The best wines of South Africa

Discover the best wines of South Africa as well as the best winemakers of South Africa and estates of South Africa to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of South Africa and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Top wines of South Africa by region

Looking for a good wine of South Africa among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of South Africa. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of South Africa with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of South Africa

See the top 100 best red wines of South Africa

Want to buy a red wine of South Africa cheap or sell a red wine of South Africa at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of South Africa

Red wines from the region of South Africa go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of hungarian goulash, couscous chicken and merguez or spaghetti carbonara.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of South Africa

On the nose the red wine of the region of South Africa. often reveals types of flavors of cream, cherry or oaky and sometimes also flavors of smoke, earthy or blackberry. In the mouth the red wine of the region of South Africa. is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.

The best vintages in red wine of South Africa

  • 2017With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 2018With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 2014With an average score of 4.59/5
  • 2008With an average score of 4.59/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.58/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of South Africa

  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Merlot
  • Pinotage
  • Malbec

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of South Africa

A wine route planned in the region of South Africa? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of South Africa.

Discovering the wine region of South Africa

South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of wine making history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more stylistic similarities with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and recognition for its wide variety of styles.

The South African wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Wineries can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a MediterraneanClimate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

The country's signature Grape is Pinotage">Pinotage, an indigenous cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in any other wine producing country. Shiraz is also widespread, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). However, white grape varieties account for 55% of the country's 96,000 hectares of vineyards. Chenin Blanc is the most planted grape variety in the republic with 18.

Great white wines of South Africa

See the top 100 best white wines of South Africa

Want to buy a white wine of South Africa cheap or sell a white wine of South Africa at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of South Africa

White wines from the region of South Africa go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, lean fish or fruity desserts such as recipes of my chef's pot, fish and seafood gratin or the coughing cat's apple crumble.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of South Africa

On the nose the white wine of the region of South Africa. often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, cream or oaky and sometimes also flavors of tropical, citrus or beeswax. In the mouth the white wine of the region of South Africa. is a powerful with a nice freshness.

The best vintages in white wine of South Africa

  • 1947With an average score of 4.70/5
  • 2010With an average score of 4.53/5
  • 2009With an average score of 4.53/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2012With an average score of 4.45/5
  • 2011With an average score of 4.45/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of South Africa

  • Chenin Blanc
  • Chardonnay
  • Sémillon
  • Palomino
  • Viognier
  • Grenache Blanc

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of South Africa

A wine route planned in the region of South Africa? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of South Africa.

Discover the grape variety: Verdelho

The white Verdelho is a grape variety that originated in Portugal. It produces a variety of grape specially used for the elaboration of wine. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small bunches, and grapes of medium size. The white Verdelho can be found cultivated in these vineyards: Languedoc & Roussillon, Rhone Valley, South West.

Great sparkling wines of South Africa

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of South Africa

Want to buy a sparkling wine of South Africa cheap or sell a sparkling wine of South Africa at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of South Africa

Sparkling wines from the region of South Africa go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of veal tagine with carrots, zucchini lasagna or duck breast with spices, roasted figs with honey and port.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of South Africa

On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of South Africa. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or microbio and sometimes also flavors of vegetal, oak or tree fruit.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of South Africa

  • 2020With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2009With an average score of 4.27/5
  • 2010With an average score of 4.23/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2007With an average score of 4.18/5
  • 2011With an average score of 4.15/5

The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of South Africa

  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir
  • Pinot Meunier
  • Chenin Blanc
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Pinotage

The best wineries and winemakers for sparkling wine of South Africa

A wine route planned in the region of South Africa? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of South Africa.

The word of the wine: Flower

Wine disease resulting in a whitish haze and a vented taste.

Great pink wines of South Africa

See the top 100 best pink wines of South Africa

Want to buy a pink wine of South Africa cheap or sell a pink wine of South Africa at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of South Africa

Pink wines from the region of South Africa go well with generally quite well with dishes of game (deer, venison), poultry or veal such as recipes of rabbit provencale (mario style), chicken and mushroom risotto or tripe in the style of caen.

Organoleptic analysis of pink wine of South Africa

On the nose the pink wine of the region of South Africa. often reveals types of flavors of peach, strawberries or melon and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, citrus fruit or red fruit.

The best vintages in pink wine of South Africa

  • 2009With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2010With an average score of 4.05/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.02/5
  • 2011With an average score of 3.98/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.94/5
  • 2020With an average score of 3.94/5

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of South Africa

  • Pinotage
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Cinsault
  • Grenache
  • Mourvedre
  • Merlot

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of South Africa

A wine route planned in the region of South Africa? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of South Africa.

Discover the grape variety: Tinto cão

- Origin : Most certainly from the north of Portugal, it is a very old grape variety, present for a very long time in the Douro Valley where it is very often associated with other grape varieties to produce the famous Port. It can also be found in the United States (California, etc.), Australia, Spain, Mexico, etc.

Great sweet wines of South Africa

See the top 100 best sweet wines of South Africa

Want to buy a sweet wine of South Africa cheap or sell a sweet wine of South Africa at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of South Africa

Sweet wines from the region of South Africa go well with generally quite well with dishes of sweet desserts, fruity desserts or shellfish such as recipes of real chocolate cake, yoghurt cake or mussels spanish style.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of South Africa

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of South Africa. often reveals types of flavors of butterscotch, pineapple or cream and sometimes also flavors of cherry, grapefruit or oaky. In the mouth the sweet wine of the region of South Africa. is a powerful with a good balance between acidity and sweetness.

The best vintages in sweet wine of South Africa

  • 2002With an average score of 4.70/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 2005With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 1999With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 1997With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 1995With an average score of 4.60/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of South Africa

  • Chenin Blanc
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Muscat de Frontignan
  • Riesling
  • Viognier
  • Muscat Blanc

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of South Africa

A wine route planned in the region of South Africa? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of South Africa.

The word of the wine: Pressing

Mechanical action consisting of pressing the grapes (before fermentation for whites) or the marc soaked in wine (after fermentation for reds).

Great natural sweet wines of South Africa

See the top 100 best natural sweet wines of South Africa

Want to buy a natural-sweet wine of South Africa cheap or sell a natural-sweet wine of South Africa at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a natural-sweet wine of South Africa

Natural sweet wines from the region of South Africa go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, mature and hard cheese or lamb such as recipes of daube niçoise, endive and beetroot salad with lemon cream or moroccan lamb stew.

Organoleptic analysis of natural-sweet wine of South Africa

On the nose the natural sweet wine of the region of South Africa. often reveals types of flavors of cream, cherry or oaky and sometimes also flavors of smoke, red fruit or vanilla.

The best vintages in natural-sweet wine of South Africa

  • 1948With an average score of 4.80/5
  • 2001With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 2002With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 1993With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.27/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.24/5

The most used grape varieties in natural-sweet wine of South Africa

  • Tinta Barroca
  • Touriga Nacional
  • Souzao
  • Tinta Roriz
  • Touriga Franca
  • Tinta Francisca

The best wineries and winemakers for natural-sweet wine of South Africa

A wine route planned in the region of South Africa? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best natural-sweet wine of South Africa.

Discover the grape variety: Merlot

Merlot noir is a grape variety that originated in France (Bordeaux). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small to medium sized bunches, and medium sized grapes. Merlot noir can be found in many vineyards: South West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Armagnac, Burgundy, Jura, Champagne, Rhone Valley, Beaujolais, Provence & Corsica, Savoie & Bugey.

Great other wines of South Africa

See the top 100 best other wines of South Africa

Want to buy a other wine of South Africa cheap or sell a other wine of South Africa at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a other wine of South Africa

Other wines from the region of South Africa go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or appetizers and snacks such as recipes of salmon with spinach and cream, koskera hake (basque country) or sardinade.

The best vintages in other wine of South Africa

  • 0With an average score of 3.60/5
  • 2019With an average score of 3.60/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.50/5

The most used grape varieties in other wine of South Africa

  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Cinsault

The best wineries and winemakers for other wine of South Africa

A wine route planned in the region of South Africa? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best other wine of South Africa.

The word of the wine: Malolactic fermentation

Called second fermentation or malo for short. It is the degradation (under the effect of bacteria) of the malic acid naturally present in the wine into milder, less aggressive lactic acid. Some producers or wineries refuse this operation by "blocking the malo" (by cold and adding SO2) to keep a maximum of acidity which carries the aromas and accentuates the sensation of freshness.