South African Wine Regions

South African wine regions

South African Varieties 2017

Chenin Blanc
19 000 hectare
Cabernet Sauvignon
12 000
Syrah
11 000
Sauvignon Blanc
10 000
Chardonnay
8 000
Pinotage
8 000
Merlot
6 000

WO (Wine of Origin)

The Wine of Origin program defines the Regions and wine Distrits of South Africa.

Districts can contain Wards - quality areas with a distinctive type of soil or climate.

(Read more below)

Cape Town

The Cape Town district is located on the Cape Peninsula.

The district grows a wide range of grapes with Sauvignon Blanc being particularly noted.

The Atlantic ocean on each side of the peninsula creates a cooling effect that contributes to a long ripening period.

The soil is composed mostly of sandstone with high concentrations of loam and granite.

The Cape Town district holds the oldest winegrowing district in South Africa - Constantia Valley.

The Cape Town district includes the following Wards:

Stellenbosh

Stellenbosh is located a few kilometer east of Cape Town.

The district has a winemaking tradition all since the 17th-century. The mountainous terrain, good rainfall, deep well-drained soils and diversity of terroirs make this a sought-after viticultural area.

The district produces the famous Cape wines from many noble grape varieties and is known for the quality of its blended reds.

The Stellenbosh district includes the following Wards:

Paarl

Paarl is located a few kilometer north of Stellenbosch.

In Paarl, the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc have the best potentials.

The Paarl district includes the following Wards:

Swartland

Swartland is located in the Coastal Region just a few kilometer north-east of Cape Town.

is located a few kilometer north of Paarl.

Both red and white, award-winning wines, have emerged from Swartland.

The produces top style Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.

The Swartland district includes the following Wards:

Wellington

Wellington is located in the Coastal Region a just few kilometer north-east of Cape Town.

In Paarl, the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc have the best potentials.

The Wellington district includes the following Wards:

Walker Bay

Walker Bay is famous for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.

The area is also known for quality Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, and Sauvignon Blanc.

The cool climate and the cooling winds from the ocean are the attributes of this district.

The soils are mainly weathered shales.

The Walker Bay district includes the following Wards:

WO (Wine of Origin)

From 1973 the WO (Wine of Origin) program defines the wine regions of South Africa.

The WO was drafted after the French AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) system, but consentrated about regions, not aboyt grape varieties and production methods.

Original WO Regions:

Each region is divided into districts (like Constantia, Paal, Walker Bay), and each district is divided into Wards.

A Ward is a Wine of Origin (WO) area more equivalent to the French AOC. It defines small areas (terroirs) with a distinctive soil type or climate.

In 1993, the Wine of Origin Scheme added Geographical Units:

GeographicalRegionsQuality Districts *
Western CapeCape South Coast Cape Agulhas
Overberg
Swellendam
Walker Bay
Coastal Region Cape Town
Darling
Paarl
Stellenbosh
Swartland
Welington
Breede River Valley Breedekloof
Robertson
Worcester
Klein Karoo
Olifants River Citrusdal Mountain
Northern CapeNoneDouglas
Southerland-Karoo
Eastern CapeNoneNone
KwaZulu-NatalNoneCentral Drakenberg
Lions River
LimpopoNoneNone

* Only districts with registrated Wards are listed.

South Africa = New World