Two Great White Wine Bargains from South Africa – Stellenryck Sauvignon Blanc and Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc

Hello Everyone!  It seems timely with the World Cup of Soccer going on in South Africa to talk about some of the great bargain wines from the host country.  In one of our earlier posts, “Of Goats and Wine” we talked about Goat Roti, a red wine from well-known South African vintner Charles Back.  We have also always enjoyed the white wines of South Africa, particularly the ones that are made from either Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc.  Chenin Blanc is also known as Steen in South Africa (Steen is actually the Dutch word for “stone” and is also used to denote “castle or “fortress”).

Early in our wine exploration, we became acquainted with South African wines and enjoyed wines from such producers as Fleur du Cap, Brampton, Indaba, and Cathedral Cellars.  The wines had an incredible balance between New World and Old World styles.  The red wines have a special “smoky” flavor that reflects the terroir of South Africa.  Generally speaking, New World wines tend to have much more fruit and bold flavors, while their Old World counterparts tend to be leaner with more acidity in the whites and more tannins and structure in the reds.  To us, South African wines have really struck that delicate balance between the two.  It may be due to the fact that the wines benefit from a nearly perfect Mediterranean climate, with added cool breezes and ocean currents from Antarctica.  Therefore, the South African wine producing regions are cooler when compared to regions of the same latitude in the northern hemisphere.

In terms of Sauvignon Blanc, Old World representations are primarily found in wines from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux in France, and are really some special wines.  They have a racy acidity with notes of citrus and minerals with some grassy tones.  Some actually receive oak aging and malolactic fermentation to yield some very complex wines with good aging potential.  New World wines on the other hand tend to have more tropical fruit flavors, and in warmer climates some winemakers harvest the grapes a little earlier to preserve the acidity.  New Zealand in particular has made a name for itself by crafting a flavor profile with lots of zing, acidity, herbal notes, and gooseberry.  This style can be a little “over the top” for some and this is where the South African wines fit.  They have a good deal of the tropical fruit and citrus flavors that Sauvignon Blancs from California and Chile have but they also have the mineral flavors found in the French wines, and are toned down just a bit from New Zealand.

About 10 years ago, it was more difficult to find South African wines in local stores, but it seems that almost every store now has at least a small selection, mostly at good prices.  When we lived in Bermuda, we frequently enjoyed Zonnenbloem Sauvignon Blanc at a price of $12.99, which was an incredibly inexpensive wine for Bermuda.  There are many wines to choose from and the Stellenryck Sauvignon Blanc and the Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc represent two great bargains.  They are well-balanced wines that you would expect to find at higher prices.

We came across Stellenryck in our quest for Sauvignon Blanc as a primary summer wine. We often see some of our favorite Sauvignon Blancs in the $12 range and so at a price of 8.99, this was an easy option to try.  The wine was nicely balanced as we had hoped, with plenty of zesty citrus and tropical fruit notes backed by the crisp refreshing acidity.  With a screw cap closure, this was a good wine at a great price to throw on some ice and have on a nice, sunny Saturday afternoon.  This is definitely a buy a few more bottles to have on hand for the warm summer days to come

Chenin Blanc is one of the most popular grape varietals in South Africa and is also considered to be one of the most flexible in the world.  It can be made into a sparkling wine, dessert wine, and into a wide variety of styles in still form that can age for some time.  Old World winemakers generally ferment Chenin Blanc at a warmer temperature (5 – 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer) than the New World producers, which tends to impart the New World Chenins with a bit more of the tropical fruit flavors and aromas.

We picked up the Ken Forrester for a similar price as the Stellenryck.  As we’ve talked about above, the grapes for this wine were picked early and fermented at a lower temperature to balance the acidity and tropical fruit flavors.  Like Sauvignon Blanc, it has green apple and grapefruit flavors, however, the wine has more of a mouthfeel to it than Sauvignon Blanc.  It makes a great everyday drinking wine.

If you are looking for that refreshing “zing” without some of the more intense green flavors than you get from New Zealand white wines, then look for a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.  At a price of around $8 Stellenryck is a great bargain.  On the other hand, if you want a wine that has a little more body to have along with food on a nice summer day, then the Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc is a great choice given the price.