Written by Clifford Roberts; Photography Johan Viljoen
We’re a leading producer of wine in the world, but what is the most popular wine in South Africa? You’ll get many answers to this question. You’ll probably get more questions too. We think there’s only really one proper response you could possibly give when deciding on an overall favourite.
To determine the most popular wine in South Africa, you would first need to clarify your pursuit. Are you seeking an answer that corresponds to the winery that sells the most wine across the country? Perhaps you’re only interested in volumes at a particular price point, or style, like red or white. What about sparkling wine? Should this be included too? Ultimately, the most popular wine in South Africa is determined by just one characteristic: your own personal enjoyment.
The overall favourite wine
The overall favourite wine may be found in bottle that provides the most satisfying experience on aroma, taste, story and experience, at a given moment.
Here we would like to offer the most recent Swartland Beach Party as an example. Every year in November, members of the Swartland Wine and Olive Route host a festive wine event. This year, they headed for Saldanha Bay, to a rustic sea-view venue.
The most popular wine is related to experience
While the Swartland is known for its exceptional wines, it was its reputation for independent-minded winemakers that made this location just perfect. Some 28 wineries poured their wines for tasting. There were also two special masterclasses on Swartland Chenin Blanc, as well as street-style food like fresh mussels, sosaties and slap chips; live music; and cocktails.
By late afternoon, a DJ had feet tapping and so to the dance floor everyone went!
How does this tie in with our quest to find the most popular wine in South Africa? The Swartland Seaside Party was sold out, and if you’d asked anyone there about their favourite wine, the answer most certainly would have pointed to the Swartland.
