South African Wine

The first vines were planted on the Cape in the mid 17th Century and today that heritage is continued by the legendary sweet wine Vin de Constance. Since the 1600s winemaking in South Africa has progressed hugely, with a wide range of geological and climatic wine regions to choose between. Chenin Blanc is the key white grape, producing both light crisp easy drinkers and more intense examples of fine wine. Most of the reds tend to be fuller bodied blends but that is a generalization rather than a rule.