Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is one of the most famous wine regions in all of South Africa. This coastal region in the southwest is impacted by the Benguela current from Antarctica, which brings cool breezes from the ocean and fosters ideal growing conditions. Stellenbosch is best known for international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, as well as Chenin Blanc (locally called Steen). Chenin Blanc here makes whites that are lean and pretty, with intense minerality, beautiful citrus fruit, and a finish which never quits. They truly rival some of the best from the Loire Valley of France. The great red wine of South Africa is Pinotage, which offers both fruit and earth, with the body of Syrah, or soft Gamay.