Just as the wildlife industry has the Big Five, the South African wine industry boasts the Big Six, which refers to the cultivars: Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Jan van Riebeeck planted the first vineyard in South Africa in 1655 and the first wine was made four years later.
On 2 February 1659 he wrote in his diary 'Today, praise be to God, wine was pressed from Cape grapes for the first time.
’ Interestingly, Pinotage is the only wine cultivar that originates from South Africa. South Africa Online ® provides factual information on the country’s many variants of grapes.
Barbera
Barbera is a red wine grape variety primarily used for the production of table wines, but also in Northern Italy for the production of spark...moreBukettraube
Bukettraube is an aromatic white cultivar originating in Germany from a hybrid of Sylvaner and Trollinger grapes. Ripening very late in Germ...moreCabernet Franc
Cabernet franc is a black-skinned wine grape variety used for the production of red table wines. It is believed to be one of the oldest red ...moreCabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine variety that developed out of a spontaneous crossing between Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc. It is asso...moreCape Riesling
Cape Riesling is an old white grape cultivar originating in France, but it is mostly planted in Australia and South Africa. It is planted in...more
Carignan is black skinned wine grape variety primarily used to produce blends and single varietal wines. The parentage of the variety is unc...Chardonnay
It is easy to grow, which is why it has become one of the most widely grown white grape varieties in the world: from France’s cold Champag...more
Chenel is a white neutral tasting wine grape that is a South African-developed cross developed by Prof Chris Orffer. The parents of Chenel a...Chenin Blanc
Chenin blanc is a white wine variety used for the production of table wines, sparkling wines and fortified wines, such as port, sherry and b...more
Cinsaut noir is a wine grape variety primarily used for the production of red and rosé wines, but also brandies and port. DNA analysis has ...Clairette Blanche
A very old white wine grape that dates back to the 1500s, it was widely planted in the south of France and used in sparkling wine production...more
Colombar is a white wine variety better known for the production of distilled wines, such as brandy and cognac. It is one of the most plante...Emerald Riesling
Created by the UC Davis in 1948 from a cross between Muscadelle and Riesling, Emerald Riesling is a white grape cultivar that was intended t...moreGamay Noir
Gamay noir is a black wine grape variety traditionally used for the production of easy drinking red table wines. It developed from a cross b...moreGewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is a mutation of the Roter Traminer wine grape grown in Germany for centuries. The mutation ‘Gewürtztraminer’ was selec...moreGrenache Blanc
Grenache Blanc is a white wine grape that originated in northern Spain from where it spread to France to become the fourth most planted vine...moreGrenache Noir
Grenache noir is a flexible grape variety, used for the production of red, sparkling, sweet and fortified wines. Its parentage is unknown. T...more
Malbec is a wine grape variety used for the production of red wine. It developed from a crossing between the ancient varieties, Prunelard no...
Merlot is a red wine variety that developed from a crossing of Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. The variety’s name deriv...
Mourvèdre is a dark coloured wine grape variety used for the production of red wines. DNA analysis established that the varieties known as ...Muscat de Frontgnan - Muscadel
Muscadel in South Africa refers to the Muscat de Blanc à Petite Grains variety, which when translated means white Muscat with little berrie...moreMuscate D'Alexandrie
Muscat d’ Alexandrie is a versatile white grape variety, best known for the sweet wines it produces. It is a derivative of the Muscat fami...more
Nebbiolo is a red grape variety associated with some of the world’s best aged red wines. It seems to have derived its name from the Italia...
Nouvelle is a South African white wine grape developed in 1964 by the late Professor Chris Orffer of the Stellenbosch University by open-air...Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a black grape variety, traditionally used in Bordeaux-style blends. Its name means “the little green one” in French, ref...morePetite Sirah - Durif
A robust red grape that produces full-bodied red wines that were developed in the 1880s by Dr Francois Durif from a Syrah Peloursin cross. P...morePinot Gris and Pinot Blanc
Pinot gris and Pinot blanc are colour mutations that have developed out of Pinot noir. The main difference between the varieties is that Pin...morePinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety associated with some of the world’s most expensive still and sparkling wines. The name, derived f...more
Pinotage is a red wine variety that originated in South Africa. It is also grown, albeit in small quantities, in Australia, Brazil, Canada, ...
Roobernet is a red grape developed in South Africa in the 1960s by Prof Chris Orffer by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet. S...Roussanne
Roussanne is a white wine variety originally from the Rhône wine region in France. The name is probably derived from the French word ‘rou...moreRuby Cabernet
Ruby Cabernet is a red wine variety developed in 1936 by Dr Harold Olmo from the University of California, through the crossing of Carignan ...moreSangiovese
The main red cultivar of Tuscany in Italy where the famous Chianti wines are produced. Sangiovese was the main ingredient in these wines, re...moreSauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc produces white wines with distinct green and herbaceous flavours. The name means “wild white” in French and the variety ...more
Sémillon was one of the few varietals bought from the south west of France to South Africa by the French Huguenots around the 1690s. Today,...
Shiraz is a red wine cultivar with distinct smoky flavour. It developed out of a crossing between the near extinct varieties, Dureza and Mon...Souzao
Souzão is a red wine variety from the Minho region in Northern Portugal typically used to make port-style wines (Duoro Valley) and red Vinh...moreTinta Barocca
Tinta Barocca is a red wine grape variety used for the production of fortified Port-style or dry red wines. It developed out of a cross betw...moreTouriga Nacional
Touriga Naçional is a red grape variety mostly used in the production of port-style blends, but more recently also for the production of dr...more
Viognier is a white wine variety, genetically related to the Piedmontese grape, Freisa. The name is derived from the Celtic word vidu, which...Weisser Riesling
Weisser Riesling is a white wine variety used to produce sparkling wines as well as light fruity dry, semi-sweet and sweet still wines. It i...more
A red wine grape that originated in Croatia, Zinfandel has been very popular in California since the mid-1900s and can produce deep intense ...