in Burgundy style and enjoyed with game and beef.

Both sparkling wines and sweet wines are produced successfully, while Rosé wines have really only just caught on and remain in their infancy.

White