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If you’ve followed my writing / posts / seminars for the last decade+ you’ll have felt my utmost sincerest admiration and appreciation for the vanguard of South African wine.
As far as I look, and taste, I can’t find of another wine country that is more exciting, revolutionary, and current than South Africa. Every visit, tasting, vineyard walk, and conversation reinforces that inspiration. *More on why below.
But, followers will also well know my disdain that these wines have been few and far between on Canadian soil. Yes, it takes a full two days for us to fly from the west coast of Canada to the southern tip of Africa, so you can imagine how long it takes pallets of wine to float over here, crossing the equator, marathons of red tape paperwork, and the provincial monopolies (or Alberta’s wild west) once landed.
I’ve applauded brave and progressive wine importers, pushing the needle, and bringing in unknown names from unrecognizable places for a largely immature (yet growing) wine market, fighting against what most Canadians know of South Africa : old school burnt rubbery hot cheap pinotage, plus ‘Steen’? Certainly I am strongly supportive of Wines of South Africa (WOSA) Canada, for continuing education for trade and consumers in markets across the country. And thankful for the Canadian buyers and sommeliers listing these wines and continuing to communicate SA stories to their customers.
After years of waiting, we’re now finally, thankfully, at a turning point, where many of the most exciting wines I’m tasting in South Africa are finding their way into Canada, at least in BC, AB, ON, and QC, the markets I’m most familiar with. Very few of these are high volume wines, so if you shop exclusively at the monopolies, you’ll have to cast your net a bit wider. Ask for these producers at your local knowledgeable private wine stores and bottle shops, or contact the agent directly (listed in the reviews below). This report contains only wines I’ve tasted in Canada over the past 18 months, scored 88 points or above. It is not an exhaustive list of what's here, but a decent start.
WHY South Africa is so exciting?
This is the golden age for South African wine, fueled in equal parts by sustainability, regionality, old vines, and youthful, passionate winemakers. Though wine has been made for more than 355 years (first plantings date back to 1659), it wasn’t until the end of Apartheid and the start of a democracy in 1994 that the floodgates – for both wine and knowledge – were opened. These past three decades of freedom have opened the wine world to South Africa, and vice versa. For the first time, growers and winemakers were able to travel outside the country, learn, experience, and taste. Wine export and import shackles relaxed, allowing for the flow of information as much as for wine.
South African old vine champion Rosa Kruger also attributes the quality changes to the greater understanding of site, soils, and grapes. She has been responsible for rediscovering and regenerating many of the old vine (35+ year old) vineyards in the country, around 5100 hectares currently. Her Old Vine Project is as much about education as it is preservation, with Plant to Grow Old developing a culture of caring for younger vines so that they can turn into healthy and productive old vines in the future. *Hear Rosa speak at Tasting Climate Change next January in Montreal.
Today there is a league of travelled and passionate winemakers, many in their thirties – fifties, who are driving change forward. Many of these talented folks have run senior positions at large, established wineries while developing their own brands and connections. Vineyard land, especially pockets of older, heritage vines in exciting fringe areas, is still relatively affordable, encouraging experimentation and a garagiste wine culture. These vintners are championing the kinds of wines that are exciting adventuresome sommeliers and drinkers the world over: fresh, lower alcohol reds and textured, higher acid whites; low intervention winemaking; heritage vines; terroir exploration; and trialling clean, disease free new cultivars in the face of climate change.
South African camaraderie and collaboration runs high, as does wine quality. Plus, prices are affordable, and winemakers are humble and gracious = lekker unicorn finds. Seek out these wines, and keep a watchful eye for more exciting things landing in Canada in 2026.
