Pinotage divides wine lovers like no other grape. It is South Africa’s own – a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault developed in the 1920s by Professor Abraham Perold at Stellenbosch University. For years it carried a reputation for rustic, smoky wines that put off European palates. That reputation is now thoroughly out of date. The best Pinotage being made today is complex, age-worthy, and unlike anything else on the shelf.
Kanonkop
Kanonkop’s Pinotage is the benchmark. The estate sits on the slopes of the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch and has been making wine from old bush vines for decades. Fermented in open concrete tanks and basket-pressed, there is nothing fashionable about the winemaking – just dark plum fruit, earth, a hint of coffee, and a structure that rewards five to ten years in the bottle. Winemag.co.za has awarded it five stars across multiple vintages, and it is hard to argue with that assessment.
Beyerskloof
Beyers Truter is one of the architects of modern Pinotage. His flagship Diesel bottling is one of the most concentrated examples available – dense and dark with a freshness that stops it feeling heavy. The entry-level Beyerskloof Pinotage is one of the best-value everyday bottles from South Africa at any price point.
Simonsig
Simonsig makes a Pinotage that is consistently reliable and well-suited to the UK market – riper and more approachable in its youth, with good depth at a sensible price. A good starting point for anyone new to the grape.
Why Pinotage Works for UK Wine Drinkers
The value equation in South African wine is genuinely compelling. Wines of a quality that would command 40-60 GBP from a fashionable European appellation are available from the Cape at 18-28 GBP. Greg Sherwood MW, one of the most authoritative voices on South African wine in Britain, has long argued that the quality gap between the Cape’s best estates and their European counterparts has largely closed – while the price gap has not.
We stock a carefully selected range of South African wines. Browse our South African collection to see what is currently available.
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