MANY ARE UNAWARE or forget that in parts of the world the cultivation of wine grape varieties is stictly controlled. As some well know, this was once the case in South Africa, whereas now you can plant anything anywhere, so to speak. Naturally, there are some areas that are better suited to wine farming than others, and certain grape varieties that deliver better results in certain areas relative to others. But while there is no end in sight as regards the experimentation and pioneering efforts of the adventurous, and while so many of the country’s wine producers persist in offering a range of allsorts rather than specialising, there are districts and wards that have a reputation for the best of this or that.

Stellenbosch is Cabernet territory! Yes, the estates are also known for many other lovelies and there are a few of South Africa’s top Cab producers outside the district, such as the Cederberg Private Cellar (whose Five Generations sells for R618pb) and Nederburg of Paarl (whose Two Centuries sells for R450pb). However, eight of the country’s Top 10 Cabernet Sauvignon – 15 of the Top 20 and 36 of the Top 50 – are from wineries located in Stellenbosch, with prices ranging from R148 a bottle for Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection, to R410 for Kanonkop, to R520 for Rustenberg Peter Barlow, to R775 for Delaire Graff Reserve.

Perhaps it’s no wonder that of the various variety-based wine producer bodies, the Stellenbosch Cabernet Collective chooses to exclude all other areas…

South-east of Stellenbosch, on the other hand, Hemel-en-Aarde in the Walker Bay district is the land of Pinot Noir! The three wards H&A Valley, Upper H&A Valley and H&A Ridge account for six of South Africa’s Top 10 Pinot Noir and nine of the Top 20. The neighbouring district of Elgin fields eight of the Top 20 and two of the Top 10, but it’s Hemel-en-Aarde that hosts the Cape winelands’ annual Pinot Noir Celebration, a showcase for wines ranging in price from R388pb for the Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma that recently top-scored in a tasting of New World Pinot Noir hosted by Decanter Magazine in the UK, to R1029 for Bouchard Finlayson Tête de Cuvée.

Good Pinotage is mostly from Stellenbosch cellars (10 of the Top 20): e.g. Beyerskloof Diesel at R800pb, Kanonkop at R390 to R1850pb, Simonsig Redhill at R375 and Spier 21 Gables at R295pb, with some of the notable exceptions including Rijk’s Reserve (Tulbagh) at R480pb and Diemersdal Reserve (Durbanville) at R160pb.

Ditto Merlot, again with notable exceptions: e.g. Shannon Mount Bullet from Elgin (R465pb). Whereas there are top Shiraz cellars in numerous places, such as Tulbagh (e.g. Saronsberg at R235pb), Stellenbosch (e.g. Hartenberg Gravel Hill at R725pb), Swartland (e.g. Mullineux at R340 to R998pb), Franschhoek (e.g. Boekenoutskloof from Swartland grapes at R450pb), Constantia (e.g. Eagles’ Nest at R285pb) and Cederberg (R200pb).

Chenin Country? Seven of the Top 10 come from Stellenbosch, with prices ranging from R108 for Kleine Zalze’s Vineyard Selection, to R210 for Stellenrust Barrel Fermented, to R550 for Ken Forrester’s FMC. But there are also beauties being made in the Swartland (e.g. Sadie Skurfberg at R326pb), in Bot River (e.g. Hope Marguerite from Beaumont at R310), as well as in the Breedekloof and elsewhere.

Top Cape Chardonnay is made in various quarters too – such as Stellenbosch (e.g. Rustenberg Five Soldiers at R410pb and Jordan at R210 to R425pb), Constantia (e.g. Groot Constantia at R260pb), Robertson (e.g. De Wetshof at R225pb), Elgin (e.g. Paul Cluver Estate at R250pb and Oak Valley Groenlandberg at R240) as well as Walker Bay (e.g. Hamilton Russel at R499pb).

Good Sauvignon Blanc is also widespread in South Africa, although as per various other varieties, a number of these wines begin life on vines somewhere in one district and are bottled at a cellar somewhere else, e.g. Ghost Corner from the Cederberg cellar using Elim grapes (R200pb), e.g. Tokara Reserve from a Stellenbosch cellar using Elgin fruit (R140pb), e.g. De Grendel Koetshuis from the Panorama/Durbanville cellar using grapes from Darling and Lutzville (R175pb).

And though Franschhoek is renowned for some good Semillon vineyards, surprisingly, while one or two of the dozen or so bottlings in the SA Wine Classification are made from grapes grown in this corner of the Cape, none come from a cellar in Franschhoek but from almost everywhere else. Some of the standouts: The Mentors from KWV in Paarl at R130pb, Shannon from Elgin vines at R250 and, if you can find it, the Semillon from Chris Alheit’s cellar on Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge at R550pb, one of the exceptional beauties made using fruit trucked in from La Colline, Franschhoek.