Ode to South Africa’s Pride: Chenin Blanc

Bregje van Weezel (47) lives with her family in Cape Town, South Africa. She writes about her experiences in this colourful but also complex country. In this column, she shares her enthusiasm and knowledge about the South African wine industry. Her stories are never too dry or too heavy—and this column fits her (wine-loving) personality to a tee. If you’d like to read more about all the things she loves in South Africa, you can follow Bregje on Instagram @vin_ik_leuk Image: Unsplash

Do you still associate Chenin Blanc with those big green bottles of Droë Steen?The ones that were kind of sickly fruity but, most importantly, had a lot of volume? I hope not—because that would be selling this grape seriously short. It’s time to give South Africa’s pride, Chenin Blanc, the ode it deserves.

Steen

This grape variety arrived at the Cape around 1655, most likely brought over by the Dutch or French Huguenots from the Loire Valley. It became known locally as “Steen.” Why exactly, nobody knows. It was probably a mistranslation by the Dutch, but no one seems too bothered by that. Regardless, Steen quickly became the most widely planted grape in South Africa. In fact, more than half of the world’s Chenin Blanc is now found here.

Barbapapa

South Africa loves this grape—and for good reason. It’s a true all-rounder. It shares traits with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay, and it can also lean toward the sweet side. Think of it as the Barbapapa of grapes: highly adaptable. You can make crisp, fresh wines with it, but also complex, full-bodied wines, and even luscious dessert wines. In the early years, that’s exactly what they did—Chenin was mainly used for brandy-style and sweet wines.

National Grape

What we now know is that Chenin Blanc adapts easily. To different soils, different climates—you name it. You’ll find it in every wine region. On dry granite-rich soils where the roots have to dig deep for water, and on elevated vineyards cooled by the ocean breeze. It’s truly South Africa’s national grape.

Three Whole Days of Tasting

Because of all these different growing conditions, there’s an enormous variety of Chenin Blancs in South Africa—and the quality is consistently excellent. I say this with confidence, because it’s a global fact, confirmed once again during the tasting sessions for the Platter’s Guide. It took them three full days just to taste through all the top Chenin Blancs before selecting a winner: the Old Bushvine Secrets & Lies 2023 from Stellenrust.

Liquid Gold

I love Chenin Blanc, and I hope I’ve been able to share some of that love by showing just how special this grape really is. To make things easy for you, here are a few of my personal favourites—so you can carry on the ode yourself.

Definitely try the Cartology from Alheit. “Cartology”—the study of maps—is a reference to the winemakers’ search for special old vines across the Cape. The wine is a blend of different vineyard sites and offers a beautiful snapshot of what the Cape has to offer. Drink this wine and, like me, you’ll instantly become a fan.

The same goes for the Kliprug from Kaapzicht. This family-run winery is a Chenin Blanc veteran. Some of South Africa’s oldest vines grow here, and the Kliprug comes from one of those oldies. It’s a wine that everyone should try at least once. Liquid gold that will change any preconceived ideas you might have about Chenin Blanc.

You’ll have a similar experience with the five-star Chenins from Mullineux or Sadie Family Wines, or when sipping the Kottabos from Boschkloof or Khakibos from Thistle & Weed. Khakibos is a little plant found near the vineyards, named by the Boers after the khaki-coloured uniforms of the British. Now you know.

So not only are Chenin Blancs incredibly flavourful, they’re also educational.Cheers to South Africa’s pride!