Uncorked with Henry Butler: There has never been a better time for South African wines
It’s a bold statement, but I think it is correct. We seem to be in a perfect storm when it comes to drinking South African wines. They offer affordability, the quality is arguably at an all time high, and there is an abundance of innovation and exciting winemaking.
We have recently hosted two South African wine tastings – with importers and winemakers – and the excitement around these wines was palpable.
If you look back 30-40 years, the South African wine market was very different. Political difficulties meant that wine sales became insular due to trade embargoes. The wines were made primarily for a domestic not international audience, and wine production was dominated by bulk production and large cooperatives. I’m not saying the wines were poor because they weren’t, but the selection available for the consumer was much more homogeneous.
Since the end of apartheid winemakers have been free to travel, learn from other producers and hone their craft in wine regions around the world. South African wines are now exported to numerous countries, where the wines can now be enjoyed and reviewed on the world stage.
This is now the time for winemakers with a vision. They can find and purchase small parcels of great fruit, hire some winery space and make distinctive wines. They aren’t shackled by a large corporation or expectations of large productivity. If you have an idea, you can make it happen.
South Africa feels like a fun space to be enjoying wine, with great stories and packaging behind each wine. There is also a strong focus on sustainability, conservation and traceability. I encourage you to be adventurous and explore the delicious wines of South Africa.
Here are a couple of great examples.
False Bay Slow Chenin Blanc 2025, South Africa (£9.99)
This is a super sustainable unbaked wine, the label and name refer to the Slow Food movement.
Wild yeast fermentation is key to this benchmark Chenin Blanc. The long wild yeast ferment provides bready aromas and additional complexity to the wine.
Dried herbaceous notes, followed by a creamy lemon character. The palate is reminiscent of the nose, with great textural complexity, attributable to the long, slow wild yeast fermentation. The wine has medium rich peach and apricot flavour, with good acidity and a dry finish.
A versatile wine equally well suited to partner lobster and other seafood, risotto or herb roast chicken. It can also handle spice very well.
The Fledge & Co Souzao 2025, W. O. Klein Karoo, South Africa (£19.99)
What a great label for Halloween!
Dense, almost opaque purple-black in the glass with flashes of ruby at the rim. The nose is vivid and untamed, packed with brambly blackberry, sour cherry and damson plum, layered with cracked black pepper, bitter cocoa and a little smoky edge reminiscent of tobacco leaf and warm stone after rain.
On the palate, the wine is energetic rather than heavy, intensely flavoured yet beautifully lifted by Souzao’s naturally bright acidity. Waves of dark forest fruit and tart berry freshness give way to savoury spice, graphite and a subtle earthy note. Tight, grippy tannins frame the wine with precision, while a streak of minerality carries through a long, mouthwatering finish that feels both wild and finely tuned.
There’s a raw beauty to it, echoed in the striking label artwork, bold, expressive and slightly rebellious, yet crafted with real finesse.
Butlers Wine Cellar, 88 St George's Road, Brighton BN2 1EE
01273 621 638 • www.butlers-winecellar.co.uk
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