Along the Coast: South Africa’s Wine Regions Shaped by the Sea
The Bot Riviera
Follow the yellow brick road to the Overberg’s Bot River. ‘Butter River’ takes its name from the 1600s, when the San people bartered butter with traders along the river. Fittingly, each spring the fields turn butter-yellow with canola, patrolled by flocks of blue cranes. Home also to a number of highly respected wineries with welcoming cellar door experiences, the vibe is rustic and the wines are outstanding. ‘I love the quiet dirt road we drive to work — the cows languidly crossing are our only traffic,’ says winemaker, Peter Allan Finlayson. Visit Gabriëlskloof for a tasting room with dazzling views as well as The Kitchen Door restaurant. And extend that bucolic feeling with a stay in their beautifully appointed Farm House.
Drink It In
Elodie 2024
The superlative chenin blanc is part of the Landscape Series, where the labels feature artworks painted with pigments from the vineyard’s own soils.
Quantum Organics
Slow right down at farmers’ markets, amiable restaurants and pastoral wine farms in Walker Bay’s Stanford. Like some kind of hive mind, the wineries clustered close to the sleepy town are all largely focused on organic and/or regenerative farming, paired with minimalist winemaking. One such place is Waterval farm, home to Saurwein Wines. While Jessica Saurwein currently sources pinot noir and riesling from nearby cool climate sites, in 2021 she and her family started regenerative polyculture farming in the area, and established a boutique cellar and vineyards. ‘Mother nature is our biggest teacher,’ she says.
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Om Pinot Noir 2024
From Place of the Gods Farm in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge region, the wine is (quite rightly) heavenly
Shore Up
Viticulture continues to surf along the coast, swelling into new territories. So much so that a new demarcation needed to be legislated. The Cape South Coast demarcation incorporates seven districts: Elgin, the Overberg, Walker Bay, Swellendam, Lower Duivenhoks, Cape Agulhas and Plettenberg Bay. And Seascape Wines begins where Trizanne Barnard’s vineyards meet the sea. She credits the proximity to the swell for the distinct saline thread running through her wines. ‘I look for vineyards close to the sea. The ocean has an incredible influence on my wines — and it’s easier for me to take a surf break.’
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Benede-Duivenshokrivier
Chardonnay 2024 — named from the tiny, limestone-rich ward, a rarity in South Africa and the holy grail for chardonnay
Stellenbosch by the Sea
Although it’s considered a ‘warm’ grape-growing area, Stellenbosch owes much of its wine quality to the ocean. Sea breezes from False Bay and the surrounding coastline are funnelled by mountain gaps, moderate summer heat and extend the ripening season. Just five kilometres from False Bay sits Vergenoegd Löw, and winemaker Mvuselelo ‘Vusi’ Dalicuba makes the most of this proximity: ‘Unusually for Stellenbosch, our soils are rich in lime — thanks to our low-lying, ancient seabed location, dense with sea fossils and minerals.’
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Lara Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
The cooling effect of the nearby ocean combined with calcareous soils makes for a distinctive, ‘cool climate’ cabernet.
See How it Runs
Follow the salt trail along the desertic West Coast to find singular wines reared in the teeth of the wild Atlantic. The West Coast Wine Route begins in Piekenierskloof then descends into Vredendal, Klawer, Lutzville, Koekenaap and Doringbaai. Historically known for bulk production, the district is gaining acclaim for the production of fine wines. Chenin blanc, in particular, shines. One of the region’s greatest champions and born and bred local, Sakkie Mouton is part of the younger generation capturing the distinct spirit of this desolate place. ‘I am more than willing to dive in head first to make wines that show the root of what makes the West Coast lekker.’
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Olifantsrivier Rosé 2024
A pink blend of unusual varieties, lledoner pelut (hairy grenache) and agiorgitiko. Sakkie says these are experimental varieties they are planting in the West Coast as things continue to warm up.
Credits
Text by Malu Lambert
Images: Supplied
This article was originally published in the House & Garden SA November 2025 issue.