Right after we booked our long-planned Grand Africa tour, the biggest question mark on our minds was how much of a chance we would get to taste South African wines. Since we were traveling with a large tour group, we wouldn't have the opportunity to visit wine regions on our own as we usually do. Fortunately, since the tour itinerary was concentrated in Cape Town where the wine regions are located, we decided to put together a plan to spend every free moment we had on wine tasting.
Before the trip, our knowledge of South African wines was limited to the general characteristics of the Stellenbosch and Walker Bay regions that we had learned during our WSET2 education. We had tried various wines whenever we traveled abroad, but no South African wine had stayed in our memory until then. Because of all this, we started our trip without particularly high expectations.
The sight that greeted us as soon as we got off the plane was beyond our expectations and got us quite excited. A sign reading "Wine Capital of the World" was welcoming us 🙂
Throughout our entire trip, we lived up to our ambitious entry into the country. We truly loved the price/performance ratio of the wines we drank in South Africa. We are really happy that we left this country, where we had arrived thinking "New World wines are a bit overrated," with dreams of doing a one-week Cape Town wine tour.
Source: https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/south-african-wine-map/
Our notes on the bars, wineries, and other touristic spots we had the chance to visit (Click to add to Google Maps):
Ferrymans Irish Tavern
After an exhausting first day of sightseeing, the answer to our question to the local tour guide about where we could drink wine nearby turned out to be an Irish Pub. We went there quite surprised, and when we saw 28 different wines by the glass on the menu, we were absolutely stunned. Right after that, our assumption of "They must have put all these varieties on the menu but will probably say they're out when you order" was permanently shattered when every single order we placed was met with a positive response.
From the very first bar we visited in South Africa, we drew a very clear conclusion: they really care about wine in this country.
We definitely recommend stopping by this bar located in the Waterfront area of Cape Town if you need a break while exploring the neighborhood.
Openwine
Openwine was the first wine bar we visited in Cape Town. This tiny wine bar, which has live music on some days, was exactly the kind of local spot we were looking for. The staff was very attentive, and the atmosphere was great fun.
Besides by-the-glass options, it's also possible to go with a tasting set. The 4-wine tasting set costs 13.5 USD. Their menus change every week. On the day we went, the tasting menu featured single varietal Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon from different producers.
Our biggest disappointment with the place was that they had run out of Pinotage and Cape Blend due to high demand. Our greatest expectation from a wine bar in South Africa was to drink unlimited Pinotage 🙂
Even though we had made a reservation, we couldn't find a place to sit, but since the turnover was very fast, we managed to find ourselves a table after standing around for about half an hour. The place is so warm and welcoming that it's perfectly possible to have a great time standing the whole time.
Whether for the live music or the local vibe, we definitely recommend spending an evening at this place while in Cape Town.
Fairview Wine & Cheese
This historic estate, which produced its first wines in 1699, was the first wine producer we visited in the Stellenbosch region. We were enchanted by the atmosphere from the moment we walked through the door, and with the quality of both its wines and cheeses, it became our favorite spot throughout the entire trip.
Among the different tasting options available at this producer, our choice was the 6-wine tasting set, each paired with a different cheese. The cost for this set was just 3 USD.
After choosing the tasting set, for each glass of wine you are offered two different options, and you can select whichever appeals to you more:
1- Chenin Blanc or Riesling
2- Viognier or White Blend
3- Rosé or Chardonnay
4- Grenache Noir or Pinot Noir
5- Shiraz or Red Blend
6- Cabernet Sauvignon or Premium Shiraz
While we found their whites average aside from the Chardonnay, we absolutely loved their reds. In particular, the Pinotage and Grenache Noir single varietals, despite being young, had an excellent aroma profile. We finished with a 2009 vintage Shiraz. This wine, where tertiary aromas like mushroom, earth, and forest floor were abundantly present, was truly incredible. You can imagine the shock we experienced when we learned that the retail price was just 14 dollars 🙂
Their cheeses were just as delicious as their wines. Even though we were just at the beginning of our trip, we couldn't help ourselves and bought a whole bunch of charcuterie products, accepting the risk of carrying them with us for over 10 days 🙂
After adding this place, which is the very definition of price/performance, to our list of places to definitely revisit in the future, we continued our trip.
We went to this place without a reservation, and since it's quite large, it seems suitable for walk-ins. However, considering the distance you need to travel to get there, if you don't want to take the risk, it would be beneficial to make a reservation in advance.
Stellenbosch Wine Bar
This tiny wine house located in the town center of Stellenbosch offers the products of 6 different wine brands, available both by the glass and by the bottle.
While this wine house doesn't have a tasting set, it has wines at every price point, with a total of 28 different wine options.
In order to make the most of our limited time, we chose to go with Donkiesbaai's wines by the glass. Since it was rainy, we had to sit indoors, and the only problem we experienced at this place was the strong food smell coming from the kitchen. However, they won us over with the courtesy and attentiveness of the staff and the fine wine selection.
Our favorite among the wines we tried was definitely the sweet wine made from late harvest Chenin Blanc. As wine lovers who don't normally prefer sweet wines, we absolutely loved this wine.
If you're visiting the Stellenbosch town center as a tourist, we definitely recommend not skipping this place.
The Bailey
This restaurant in central Cape Town has a bar with a very high-quality wine selection that can serve as an alternative visit. At the bar, you can chat about wine with the sommeliers while sipping from the 16 different by-the-glass options.
What we liked most about the place was their professional approach to wine. Especially for full-bodied reds, even when you order by the glass, they never skip decanting before serving. We especially loved their single-serve decanters 🙂
If you're spending a day in the city and want to try by-the-glass wines from a different selection, The Bailey's bar is perfect for that.
Gerakaris Family Wines
The most notable feature of this small winery, which we had the chance to visit during our Johannesburg trip, is that it's the only producer in Johannesburg. Although they bring their grapes from the Cape Town region, the entire production process takes place at their tiny winery in Johannesburg. This boutique winery, which produces only 5,000 bottles, felt like an oasis in the desert to us, especially because of the greenery of the venue and its surroundings, within a city like Johannesburg that is mostly unsafe and built around visiting malls. And perhaps for that reason, we particularly enjoyed our visit.
We recommend visiting this producer, who makes their wines without using commercial yeast, even just to taste their different wine styles and get some fresh air, without expecting too much. The venue is only open until 5:00 PM. It wasn't crowded when we went, but they still ask you to make a reservation for preparation purposes.
Acid Food & Wine Bar
Our last wine stop on our Africa trip was Acid Food & Wine Bar in Johannesburg. We found this venue, which has a chef's restaurant concept, quite original with its wine concept featuring wines produced in different styles selected from across South Africa. While some dishes were very delicious, the flavors of some were a bit bold 🙂
We found the wine bar truly impressive with its 17 types of quite delicious and original by-the-glass wines on the menu. We had the opportunity to try wines made in unusual styles, such as a Pét-Nat made as white from the Pinotage (red) grape, and a single varietal white Merlot aged for 7 years.
We were pleased with all the wines we tried at this wine house, and we definitely recommend visiting for a dinner during your trip to the area. Even though our visit was on a weekday, it was very crowded, so we recommend making a reservation.
General Comments and Notes
- South Africa has a richness where you can find any style of wine you're looking for. Since production is very high, if you want to drink quality wines, you need to spend a bit more by staying slightly away from mass-produced wines. Still, the prices you'll pay are really cheap relative to the quality when compared to Turkey.
- Pinotage is a very different grape in terms of flavor. It has a characteristic that can be easily identified in a blind tasting. You should try it plenty.
- In all the white wines we tried, we detected a slight saltiness, and in the reds, a gunpowder or brick-like taste. This was the most original characteristic unique to South Africa.
- Chenin Blanc is the most widely produced white grape in the country. While its normally vinified version is also good, we especially loved its sweet wines made as late harvest. Although they generally sell them without any aging, as sweet wines they are on par with Tokaji Aszú.
- The Method Cap Classique label is given to their sparkling wines made using the traditional method. While it may not match the performance of the Champagne region, they are quite delicious for their price and quite original with the salty sensation they leave on the palate.
- You can find aged Shiraz wines from many brands at very affordable prices in supermarkets. You can find opportunities to buy a beautifully aged Shiraz with a 2012 vintage and a Vivino rating of 4+ for just 20 USD. In order to see the true Shiraz potential of this country, choices should definitely be made in favor of aged wines.
- One of the most unique things about South Africa for us was having the opportunity to taste the 2023 vintage whites and reds within the 2023 calendar year 🙂 normally this isn't possible in our country since we're in the northern hemisphere, but for South Africa, which harvests around March, this becomes possible toward the end of the year. This was a detail that put a smile on our faces 🙂
Favorite Wines
Throughout our South Africa trip, we had the opportunity to taste many wines produced from different regions and with different techniques. Our favorites among the wines that truly won our hearts, especially with their price/quality performance:
- Fairview, Shiraz, 2009, Red, South Africa, Coastal Region: Tertiary aromas are incredibly dominant on the nose. Mushroom, forest floor, smoked meat. Excellent dark fruits in the background. It's possible to intensely feel the same aromas on the palate. The gunpowder aroma characteristic of South African wines is present, but in this wine it has become very subtle and added a deep complexity. Tannins are soft. It has seen its highest peak and should be consumed now. 7.85/10
- Donkiesbaai, Hooiwin, Chenin Blanc, 2022, White-Sweet, South Africa, Stellenbosch: High aroma intensity on the nose. Quince dessert, sweet spices, pear, slightly sugary scents. Full-bodied on the palate with a long finish, the sugar level is perfectly calibrated, the balance is superb. On the palate, it's possible to feel linden honey, flower honey, and pine honey all at the same time. A very successful example of a sweet wine. 7.5/10
- B Vintners, Methodo Ancestrale, Pinotage, 2023, Pét-Nat Sparkling Wine, South Africa, Stellenbosch: Bread, seaweed, salty, mineral on the nose. None of the unpleasant fermentation aromas typically found on the first opening of Pét-Nats. Very lively on the palate, the saltiness and effervescence pair beautifully. High acidity, well-balanced. The Pinotage grape suits the sparkling style very well. 7.45/10
- Fairview, Primo, Pinotage, 2021, Red, South Africa, Paarl: Cherry, vanilla, oak, aromas between red and dark fruits on the nose. Tannins are noticeable on the palate but balanced, a young and vibrant wine. South Africa's gunpowdery flavors are present, but this Pinotage handles it very well. 7.40/10
- Vilafonte, Seriously Old Dirt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, 2021, Red, South Africa, Paarl: Color is deep garnet. Cassis, menthol, and dark fruits dominant on the nose. Excellent body on the palate, high acidity and tannins but tannins are not angular. High aroma profile. Again, the regional gunpowder taste and aroma suit it very well. 7.35/10
- Stark-Conde, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019, Red, South Africa, Stellenbosch: Color is deep garnet. High aroma intensity on the nose. Blackcurrant, dark fruits, smoky aromas. Same aromas present on the palate, full-bodied. Could become much better with a bit more aging. 7.35/10
- Magna Carta, Mizwa, White Merlot, 2017, White, South Africa, Stellenbosch: Very intense aromas on the nose. Mushroom, mold, Roquefort. Completely mushroom aromas on the palate, very high aroma intensity, like a mushroom dish. A very original flavor. A somewhat bold wine to drink on its own, but it can be elevated to its peak with food pairing. 7.30/10