South African wine is for bargain hunters.

Dollar for dollar, some of the best values you’ll find in the world are wines from South Africa. If you love savory, rich, red wines and flinty, mineral-driven whites - South Africa is definitely a part of the globe you need to add to your wine rotation. The South African wine region was kind of like the wine version of Fight Club. All the cool kid Somms were low-key OBSESSED with it and wanted to keep it a secret, simply because the value for dollar ratio was superb.

In my years working in the biz, I’ve sampled many different wines from many different places. I’ve never had more wine from one place where I’m consistently overwhelmed by the affordable pricing. A lot of wines from this place are priced at a STEAL.

It’s to the point where I almost feel like I’m some sort of wine pirate, plundering South Africa’s value-driven treasures and wonder, “But… Shouldn’t I be paying MORE for this?” Yet I digress. Without further ado, let’s get into the history behind this stellar wine region.

THE HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICAN WINE

I feel like a lot of wine producing regions have two of the following types of origin stories:

Monks traveled from some place and started a monastery. They wanted to get drunk because they took a vow of silence and… Uhhhhh….. What else are you gonna do in a freaking MONASTERY. COME ON.
Sailors were traveling around the world and wanted to settle and create some sort of trading port. They were super tired of the mixture of long periods of monotony interspersed with crazy shit going down on the high seas so they too wanted to get drunk.

South Africa’s story would be latter.

In the 1700s, colonists of the Dutch East India Company saw the native grapes in the region, but the wine made from them wasn’t up to snuff. John van Riebeeck reached out to his contacts in Holland and asked for French vine cuttings to be shipped out. Eventually, plantings of Chenin Blanc and Muscat of Alexandria were planted in the Cape soil. South African wines were typically sold to Europeans up until the 1990s, as the United States had a ban on South African products due to apartheid. Once the ban was lifted, wines began to get exported to the United States.

If you think about it, the US has only really been privy to South African wines for the last 30 years. So there’s still a lot to learn about the region that produces the most wine out of the entire African continent.

GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH AFRICAN WINE REGIONS

The majority of the vineyards in South Africa exist on the Western Cape. They are situated near the coast, and are bordered by both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. This is because most of the rainfall within the South African continent falls on the coastal side. Climate here is considered Mediterranean. It is a bit cooler, with temperatures typically around the 70s and a blanket of coastal fog that rolls in mornings and evenings. The regions South Africa are the most similar to would be California (but just a bit hotter.)

Interestingly enough, vineyards in South Africa are called, “Wine Farms,” and a lot of them are not too far from Cape Town. South Africa rarely experiences heavy frost or rain, and there are a mosaic of different soil types. South Africa has around 40 or so different varietals it cultivates, yielding a diverse array of wine.

There are loads of regions in South Africa - way more than I could ever write about in this blog. Here are 4 of the country’s top regions you should know about.

STELLENBOSCH - THE CREME DE LA CREME

KNOWN FOR: CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT, SHIRAZ, CHENIN BLANC & PINOTAGE

Stellenbosch is the most prominent region out of South Africa. The majority of wines exported to the US will probably say, “Stellenbosch,” on the label. Simon van der Stel is the first person who founded the town of Stellenbosch in the 17th Century. Stellenbosch is composed of granite mountains that are over 600 million years old and the wines have a distinctively rich, mineral-driven quality to them.

The red wines - Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends - are fantastic from this region. But you can find some Chenin Blanc, which is affectionately called, “Steen,” in this region. Steen - like a lot of the red wines that come from Stellenbosch - has a distinctive mineral core and tons of pulsing, racing acidity. If you love higher-acid, dry white wines definitely keep an eye out for South African Steen!

SWARTLAND - FOR RHÔNE LOVERS (MY PERSONAL FAVORITE)

KNOWN FOR: SHIRAZ, CHENIN BLANC & PINOTAGE

Those of you who follow this blog may know I’m a low-key Rhône girl. As much as I try not to be biased about wine regions I just can’t help myself. I spent so much time hawking them, that there’s a personal significance to Rhône varietals. Some of my first jobs in the wine industry were selling Rhône wines and in essence, they helped me grow up.

Swartland is a gently hilly, large region off the Western Cape of South Africa. It’s super hot and dry over here, and a lot of winemakers say that the high heat and sunlight are great at protecting the grape vines from fungal diseases.

The word “Swartland,” is Dutch for “black land,” named after a bush called the Rhinoceros Bush, which turns black after rain. Because of the gentle hillsides and higher heat, Shiraz (aka Syrah) takes to this part of South Africa like a fish to water. I’ve seen quite a bit of wines from Swartland imported into the US and they should be fairly easy to find.

WALKER BAY - A BURGUNDY LOVER’S PARADISE

KNOWN FOR: CHARDONNAY, PINOT NOIR, PINOTAGE

If you love Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or other Burgundian varietals - Walker Bay is the place for you. This cooler climate region a stone’s throw away from Capetown is the perfect place for cultivating these grapes. Walker Bay also produces excellent Pinotage.

Pinotage is unique to South Africa alone and is a hybridized cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. This delicious, gamey grape has loads of menthol, red fruit, and gamey flavors. Sometimes Pinotage can have a bit of a synthetic taste to it, making it seem a bit chemical tasting to some palates. It is definitely a grape people either love or hate.

PAARL - THE UP AND COMER

KNOWN FOR: SHIRAZ, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT

Paarl is South Africa’s second largest wine region and the quality here just keeps getting better and better. The hot and sunny days of this region are perfect for cultivating red varietals, like Rhône and Bordeaux grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Merlot thrive beautifully in this region.

Paarl is just a stone’s throw away from Stellenbosch, and this wine region is about as scenic and picturesque as you could possibly imagine. A lot of world-class winemakers are starting to lay down roots in Paarl, and you can find a lot of stunning wineries out here.

KLEIN KAROO - THE PLACE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

KNOWN FOR: REDS, WHITES, & FORTIFIED WINES

The Klein Karoo is basically a desert. You would never know this semi-arid environment would be capable of producing red, white, and fortified wines. Because of the dry environment, it is perfect for cultivating grapes with higher sugar levels that go into fortified wines. From the Klein Karoo you can get amazing brandies and dessert wines.

The climate here is extreme, to say the least, and you can also find regular wines that grow in the areas refreshed by the coastal breezes as well.

And now, without further ado, let’s chat about the:

PICK OF THE WEEK: A.A. Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend $16.97 @ Whole Foods

South African wines are truly stunning. Pretty much any time I have one - especially one from Swartland - my heart goes all aflutter.

These wines are as elegant as a summer evening or a satin negligee, with juicy and silky tannins that are beautifully integrated. There’s a stunning sophistication here and an overall lightness intermingled with a lot of rich fruitiness that warmer climate wines often have. If big red fruit of California and Paso Wines is something you gravitate to, but you favor the body and texture of European wines - like French Wines - South Africa will be the answer to your prayers! It’s legit the best of both worlds! You get bold, punch fruit intermingled with European restraint. That’s a match made in heaven if you ask me.

The A.A. Badenhorst red blend is no exception. It’s truly a beautiful expression of a Cinsault-heavy wine! Cinsault is kind of a blending grape and doesn’t get its opportunity to be in the spotlight very much, but when it does? Boy, it sure is pretty.

Picture juicy cranberries and violets, intermingled with a kiss of spearmint at the end. Yeah, I’m not kidding, this wine has a fantastic mentholated quality that makes it really fresh. There’s also loads of meaty, hickory-smoked bacon aromas as well - probably from the Shiraz in the blend. I found this one in West La at the Whole Foods off of National, and it was in some bin as a “last chance” item. The wine was heavily discounted, but if you do see a bottle at your local Whole Foods for $16.97 - SNAG IT. This wine is well worth the buy and is a picture perfect example of the elegance that encompasses South African wines.

THURSTQUEEN WORLD TOUR: SOUTH AFRICA