Chenin blanc, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.*
At the foothills of the Paardeberg in Agter-Paarl, Perdeberg produces around 10 different ways to love Chenin Blanc.
Chenin Blanc is incredibly versatile, capable of producing cheerful easy drinking crisp white wines, classy sparkling wines, as well as full-bodied, complex barrel-aged and ageable wines, along with noble sweet dessert wines and fortified wines.
Chenin blanc, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.*
At the foothills of the Paardeberg in Agter-Paarl, Perdeberg produces around 10 different ways to love Chenin Blanc.
Chenin Blanc is incredibly versatile, capable of producing cheerful easy drinking crisp white wines, classy sparkling wines, as well as full-bodied, complex barrel-aged and ageable wines, along with noble sweet dessert wines and fortified wines.
While Pinotage is South Africa’s homegrown hero of red wines, Chenin Blanc is a classic French grape but it is where we are making our mark on the world stage of premium white wines.
Perdeberg’s vineyards are spread across Paarl and the Swartland, mostly dryland and untrellised bush vines, making for lower-yielding vineyards where the berries are smaller than irrigated counterparts but packed with intense colour and concentrated flavours that produce wines with body and complexity.
Added to that, the Perdeberg farmers have an abundance of older vineyards, some of them certified heritage vineyards as old as 50 years, which is another bonus for lending structure, texture and complexity to their wines.
Chenin Blanc is a golden thread running through the various Perdeberg ranges, offering chenins that can easily accompany an entire meal all the way from a welcoming Cap Classique to the delicious Fortitude Fortified Chenin Blanc (±R180) with desserts and cheeses.
Underscoring Perdeberg’s trademarked “Home of Chenin Blanc” tagline, G.O.A.T Chenin Blanc 2026 (R99) is a cheeky nod to the fact that a grape that was among the first planted at the Cape by Jan van Riebeeck in 1655, and long seen as little more than a reliable workhorse, has now risen to be a signature of world-class SA wine – the Greatest of All Time, perhaps?
It’s one of Perdeberg’s signature old vine wines, with a great balance of richness from concentrated fruit and a small portion fermented in oak, with typical chenin vibrant acidity to the pear, quince and subtle tropical flavours.
A good choice for those who like their sundowner glass a bit more serious and complex, that can carry through to a seafood supper.
Perdeberg’s introductory level is the Cellar Collection, with the fresh and zesty Chenin Blanc 2026 (R69.99, Preston’s special) a good go-to for everyday enjoyment.
The unwooded Vineyard Collection takes it up a notch, using 42-year-old vines for the Vineyard Chenin 2025 (R105) that spends a few months ageing on the lees to add complexity. The wine is aromatic, generous in flavours of peaches, pears, green apples and some tropical notes, super easy to enjoy.
Chenin Blanc is an unusual choice for bubbly, but the Vineyard Collection Chenin Blanc Cap Classique 2022 (R185), from a 1977 certified old vineyard, is proof that it works. With at least 18 months on the lees after second fermentation, the result is freshly green with apples and limes, woven with buttery biscuit for a lovely balance of vibrance and richness.
The benefits of dryland farming are showcased in the Perdeberg Dry Land Collection and their Courageous Barrel-Fermented Chenin Blanc 2025 is great value at around R170-R200, given the attention to detail that goes into the 40-year-old vineyards and the cellar techniques.
Matured in French oak for 11 months, the wine is an inviting pale gold, with heady aromatics carrying through to clean fruit purity in pineapple, citrus and dried peach flavours woven with light spice, vanilla and creamy texture, lifted by a fine streak of vibrant acidity.
An incredible foodie wine and delightful drinking now, or it let it age up to eight years for the flavours to develop and mellow together.
Dry Land Rossouw’s Heritage 2025 (R180) blends chenin with grenache blanc and viognier, matured in wood for 10 months, for an intriguing and delicious white blend, a fragrant floral
bouquet with white pear and citrus flavours, a little tropical succulence, spiced with vanilla. The rich flavours and texture balanced with a crisp acidity.
Perdeberg Endura Chenin Blanc 2025 (±R260) is also ridiculously good value – made from a small, single Swartland vineyard atop the Paardeberg Mountain, to showcase the richness of flavour that comes from dryland vines that must struggle against the elements.
Naturally fermented in a combination of ceramic amphora, steel tank and French oak, and aged on the lees for 8 months before blending, the wine is bright, rich and intense with ripe stone fruit and lemongrass, textured mouthfeel and mineral finish, just crying out for a spicy fish or chicken curry.
Chenin Blanc is an excellent food wine, especially with flavours often tricky to pair with wine, such as curries and the sweet-sour-spicy-umami mélange of southeast Asian dishes. I can personally vouch for a sparkling Chenin with Chinese food.
The wine’s acidity will cut through the fattiness of cuts like pork belly, and it loves tangy cheeses like goat’s or sheep’s milk.
Amid multiple local and international awards, Perdeberg ranked 15th in the International Wine and Spirits Competition Global Top 50 last year (2nd among SA producers), recognising consistently excellent performance over a three-year period.
Perdeberg’s main ranges are widely available locally, and look out for the G.O.A.T., Dryland Collection and Endura at selected Checkers (Baywest, Lorraine, Moffett on Main), Preston’s (Walmer Main Rd, Mount Pleasant, Westbourne Rd), Spar Tops (Sunridge), and Forest Hill Liquors. Prices given above are from Preston’s.
* With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Sonnet 43, 1850).
Find of the Week
Hartenberg’s Doorkeeper wines literally “open the door” to the wines of this venerable Stellenbosch estate, pioneers of Shiraz and more lately a leader in regenerative agriculture.
Their signature wines like The Mackenzie, The Stork and Gravel Hill, while magnificent, are priced a little beyond the reach of those on a tight wine budget.
Save those for a splash-out occasion, and look at the Doorkeeper range for classy, everyday enjoyment, widely available at around R125.
My pick this week is the Doorkeeper Merlot Malbec 2023, an interesting blend, deep inky red in colour, dry, and aromatic with violets. The wine feels generous, fresh with juicy cherries and strawberries, silky and smooth, the lushness finely balanced by gentle tannin structure.
Merlot (80%) brings the silky elegance; Malbec adds complexity and vibrance to the flavours, and the deep colour.
In non-technical terms, totally more-ish. Enjoy on its own or with a cheeseburger, pizza or a dish involving roasted or grilled mushrooms.